Near Me Now - Google"s Latest Gamechanger
In January Google made a new mobile search feature available called "Near Me Now." This tool allows people with Google's mobile search for iPhone and Android platforms to locate restaurants and other services based on their current location. Searchers can now pull up local results in categories like restaurants, entertainment, shopping, gas, and lodging closest to their location at that very moment.
For businesses that fall into one of these categories the benefits of this new feature are pretty exciting. If you own a restaurant, hotel, or a shop, someone can now locate you and view customer reviews while their out. People who hear about your restaurant or someone interested in doing a little shopping on a weekend trip to your city can find you and reviews about your shop, product, or service.
This article gives you some practical steps you can take to optimize your Google Places (formerly Google Local Business Center) account to take advantage of this new search feature.
1. Claim your listing. Make sure you've claimed your Google Places listing. If you haven't, go to google.com/local/add and claim it. With that done go ahead and fill it up with valuable information for your potential customers. You can add things like a description of your business, business categories, photos, and a whole lot more good stuff.
2. Solicit reviews from loyal fans. One of the first things someone coming in from a mobile device will see is the star ratings of your business reviews. Make sure satisfied customers are leaving them for your business. Reviews go a long way in engendering trust in searchers so make sure your Google Places listing isn't without them. The more, the better.
Getting a respectable number of reviews takes deliberate effort on your part. Start by asking some of your most loyal customers to go to your Google Places listing and leave you a review. Make it easy for them by sending them a link right to your listing so they can simply click a button to begin leaving feedback. Don't stop there, consider offering a coupon, bonus gift, or some other freebie to customers who leave you positive reviews. A well-planned effort will pay off when the number of your positive reviews outnumber those of your competitors.
3. Keep at it. Doing well in Google Places takes a sustained effort over time. Don't give up. Constantly revisit your listing and improve it with new content and updated information. Get into the habit of asking for reviews and rewarding those who take the time to leave them. Google's new "Near Me Now" adds a whole new sense of urgency to developing your business presence on Google Places. Take advantage of this new search feature, the rewards for your business can be well worth the extra effort.
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For businesses that fall into one of these categories the benefits of this new feature are pretty exciting. If you own a restaurant, hotel, or a shop, someone can now locate you and view customer reviews while their out. People who hear about your restaurant or someone interested in doing a little shopping on a weekend trip to your city can find you and reviews about your shop, product, or service.
This article gives you some practical steps you can take to optimize your Google Places (formerly Google Local Business Center) account to take advantage of this new search feature.
1. Claim your listing. Make sure you've claimed your Google Places listing. If you haven't, go to google.com/local/add and claim it. With that done go ahead and fill it up with valuable information for your potential customers. You can add things like a description of your business, business categories, photos, and a whole lot more good stuff.
2. Solicit reviews from loyal fans. One of the first things someone coming in from a mobile device will see is the star ratings of your business reviews. Make sure satisfied customers are leaving them for your business. Reviews go a long way in engendering trust in searchers so make sure your Google Places listing isn't without them. The more, the better.
Getting a respectable number of reviews takes deliberate effort on your part. Start by asking some of your most loyal customers to go to your Google Places listing and leave you a review. Make it easy for them by sending them a link right to your listing so they can simply click a button to begin leaving feedback. Don't stop there, consider offering a coupon, bonus gift, or some other freebie to customers who leave you positive reviews. A well-planned effort will pay off when the number of your positive reviews outnumber those of your competitors.
3. Keep at it. Doing well in Google Places takes a sustained effort over time. Don't give up. Constantly revisit your listing and improve it with new content and updated information. Get into the habit of asking for reviews and rewarding those who take the time to leave them. Google's new "Near Me Now" adds a whole new sense of urgency to developing your business presence on Google Places. Take advantage of this new search feature, the rewards for your business can be well worth the extra effort.
More Great Resources From Northstar Creative
To access more web resources from Northstar Creative, visit our Web Resource Center. [http://www.northstarcreative.net/articles/]
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