There are a number of things you can do to help yourself come up first or have your web person do to help your website come up first.
The first of these tools, Google Places, is free at the basic level. I tell clients that this one is a no-brainer as it’s free and easy to use. If you do this yourself, go to Google Places, claim your business listing and check all the data. Work on including your main keyword phrases in your description and your services. Be sure to include your website and add your logo and some photos.
If you happen to work out of your home, you don’t have to indicate your address, you can list your territory as a radius.
For a fee, you can add coupons for your business. You can also list events, if that’s something your business does.
If you are in a competitive niche, say a dentist or a lawyer, you may find you need help with setting this up so you come up on the first page. You can contact me for a referral for help with Google Places.
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Karen Nierlich is an Albany Internet Marketing Consultant with Full Orbit Web and Marketing. She and her team serve small and medium business clients in Berkeley, Oakland, Albany and the surrounding Bay Area. She excels at aligning your website, blog and social media plans with your business plans to help you generate new leads and prospects.