Dominate Your Local Market with Google+ Local

If you’re not familiar with Google+ Local or haven’t heard of it’s predecessor Google Places, it might just be the reason your local competition is getting a lot of your business. As Google+, Google’s answer to Facebook and Twitter, continues to grow in popularity, it is becoming more and more important to have your business listed on Google+ local in order to gain a competitive edge of your local competition.

Why Should My Business Be on Google+ Local?

Let’s face it, the yellow pages have all but died off when it comes to marketing your business. In this day and age, even retired baby boomers are using their phones and Google searches to find local businesses, service providers and even to get directions. A Google+ listing for your business not only gives you the opportunity to advertise your business locally for free, but will also allow your business to show up on both Google’s search results page and the Google maps listings for local businesses when your particular business or service is searched for. In short, a Google+ listing for your business let’s the customer come to you, rather than you having to get your message out to them.

How Can Google+ Local Benefit My Business?

Google+ Local pages are indexed by Google, meaning as long as you have a listing, you’re business is going to show up as a result for any search term related to your local business. While it’s recommended that you optimize your listing, simply being present on Google+ Local will provide you with a leg up on your competition, especially if they haven’t created a listing for their business yet. Of course, one of the greatest benefits of a Google+ Local listing is that your website and company information will be part of a social network owned by Google, which will without a doubt increase your visibility throughout Google’s search results.

Google+ Local Reviews Build Trust in Your Business

While a Google+ Local listing will help people find your business when they search, it’s most powerful feature for business owners is the potential for your business to receive customer reviews online. Google+ allows their registered users to leave reviews for the businesses they visit, which are displayed as a part of your business listing when your business is displayed in search results. These reviews offer you another free opportunity to build trust in your business as potential customers can get a clear idea of what to expect when dealing with your business directly from the mouths of your existing customers. If you’re a part of local directories like Yelp or Yahoo, Google+ Local is a great addition to your online presence. Even if you don’t have a website for your business, you can increase your brand recognition online and start driving new, online leads to your business directly from Google’s search results as they search for your business. With the amount of competition you face on your path to business success, using free resources like Google+ Local can help you increase your exposure and ultimately your revenue, while getting you ahead of the curve in your local advertising.

Are you using Google+ to market your business online?  Share your tips for Google+ Local by leaving a comment below.

Dominate Your Local Market with Google+ Local