Beware People Saying They Can Optimize Your Google Places

Here is an email one of our clients recently received.

“Hello,

We are contacting you regarding a unique opportunity for placement on the first page of the Google Business Directory and Google Maps in Denver under DUI attorneys (please see the attatched PDF) and other Keywords such as DWI Lawyer, Criminal Defense, Criminal Law, and the like. Options also include: Personal Injury, Family Law, Divorce Attorney, Wrongful Death, etc.

Act now – Get your business on the first page of Google’s listings with no contract and no set-up fee!

If you are looking for a higher profile and a great deal more traffic, Google Maps and business directory is the largest source consumers use to find local businesses. This is a limited time opportunity for ONE and only ONE attorney in the Denver market. For further information and to get started, please call or email me while the opening is still available.”

 

Google Places and Google Maps “Optimization” can hurt your business if not done by Google’s Guidelines

Beware of companies out there similar to this, that promise to manipulate your Google Maps or Google Places.This is not the way to get the best Search Engine Optimization for your Company, whether you are a lawyer, doctor, dentist or entrepreneur. Google has just recently changed how there Places pages work, eliminating all third party reviews. After total completion, the only way to optimize your Google Places page is to have actual customers go to your page and leave actual reviews. Any other types of reviews are now just concentrated at the bottom under a link to the third party site.

The Google Guidelines for Google Places

Here is an excerpt from the Google Places Quality Guidelines

Business Name: Represent your business exactly as it appears in the offline world.

  • Do not include marketing taglines in your business name.
  • Do not include phone numbers or URLs in the business name field, unless they are part of your business name.
  • Do not attempt to manipulate search results by adding extraneous keywords or a description of your business in the business name field.
  • Some businesses may be located within a mall or a container store, which is a store that contains another business. If your business is within a container store or mall, and you’d like to include this information in your listing, specify the container store in parentheses in the business name field. For example, Starbucks (inside Safeway).

 

Business Location: Use a precise, accurate address to describe your business location.

  • Do not create listings at locations where the business does not physically exist. P.O. Boxes are not considered accurate physical locations. Listings submitted with P.O. Box addresses will be removed.
  • Use the precise address for the business in place of broad city names or cross-streets.
  • Do not create more than one listing for each business location, either in a single account or multiple accounts.
  • Businesses that operate in a service area, as opposed to a single location, should not create a listing for every city they service. Businesses that operate in a service area should create one listing for the central office or location and designate service areas.
  • Businesses with multiple specializations, such as law firms and doctors, should not create multiple listings to cover all of their specialties. You may create one listing per practitioner, and one listing for the office.
  • Do not include information in address lines that does not pertain your business’s physical location (e.g. URLs, keywords).

 

If you do not follow Google’s Guidelines for Google Places you can be removed from Google places.  Removal from Google Places can cost you new and current customers.

 

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