Leveraging
Search Engine
Business Listings
Clients fail to claim their locations using free tools provided by search engines
In a previous blog post, I discussed the Five Mistakes New Clients Are Making. The second item on that list was not claiming your business using the tools provided by Google, Bing, and Apple. Back in the days before widespread internet use, the sole source for business listings was the local phone book. These books were divided into two sections the “white pages” and the “yellow pages“.
The white pages contained a listing of names, addresses, and phone numbers for all individuals and businesses in the coverage area. White page listings were typically free or included as part of the monthly phone bill. The yellow pages were paid business listings and before Google, these ads were how customers searched for goods or services. This was lucrative revenue stream for the phone companies while holding businesses hostage. The internet and search engines ended the monopoly on this information and radically changed the landscape.
Google, Bing, and Apple provide free business listings
Google, Bing, and Apple all have well-developed free tools for listing businesses. I often find that these services are very much under-utilized by my new clients. I regularly have clients that come to me for website work that haven’t claimed their business listing on Google. They totally rely on Google’s algorithms to correctly identify key business information such as addresses, phone numbers, website URLs, and hours of operation. In this article, I will restrict the discussion to business listings on maps-based services. I will discuss listing businesses on social media platforms in a future blog post.
Getting a Listing
The process for claiming a business is very similar for the three major players. I will discuss the similarities and differences between the following platforms.
- Apple Business Register
- Bing Places for Business
- Google Business Profile
DISCLAIMER: I have worked with clients on all three of these platforms and I am not being compensated by Google, Microsoft, or Apple. I view have a correct listing on each of these services as equally important.
Google Business Profile
Google is the biggest player in this space and they offer the broadest range of features. Listings are free which has two major benefits for Google.
- Ensures information about a business provided by Google in searches is more relevant and accurate
- Allows Google to market Google Ads and other services
Benefits of a Google Business Profile
- Add and Update Essential Business Information
- Display Special Holiday Hours or Closings
- Share Logo and Images
- Post Messages for Profile Visitors
- Send and Receive Direct Messages
- Respond to Posted Reviews
- Post Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
- Display Products
- List Business Services and Offer Online Quotes
- Understand Customers via Analytics
How To Claim Your Business
- Search for your business listing on Google Maps
- If your business or location doesn’t appear in the search, it will need to be added
- If your business or location appears in the search, click on “Claim this Business” link under the listing
- This Google Business Help article provides detailed instructions
- Login with an email account, preferably a G-Mail account. This account will be the Administrator’s account for this business listing and can be used to manage multiple listings if your business has more than one physical location
- After a claim has been made, Google requires verification of ownership at each location being claimed. The following verification options are available.
- Phone or Text
- Video Recording
- Live Video Call
- Post Card
- This Google Business Help article provides detailed instructions for each of the verification methods
Phone verification for multi-location businesses that use a central phone number with voice menus is challenging. Having Google mail out postcards containing the verification code to the specific location is worth the three to five day wait.
Manage Your Google Business Profile
Now that the verification steps have been completed, it is time to interact with the platform. Login using your administrators’ account and verify that all of the basic information is correct. Updates to verified business listings using this account will appear to customers almost immediately. Review the information listed under the “INFO” tab on the left. Be sure to log in and update the listing when you are closed for holidays or vacations. Updating the images and posting announcements will help with overall SEO.
Verify or Update the Follow Information
- Business Name
- Business Category
- Address (if physical location)
- Hours of Operation
- Holiday Hours (if any)
- Phone Number
- Website URL
- Products or Services
- Store Code or Label (multiple locations)
- Description of your Business
The Google Business Platform has many, many more features. I will explore other aspects of using this platform in future blog posts. Stay Tuned!
Bing Places for Business
Bing is this search engine infrastructure owned by Microsoft and is well behind Google in overall marketshare. It is the default service engine on Windows devices and it provides its users with web, video, image, and map search services. Bing has powered all Yahoo! searches since 2009. Bing Places for Business will allow log in using a Google Cloud account and Google Business Profiles can be imported making initial setup easier.
