How to Claim Your Google Places Account
As a business owner or manager you can add a business location to Google Places to help attract more local business and provide searchers with information about your business and/or services. With 97% of consumers searching for local businesses online, it is very important to get listed, get citations and get reviews in order to be in the top results.
The first thing you will need to claim or add your listing is a Gmail account. This Gmail account should be separate from your personal Gmail account if you are not the owner or a business. (If you have or plan to have a website this Gmail account should be used to set up your Google Analytics account and any other Google product for ease of use.) Register for a Gmail account here: http://bit.ly/t5hRst
Once you have a Gmail account it’s time to see if Google has already set up a Google Places account for you that you need to claim or if you should create a new listing.
Go to Google Places Business Center log into your Gmail account and search for your business by its phone number and click “Find business information”
Your Business is listed in Google Places
If your business is listed, and you have not claimed the listing, you can edit the Google Places account, claim your listing and then validate it
- Click on the “edit” button and fill out the business profile information requested by Google and then click the “Submit” button
NOTE: The description of your business should include your key search terms, photos, videos, the right business categories for your business and the Additional Details should be filled out completely. Any photos or videos should have keyword rich descriptions and tiles for SEO before uploading them. As for the profile, fill it out completely. Google likes information and the more information the better.
- Google will then ask to validate the listing by Phone or by Postcard. Select the way in which you want to activate the listing and click “Finish”
NOTE: It will take between 1 and 3 weeks to receive a postcard
Your Business is Not Listed in Google Places
If your business is not listed by your phone number Google will prompt you to create a new Google Places account
- Fill out the business profile entirely including business description, photos, videos and business categories
NOTE: The description of your business should include your key search terms, photos, videos, the right business categories for your business and the Additional Details should be filled out completely. Any photos or videos should have keyword rich descriptions and tiles for SEO before uploading them. As for the profile, fill it out completely. Google likes information and the more information the better.
- Click “Submit” at the bottom of the page
- Google will then ask to validate the listing by Phone or by Postcard. Select the way in which you want to activate the listing and click “Finish”
NOTE: It will take between 1 and 3 weeks to receive a postcard