Get a Free Business Listing on Google! By Wes Grueninger Google? What the heck is Google? Google is a free Internet service known as a search engine. When computer users are looking for information, they type in key words related to their search. Google finds and displays information which includes those key words. For example, if a user is looking for a rebuilt alternator and types in the words “rebuilt alternator’ along with his zip code, Google will display business listings and Web sites that contain these key words. There are many search engines available, but Google is the biggest, handling over 54 percent of all Internet searches (as of September 2007). The main Google Web site can be found at: www.google.com. As more people turn to the Internet to search for local businesses, Google has made a valuable business listing avail- able to you—and it’s free! Many rebuilders report that they have “pulled the plug” on their Yellow Pages adver- tising, and the resulting effect on their business has been minimal. This makes sense, considering the many studies that show fewer and fewer people are letting their “fingers do the walking” and instead are letting their “mouse do the clicking.” Bill Gates has gone so far as to predict that “almost everyone under 50 will stop using the Yellow Pages within five years.” If you sign up for a free Google account, you can create a free listing for your business, with as much informa- tion as a full-page Yellow Pages ad. Unlike a Yellow Pages ad that can’t be changed for a full year, you can fine- tune your Google listing as often as you your building, your team, company logo, product logos, and even products themselves. A really helpful feature from Google allows you to view statistics about the number of people who view and click on your business listing. So, unlike the Yellow Pages, you can easily track the effectiveness of your listing. What this all means, is that a free Google business listing functions like a mini Web site. Setting up a free listing gets your busi- ness included in Google searches, just like a full-blown Web site. If your com- pany has a Web site, then a Google busi- ness listing can increase its visibility and traffic. Customers can move from your business listing to your Web site with a simple click of the mouse. Here’s how to get this free valuable business listing. First, you’II need to get a Google account. Type “maps.google.com” in your Internet browser address bar and press “enter.” This will take you to Google Maps main page (Figure 1). titled “Required Information” (Figure 3). This screen allows you to enter all the standard contact information for your business. As you type in your address, a map appears to the right with a pointer over the spot where Google thinks your business is located. Make sure they have it positioned correctly. If it isn’t, click on the link “Fix Incorrect Marker Location,” and you will be able to click on the marker and drag it to the correct spot on the map. This can come in handy if the pointer is incorrectly situated over the AutoZone just down the block! On this same screen, Google allows you to describe your business in 200 characters or less. Choosing the right words to describe your business is very important, as they serve two purposes. First, they describe your business to the public. Second, Google indexes the words in your description and associates them with your business information. These are the words that will result in your business being displayed when cus- €.g.,”10 market st, san francisco” or “hotels near lax” Google Search Maps Maps “| Search the map Find businesses Get directions Search Results = My Maps ® Print © Send © Link to this page Welcome to Google Maps You can drag the map with your mouse, and double-click to zoom. Take a tour » Search the map, e.g kansas city 10 market st, san francisco Traffic Find businesses, e.g. hotels near lax pizza Get directions, e. ifk to 350 5th ave, new york seattle to 98109 idaho sgt Linger Utah El Use Google Maps on your phone: Learn more » ” Q Add or Edit your business: Leatn more » (M Advertise with Google Maps: Learn more » } Add Google Maps to your website: Leam more » ® Get free local info. 600-GOOG-411: Learn more » Figure 1 Click on the link “Add or Edit your business”: which will open the Google Maps Local Business Center (Figure 2). If you already have a Google account, log in. If you are Montana Wyoming ‘Albuayeraue aN hniro 9 canna Sp Hoi ¥ ; “ie Dakota lo Nebraska omaha Denver Kansas Colorado Kansas Wichitae Tuga s Oklahoma: arkansas Missouri Kentucky Tennessee New) Atlanta Mexico Dallas Mississippi 50 a Texas Monterrey tte México tomers search the Internet. For example, let’s say you include the words alternator and rebuilding in your description. If a local customer is looking to find a place like. The listing contains a lot of infor- mation, including: a description of your business, street address, Web site address, phone/fax numbers, hou