Business Listing & Reputation Management

Google My Business is the fast and easy way for businesses, products, brands, artists, and organizations to manage their online presence with Google. Using the Google My Business dashboard, you’ll now be able to:

• Maintain up-to-date business information on Google
• Build loyal customers using a Google+ page. Followers of the page for your business can show appreciation and give feedback with posts and reviews, and use the +1 button to endorse products and services on Google+, Google Search, Maps or on ads.
• Track engagement with insights for Google+ pages and posts
• See information on your related Google Analytics account and YouTube channels
• Seamlessly create and track performance of AdWords Express campaigns

Businesses with physical location or servicing local geographies get additional benefits. Once you verify your business on Google My Business, you’ll be able to:

• Help get your business found on Google.
• Google can use the business information you provide in local search results.
• Read and respond to reviews from your customers
• Get insights on how customers searched for your business, and where they’re coming from

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Key Business Information Consistency:

An important ranking factor in SEO is to have consistent business information across the web.  It is also important so customers can reach you via online directories, but if the information is not accurate you may loose out on a new customer.

The local SEO industry has coined an acronym as a way to identify key elements of location data, initially the acronym was NAP (no, not a short period of sleep) but it was just as important to add the website address of locations, therefore NAPU is now used as well.

NAPU!, bless you! Just Kidding! –

But seriously, this information is paramount to ensuring that potential customers can find and interact with the business.

“You want to be sure your key business information is consistent on your website, social networks and online directories.”

Benefits of submitting your business information:

• Assures consistent business information across the internet
• Provides accurate information to your customers and new customers
• Listing reaches search engines, navigation devices, local directories, and directory assistance services
• Distribution partners include Bing, Yahoo!, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Citysearch, Superpages, Facebook, Twitter, Tomtom, MerchantCircle, MapQuest and more

Some other factors to consider with your key business information specifically your address.  A few of the data aggregators will  takes submitted data and applies the “preferred” addressing standard for location data according to the USPS.

So it makes sense to apply this standard to your address before you get started with submitting to online directories.

The first notable change to addressing will be to exclude punctuation in address data

The above table displays an example of applying the addressing standard. Note no punctuation is utilized.

Next take note for Address Line 1 and Address Line 2 that abbreviations are used.  Street Suffix Abbreviations Reference. Address 2 Reference.

For City data, do not abbreviate a City name.

For example, do not abbreviate West Nanticoke to W Nanticoke.

For State use 2 digit state abbreviations.

For ZIP Use only 5 digit code, the local directories do not accept submissions including the ZIP+4 format.

Other Best Practices for Location Data:

• Do not use PO Box as a street address
• Don’t use Cross Street Information Strongly advise against the use of cross streets in the Address of your business listing
• Do not use Toll Free Numbers, use local number.  A business location with only a toll-free number cannot be submitted to the local directories

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