About Local Listing

what is Local Listing in Google .

 

Check the details and watch the video here:

http://maps.google.com/local/add/analyticsSplashPage?gl=US&hl=en-US

 

Google local listings provide the most basic, important information for a business, including customer reviews, phone, address, etc.
you can create account for google local business.
check below link
maps.google.com/local/add?hl=en

 

Hello Lynnb,

One way of describing local business listings is to call them the interactive internet yellow pages. I say "interactive" because it is a two way street. Local business listings are in a convergence of search, social media and mobile marketing. More importantly they have evolved to be an excellent marketing tool for the local business and the small business that is dependent upon the local consumers for their revenue.

The business can do more with local listings then they ever could with the traditional yellow pages. Aside from the basic business information, you can add photos, videos, coupons, offers, discounts, events, to showcase your business, your products and services. More importantly you can update them 24x7x365.

The consumer also is interactive in this case. They get to post their review of your business, their experience with you, your products and services. What is interesting is that the business does not have to be engaged in local business listings in order for consumers to post their reviews. Websites like Angie's List, Yelp, Google, Yahoo, Bing, City Search and more are a good example how consumers have been very engaged in posting their commentary about a business (good or bad).

With the search engines local business listings show up in search results and always on the first page. If a local customer is searching for anything and those keywords are in your local business listing your listing will show up next to the map. I am not going to suggest that it is that easy because Google has another algorithm for listings too, but I want to at least explain how else these listings can benefit a business.

The issue at hand is not so much Google. Local business listings exist with 60 different websites in 4 different categories (search, 411, social communities, and gps). And, yes, the number of websites is growing. The search engines and the social community type locations are important to monitor consumer reviews. The 411 and GPS locations will benefit you with what are called "citations" (aka web references or mentions) about your business.

If you're wondering how a business utilizes this marketing tool effectively at all these locations with limited time resources, then the answer lies in local business listing management services that support the business to take care of this at multiple local listing websites. The only thing you have to be careful here is that most of the companies out there are about "getting listed", which is not really what the business needs since most businesses unless they are new are already listed. What you need is someone who will help you setup an account, claim your listings, update, manage and maintain them for you.

I encourage you to read my articles about local business listings. I have an author page at Sys-Con Media that may help shed more light as we talk about local business listing hijackings, citations, consumer reviews, qr codes, their effect on search engine ranking positions and much more. You can find the author page at http://melihoztalay.ulitzer.com/ Additionally, on our corporate blog we have a section dedicated to local business listings here http://www.smartfindsmarketing.com/blog/category/local-business-listings/

Hope this helps put some perspective on local business listings for you and others.

 

really This is very useful knowledge.

 

A few comments, related to what you posted.

Google Local offers flexibility. But I liked in the Yellow pages book where opening the book showed a bunch of companies all at once. Google Local is interesting. If someone is in a suburb, but the main city - say Seattle - is the common keyword, the business can simply pick any central Seattle address out of thin air, so they show up in the one-box. Its got its good side and bad.

On Yahoo, I saw one anonymous user name post verbatim, the same negative review against 4 tree services. None of which ever having worked for the person. That might be one advantage of Angie's List, in that its not anonymous.

Now about Angie's List, here is a tangent for anyone interested ...
The best I can do, is relay my experience to others.

My first encounter was an email that my company got a review on Angie's List. So I started a contractor connect page. The review was by an actual customer, who gave all "A" ratings and commented they got more than their moneys worth. That review also fits the nature of my own testimonials page.

Then last autumn, another person gave me an "F" rating. I never talked to them by phone, nor gave an estimate or worked for them. They had merely emailed and did not like that I give free estimates if other bids are from licensed contractors, if the work so requires, in the state of Oregon.

Angie's List confirmed that people can give ratings which affect other ratings, even if they have never so much as talked to a company.

Just this last week, another person who I worked for recently, submitted a complete "A" report, also stating they got more than their money's worth.

So there are the facts, without even interjecting my opinion.

Two separate customers who I worked for, both gave an A in every category, plus extra positive comments. And the one other person who I never met or talked to, gave an F with extra negative commnents. The person who gave an F, dropped my company's overall rating to a "B" for about 4 to 5 months.

At least once, I have mentioned or written to Angie's List, that they should consider listing ratings separately, for people who have and have not hired a service.

With Angie's List, I think it may be worth folks time to think of various ways to integrate them into a website. Like posting the awards.

Also, people can post reviews for us on Angie's List, even if they have not joined. The reviews won't have the same visibility, but the reviews will be there. Just read about it this week on Angie's List FAQ page stuff. So maybe a review button on a website would be practical.

 

What type of fees are there to get a Business listiong on A,B or C? Can that be done or is it hit and miss? PM me some details... I am in a very High profile keyword that has a lot of scammers in it and they have hundreds of listings.

 

Isn't the Google listing free of cost?

 

I also want to know the answer.

 

Hello,

I have responded to two people that have requested for more information by Private Message. I'm trying to avoid making our posts to question appear as advertising our firm. If you would like more information about Local Business Listing Management Services at multiple local listing websites....as a marketing service not a data service.....please PM me and I will get back to you.

Local Listings at multiple local listing websites is generally free. The issues that most businesses run into include the following is they don't have the time to do this at multiple locations

Also, there are issues in going through the claiming process that have tripped up many businesses. Particularly if there are duplicate listings. Merge them, Keep them, Delete them? Situation dependent and you need to look at each listing separately.

Doing this just at Google is not a good idea. Google is not the 800lb gorilla in this space...not yet at least. I"m sure that will change.
1. Consumers are the ones deciding which website they go to and post their commentary. Focusing only on Google is not a good idea from a Public Relations standpoint.

2. Mobile Application Developers are also the ones that will decided whose database they will use. If you focus on Google and the app developers are using Yelp and you don't have listing at Yelp then you're missing out on getting your information in front of those local consumers.

There is a difference between marketing and data services. Data services are generally ineffective in that they only push text copy and they don't help you secure/claim your listing. Marketing services include the claiming process; uploading marketing materials like videos, photos, coupons, events/promotions; and managing/monitoring consumer reviews. Marketing services are performed at multiple local listing websites in order to get the most exposure.

Certainly the data services charge less and marketing services tend to be higher.

Lastly, I will say that there is an evoluation and a progression of geo-marketing that will include QR Code Management, Event/Promotion Management, Consumer Review Management, Coupon Management, HyperLocal Marketing, and of course this moves into Mobile Marketing to include Mobile Apps, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Websites, and SMS Texting services. The starting point in all of this is to claim, update, and manage your listing at multiple locations. Later this year and going into 2011 all the other services will become part of any businesses marketing.

Hope this helps. Let me know if there are any questions.

 

great thread very imformative