Bing Places for Business allows business to curate their listings and
- Ensures information about a business provided by Bing in searches is more relevant and accurate
- Allows Bing to market other services
Benefits of a Bing Places for Business Profile
- Add and Update Essential Business Information
- Display Special Holiday Hours or Closings
- Share Logo and Images
- Apple and Android Mobile App Available
- Information is shared with Yahoo!
- Default Search on Windows Platforms
- Ability to sync with Google Business Profile
How To Claim Your Business
- Search for your business listing on Bing Maps
- If your business or location doesn’t appear in the search, it will need to be added. The New User Wizard will step you through the process. If you have an existing Google account and a business listing it can be imported into Bing. This makes setup a lot easier.
- If your business or location appears in the search, click on “Claim this Business” link under the listing
- Bing allows login accounts from Microsoft, Google, or Facebook to be used which makes things a bit easier. Any account you choose will be your Administrator’s account
- After a claim has been made, Bing requires verification of ownership at each location being claimed. The following verification options are available.
- Phone
- Post Card
Phone verification for multi-location businesses that use a central phone number with voice menus is challenging. Having Bing mail out postcards containing the verification code to the specific location is worth the three to five-day wait.
Manage Your Bing Places for Business Profile
Now that the verification steps have been completed, it is time to interact with the platform. Log in using your administrators’ account and verify that all of the basic information is correct. Updates to verified business listings using this account will appear to customers almost immediately. Be sure to log in and update the listing when you are closed for holidays or vacations. Update business photos regularly and re-verify the listing when prompted by Bing to do so.
Verify or Update the Follow Information
- Business Name
- Business Category
- Address (if physical location)
- Hours of Operation
- Holiday Hours (if any)
- Phone Number
- Website URL
- Products or Services
- Store Code or Label (multiple locations)
- Description of your Business
Apple Business Register
Apple Maps is the Google and Bing equivalent in the Apple iPhone and Mac world. Not claiming your business listing in the Apple ecosystem means you might be invisible to nearly 50% of the mobile device users in the United States.
The Apple Business Register allows business to curate their listings and ensures information about a business provided by Apple in searches is more relevant and accurate. The features of the Apple Business Register aren’t as extensive as Google or Bing, but it is important to have an accurate listing.
Benefits of an Apple Business Register Profile
- Add and Update Essential Business Information
- Default Search of iPhone
- Listings available to Siri
- Access to Apple Maps and CarPlay navigation
How To Claim Your Business
- Search for your business listing on the Apple Business Register
- If your business or location doesn’t appear in the search, it will need to be added.
- If your business or location appears in the search, click on the “Claim” link next to the listing
- If you have an Apple Cloud id then you can log in using that account otherwise you will need to create one.
- After entering information about your business, Apple requires verification of ownership at each location being claimed. The following verification options are available.
- Phone
- Upload an Official Document – Lease Agreement, Property Insurance, or a Utility Bill for the location being claimed
Phone verification for multi-location businesses that use a central phone number with voice menus is challenging. Uploading an official document usually results in same-day approvals of a listing. The official document must contain the name of the business and the street address for the location being claimed. A lease agreement document or a utility bill statement results in the quickest approvals.
Manage Your Apple Business Register Profile
Now that the verification steps have been completed, it is time to interact with the platform. Login using your Apple Cloud account and verify that all of the basic information is correct. Updates to verified business listings using this account will appear to customers almost immediately.
Verify or Update the Follow Information
- Business Name
- Business Category
- Address (if physical location)
- Business Hours
- Phone Number
- Website URL
Other Platforms to Consider
In addition to the “Big Three” it may be advantageous to create listings on other platforms such as Facebook or Yelp. Yelp in particular is gaining traction as a goto platform for trusted reviews. More non-restaurant businesses are being reviewed by the Yelp community each day. Being able to tell your business’ story on the platforms that your customers are using is extremely powerful.
Need Help With Setup?
I have experience working on all of these platforms for client and can assist in setup or continued maintenance of profiles. Time spent on these tasks can be part of a maintenance contract or billed as a one-time consulting engagement.