How Google Places Can Help Your Adelaide Business

“Place” is one of marketing’s 4Ps, and this important component used to figure dominantly in the way businesses are conducted in the past, that all changed though with the advent of the Internet and its offshoots like Google Places. The technologies that are speeding past businesses make it all possible to extend their physical boundaries and conduct business independent of their location.

Today, with the advent of Google Places, it is not just enough to put up a brick-and-mortar shop and a fancy signage at a strategic location, although it wouldn’t hurt to be accessible to both pedestrian and cars. Nonetheless, a slew of businesses are being carried out on the tabletop, quite literally, and despite their lack of what was once considered a non-negotiable element in marketing, they thrive and even compete with established enterprises. All they need is lightning-speed Internet connection and a basic knowledge of how to take advantage of all open-source software and tools available to businesses, big and small. Google Places is a prime example.

About Google Places

Google Places, previously known as Google local, was created to answer queries that involved businesses in specific locations, like “Adelaide flower delivery” or “Adelaide accountants.” Google Local search results would pull up business listings in the neighborhood and the corresponding directions and maps to get there by foot, bicycle, public transport or cars. This means that customers can get to your brick-and-mortar shop even if they haven’t heard of your business before or know where it is located. Google Places is extremely handy not only for Adelaide locals but also for visitors who want to explore new places on foot, sample local flavors and shop for wares. A local Adelaide resident who wants drive for-hire luxury cars can easily look up “prestige car hire Adelaide”. Similarly, a tourist who wants to drive around the city can look up “Car rental Adelaide”.

With the help of Google Places, the query for “Adelaide flower delivery” displays indexed pages of flower delivery websites located in Adelaide, along with several business listings that are physically located in the vicinity, like a flower delivery shop along 63 Pirie Street or 231 Hutt Street. In the same vein, Google Places displays “Adelaide accountants” in 139 Frome Street or Victoria Square. The customer can then click on the balloons (indicating the business location) to enlarge the map. This shows the business’ exact location in the same way that paper maps direct tourists to the right place.

This means that even a business with modest budget for advertisements and publicity can get by and expand its business presence despite its physical limitations. Google Places has launched 50 million business places listings around the world, but only a paltry 4 million have claimed their listing. To take advantage of this virtually free publicity, the business owner has to claim his or her listing first if the business were to be ranked at all locally. It is important to remember that even if you have done nothing about, chances are, Google Local has already listed your business on the web. So after claiming the listing, make sure to maximize online visibility – and eventually the bottom line – by getting indexed by search engines.

Claim Your Google Places Listing

If you need help claiming your Google Places business contact us and we’ll help you maximize and SEO optimize your Google Places listing.

Tags: Google Places