How to create Google Places listing in 5 easy steps!
Google Places is an essential online marketing part of any local business. Google Places enables anyone with Internet access to find local businesses in very simple, fast and accurate manner. Google Places offers number of advantages to small to large local business owners. Google Places also comprises of several reviews by Google places users. You can share and view different reviews for schools, local businesses, museums, parks, hotels, restaurants and more.
The latest feature offered by Google Places is customer communication tool so that business owners can respond to their customers online. When a customer makes a comment on your Google Places page, you can easily respond them using this cool new feature. Google Places also enables you to list your new products and upcoming ones with the micro blog feature. You can display your location, working hours, products information along images and youtube video.
Before you enjoy these features, you need to sign up for Google places. Here are some simple steps for Google Places signup.
Setting up Google Places account Step-by-Step!
1. For this, first you need a Gmail account. Visit here https://www.google.com/accounts to register and obtain one, it’s Free.
You will see one option called “create account†– just click on the bottom and sign up by inputting your personal/business information. Be sure not to create a personal account; you are actually creating an account for your business. Your personal account should be separated from your business account.
2. After the completion of the Google Account process, sign in with your new Google business account into Google Places, please click on the following URL: places.google.com/business. Click on the link called “List your business†on the right side of the screen, see screenshot example below.
3. When you will click on “list your business†you will see a new page. It will include two options, country and phone number, see screenshot example below.
Select you country and input your business phone number, then click on the “Find business information†button so Google can search and find your business information. If Google can’t find your business information, then you will be directly prompted to create a new business page, see screenshot example below.
4. At this page, you need to fill in the basic information of your business. As seen in the above screenshot example:
- Company/Organization – put the name of your registered business here.
- Address – the exact address of your business.
- Phone number – write your correct and currently active phone number with area code.
- Website – it requires the URL of your website.
- Categories – Choose the category of your business. You can choose up to 5 categories for your business.
- Hours of operation – this include the working hours of your business. If your time zone is not listed you can choose a radio button “I prefer not to specify operating hours.â€
- Payment options – this include the payment methods that your business accepts from your customers.
- Photos – click on the upload button to upload pictures of your products and service. You can add up to 10 images.
- Video – you can also add videos with the URL of YouTube videos.
- Additional details – you can add custom information here.
As you fill in your business information, you can preview your business listing on the right side of page in real time. Once you are satisfied with your business listing, you will need to click and submit your Google Places business listing.
5.Google will ask you how you want to verify your business listing, the best option is: phone. Do not use the mail option, as it is a very slow process. To quickly get your business online, choose the phone verification option and Google will call your business phone (or the phone number you have listed in Google Places) with a unique verification code. Write down the Google code and then input it in your Google Places verification dashboard to activate/verify your business listing.
Your business listing will go live shortly after you verify your business listing by phone. If you have chosen the post card option as a form of verification, you business listing will take longer to activate and start showing online.
Once your Google Places account is complete and active, you will be able to login and view statistical information, e.g., visits, map clicks, direction requests, questions, reviews, website visits, graphs, charts from your Google Places dashboard.
If you have any comments or questions, please let us know.