These days, anyone who needs to find the address of a business near where they live will most likely go to Google or Google Maps and do a search.
If you run a business, you want to make sure your listing can be easily found when someone does a Google search. Google maintains a business directory called Google Places where you can add content such as your address, phone number and details about your line of business. Google Places also lets you include such tidbits as store hours, photos/videos, reviews, coupons and links to your website.
With Google Places, creating a great listing takes just a few minutes. Best of all, it’s free.
To start, go to Google Places and sign in with your Google account. If you don't already have a Google account, click Sign up now to create a new one.
Each business listing on Google comes from a few different sources. However, Google says it trusts the info you provide more than what it gets from third-party providers. This means that your info will appear in the listing instead of the info Google gets from anywhere else. To make sure the info you submit is accurate, Google will ask you verify it first by entering a PIN that will be sent to either your business address or phone number.
Right now, Google Places is available for businesses in only certain countries. To find out if your country is one of them, click Add new listing when logged in to your Google Places account. Check the country drop down at the top of the sign-up page. You can also check country availability on the Mapping tool availability page.
