Should Your Company Be Using Google Places for Business, Google+ Local, or Both?

If Google has left you confused about whether you should be using Google Places for Business or Google+ Local to list your local business online – not to mention what these two things even are – you’re not alone.

According to Google, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online, which means that properly preparing for local search is crucial for your business – especially if you run a brick and mortar store in addition to an online store. Using both Google Places for Business and Google+ Local for your online business listing is the best way to go. Our CT marketing agency can give you tips on how to turn both sources into powerful marketing tools to increase traffic to your site or store.

First off, what is Google Places for Business and why use it? Google Places for Business allows local businesses to create a listing that includes information such as a map, hours, contact details, reviews, and photos. This information is shown in the results of relevant searches. Chances are, your business already comes up in search engine results, but setting up a Google Places page for your company is the best way to control the information that comes up and position your business as a leader in a particular category for your area. Focusing on local search through Google Places for Business, as opposed to only the national Google search engine, gives your business the best shot at connecting with local consumers and also has the potential to reach tens of thousands of consumers if done correctly.

What about Google+ Local? Google+ Local for Businesses is yet another way to enhance your business’s presence online. It differs from Google Places in that it has more to do with the social aspect of search—discovering and sharing places with other customers on your Google+ feed—and requires consumers to have your business in their “circles” on Google+. Those customers who have your company in their circles are able to see Zagat reviews and Google’s 5-point rating system for your business along with all of the other business information found on Google Places for Business. Additionally, you can update your feed with things like blog posts or comments so that consumers are constantly connecting with you. Best of all, you control everything consumers are seeing through Google+ Local.

Our healthcare technology marketing company’s best piece of advice is to set up both a Google Places listing and a Google+ Local business page, and then verify the Google+ page so that the two pages are integrated for easier management. Making it a priority to properly set up these sites and frequently tend to and update them is a surefire way for your local business to be optimized for local search.