Plumbing Connection Autumn 2016

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PLUMBING CONNECTION AUTUMN 2016 73
HOW TO GET YOUR BUSINESS ON GOOGLE MAPS
(AND THEREFORE ON G+).
1
the quality of the link that matters (where the link is from,
what the link says, etc.) that is important and this is a lot
harder to manufacture.
Sounds complicated right? That’s because it is. There
are no guaranteed results – in fact, Google advises never to
trust any SEO company that offers guarantees.
There’s more bad news.
There are at least 3000 plumbers in Melbourne alone.
When someone searches for the term ‘plumber Melbourne’
there are more than 3000 companies trying to be in the top
five results (two thirds of people only click on the first five
results1). In addition to all those plumbers, there is a myriad
of directory websites, all pushing plumbing websites down
the rankings. And while you (or an SEO company) might be
optimising your website, so is everybody else.
Don’t despair though – there are small (free!) things you
can do to improve your online presence – namely optimise
it for Local SEO. You can’t compete in the Melbourne-wide
market (or the particular state you live in) – but you do stand
a chance in your local suburb and the surrounding area.
Ensure you’ve claimed your business on Google Maps and
optimised the listing (see pull box).
And remember – online marketing is a small part of your
overall marketing strategy.
This is surprisingly easy to do – Google knows most business owners
aren’t computer specialists and they give you plenty of helpful pointers
along the way.
1. Search for your business address.
2. If your business is already there, click on ‘Claim this business’. If
your business isn’t there, click ‘Add missing place’ and add in your
business details.
3. You’ll be asked to verify this listing – follow the instructions to have
it verified by mail (a postcard will be sent out) or phone (a Google
representative will call you).
4. Creating or claiming this listing will automatically create a G+ page.
The information from here will show up on your map listing in search
results. Fill out your G+ page with as much detail as you can.
Essential items include:
a. Company name – sounds simple, but ensure this is the exact
name you use on all your other advertising, online and off.
b. Address – even though this will be correct, you still need to edit
it to ensure that you’ve clicked the box that says ‘I deliver goods
and services to my customers at their location’. This will help you
rank in local searches for plumber.
c. Phone number
d. Web address
e. Opening hours
These are the bare essentials – add as much good information as you
can.