As you may know, Google has become the number one way for consumers to search for businesses and products online.  And being on the front page of Google searches is a much sort after, but often illusive thing.  Who can fathom the Google mysteries?

D.I.Y.

Well, there is GOOD NEWS for small businesses! Google have now made it easier for the average guy, and you don’t need a degree to do it.  With a little know how, you can get yourself on front page of Google searches, and it is FREE!!  And this is what I want to share with you here.

Have you heard of Google places?

Well, this is something new that Google introduced last December.  If you do a Google search you will notice that things look different than before.  Let me show you what I mean:

I will search for DENTISTS in my town (Taree).

Notice:

1. The map on the right with all the different pins?  Those are all the dentists that Google found.
2. The search results on the left side with corresponding pins?  Well let me explain what Google have done.

Google Gives Free sites:

Around the world, Google have created FREE SITES for over 42,000,000 businesses, and yours is most likely one of them.  But to take advantage of this, you need to claim your place.  This is very simple, and I will explain it in the next post.  But before I do, let me explain a bit more.

Now Notice:

1. Under each entry, the URL is maps.google.com.au.  That means that none of these dentists have claimed their Google place, and most likely, none of them have a website.
2. Not all the dentists are listed there, not even my dentist… and whom I consider the best.  Ohhhh, what a shame!!!!
3. And if you checked the addresses on each of those dentists, you may find that some are not correct.  In this case it seems that all the addresses are correct.  But Google aren’t perfect and their information source is not always correct.  These entries have been taken from the Yellow Pages.

Correcting Google Places and Maps.

Believe it or not, Google do make mistakes.  So we are able to give Google the correct information, and if there are places missing, these can be added also.  Google are only too pleased if we do this, as it makes it better for them, as well as us.  So then, everyone is happy.

In the next post, I will explain how you can claim your place, and how to add places and how to make corrections.  So keep watching!!!  All will be revealed…..