No more Local Business Center… it is now called Google Places.
And claiming your own business listing, which has been a “no-brainer” for some time now, is even more attractive to local businesses thanks to some new features.
What’s new (per article USA Today):
- Instead of just submitting an address, business owners can instead show a geographic area they serve. Additionally, home-based businesses can make their address private.
- A new advertising feature, for $25 monthly, lets business owners “tag” their listing with special offers to stand out. Google is testing Tags in a few cities, including Austin, Atlanta and Washington D.C., before going national.
- Free photos of your business. For the business owner who doesn’t want to take the time to upload a photo of their business, Google is offering a free photographic service to come and shoot your location for viewing in Google Maps.
If you haven’t claimed your business listing in the Google Local Business Center… oops, I mean Google Places, do it right now. If you don’t have the time, desire or technical savvy to do it yourself, Google Places listings are just one of the many benefits included in an Orange Cat Online Marketing 1-2-3 package.