Optimizing Google Places Listing - Please Help!
-
I claimed the Google Places listing a few months ago - added a description and all the necessary information. Finally got the page to show up in the places category on the 5th page for the search "vet las vegas". Then on some computers it likes to show up on the 8th page and on others the 5th page - weird!?.
I need some help on the following:
- How can I get Google to put my website as an link in the "More About This Place"/citation section? The old website which was at a different domain is present but not the new one (the new one has been live for 2 months).
-Am I missing any key information to help with my ranking? The 8th page is a pretty poor ranking and holds no value whatsoever.
- The description I typed out on Google Places does not display in the search results. - I am assuming adding citations is essentially just about adding backlinks that Google can pull to add to the "More About This Place" section - any surefire ways to get more citations there?
WEBSITE: http://www.petmedicalcenter.com
Any other feedback or ideas would be really appreciated. Thank you to all the SEOMOZ members would have helped me over the last month - you guys are awesome!
Thanks again,
Brant
-
In addition to the resources already listed, I'd also recommend checking out the learning center at http://getlisted.org/resources/
Specific to the, "Any surefire ways to get more citations there?" question...
Check out your competitors places listings, too. See if they're getting any citations from local sites, resources, or lists. If Google is indexing these citations for your competitors and adding them to place pages, it will probably tie them to your places page too, if you can get listed.
-
I agree, great advice. I have been updating every possible directory I can find online. What a mess!
Do you know if Google Places update as often as the normal search results?
-
Thanks Donnie! I appreciate the feedback. Those resources are going to be very helpful. I don't know why but out of the whole SEO process, optimizing Google Places seems to be the most frustrating.
Thanks again!
-
Great advice sir, thumbs up!
-
Hi Brant,
AS Donnie mentioned, The More About This Place area are not links per se, but are mentions of your site around the web. This can include your current site and old site. Your new site will more than likely be mention the next time Google updates its info for Google Places. The more citations(mentions of your website the better.
The BEST thing you can do at this point is make sure the directories and review places have your proper NAP, also known as Name Address and Phone number. Again, Donnie mentioned reading David Mihm's website to review the local factors for SEO.
Make sure your NAP and website match ACROSS the web, everywhere you can list it appropriately. So there may be some major updating on your part, and that can help gel your info across the web together so your site becomes more powerful.
-
Howdy Brant,
You can update the website url by logging into your Google account, then clicking "account settings" at the top right. After that, click "Google Places", then update the listing(s) of your choice.
Citations aren't necessarily links to your site. SEOs more use the word to represent 'mentions' of your website, along with address, phone, etc throughout the web.
Here's a recent video I highly recommend you watch.... The Basics of Local SEO.
Also, David Mihm posted an updated version of the Local Search Ranking Factors, which I highly recommend you read. All of it
Don't forget to read every word in the Google Places Help Center as well.
I know it's a lot to study, but you're engaging in the optimization process, so it's crucial for you to understand as much as possible.
If you're still having trouble after all of that, I'd be happy to help you with some specific advice, just let me know (free of course). Otherwise, I'm sure some other mozzers will post some great ideas to this question as well
Does this help Brant?
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
why google never shows Coursera or Udemy videos in the SERP?
I work for a website pretty much like Coursera, and google never brings up our videos in the SERP. It has been indexed and Search Console URL Inspection tool identifies it as a video object. is it a technical issue or just google doesn't like to show us in the SERP? Is there any way to fix this?
Image & Video Optimization | | semrtaz0 -
What's better for SEO an Optimized Image URL vs Optimized Image File Name?
I would like to know what is best practice for optimizing images for our website. Is it better to give an Image an optimized filename Or an optimized URL for SEO? Or is it better to do both? Would there be any harm in doing both if they are identical in their format? Any help would be greatly appreciated. With thanks, Kate
Image & Video Optimization | | K_borg0 -
Merging Google+ with Google Local
Greetings Mozzers, I'm having a tough time merging my Google+ page with my Google Local page and wanted to see if anyone could give me some additional information/advice for progressing on this. Google+ Profile: https://plus.google.com/112342618763108384372/about?hl=en Google Local: https://plus.google.com/104995472630988321277/about?gl=us&hl=en Both of them have been verified and "managed" via postcards, however the Local one never seems to get "managed". I look forward to hearing back on any guidance/advice. Much appreciated,
Image & Video Optimization | | MonsterWeb28
Ryan0 -
How should I list my client in Google+?
My client is a personal injury lawyer with one office in a highly competitive major metropolitan area and another office in a very small town. They are changing offices in the major metropolitan area in June and will have a new address. They are already doing well in serps related to the small town but are nowhere to be found in the metropolitan area serps. Currently I can find unclaimed listings in Google+ Local for both offices. I cannot find any Google+ business page and they don't know of one. Given this information and the current state of Google+ how would you proceed to list this client? Specific questions include: *Would there be any straight SEO benefit of making a Google+ Business Page for them? *Would you claim the Google+ Local listing for the Metro office that is going to be moved in 5 months? or would you wait until the office is moved then create a new Google+ Local listing?
Image & Video Optimization | | JesseCWalker0 -
Local listing | Virtual office
Hi Miriam (and all Local SEO mozers), I read a couple of your answers where you advice people in different situations not to consider a virtual office when creating their Google Places listing and I would like to know if you would apply the same advice in my case. This is the scenario: I have a client who's in the limousine service in Orlando, he just bought the URL and registered the business with the City using a "virtual office" in Orlando. This virtual office provides him a physical address, local area phone number, 411 listing, a listing for the businesses in that building and an office to have his meetings. This is the part where it gets confusing when I read your answers and I will give you an example. You said here:
Image & Video Optimization | | echo1
_The requirements in order to qualify for a Google Place Page are that you have: __1. A legal business name__2. A local area code phone number__3. A physical street address (not a P.O. box or virtual office) to which customers either come to do business with you or from which your employees depart in order to serve customers at their locations (think chimney sweep, landscaper, etc.)_Number 3 says "A physical street address (not a P.O. box or virtual office) to which customers either come to do business with you".
My client is going to rent one of those virtual offices, which does have a physical address, on as-needed basis. This office actually does exist. Why would Google have anything against it?
One of the reasons why he chose that location is because he is running the business from home and he does not want the clients to see it.
Another reason is the image he wants to create for his company by having a different address where he can hold meetings and such. The phone number will be either a local land-line or a local cell phone number, in any case, it will be a _local area code phone number. _
So this is where we stand: he dispatches the cars from home (he does not have a garage, the cars stay with the drivers 24 hours) but he meets his clients and business partners at the other address. There is nothing fake about it, he does have a legal business name, a local area code number and a real place where customers come to do business with. Which address should I use for his Google Places listing?0 -
No option to claim listing in Google Places: country-wide issue
Hi, All! We were trying to advise a client about local SEO, and we ran into the issue of - their Google Places pages (yes, they have several, that's a separate issue) are "unclaimable." Meaning - up at the top of the page there is neither a "Edit this page - Business Owner?" heading or a "Edit this listing - Owner-verified listing" heading. When you try to claim it independently using the phone number (all pages have the same phone number, but different addresses), Google gives you "No address found for this phone number" and the option to now add a new page, which is not quite what we're looking for. This is an Israeli location, and this appears to be an issue with a few other random Israeli pages I checked (I saw pages with neither heading option). But a number of the Israeli pages have "Owner-verified listing." How did they get it? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks! Regards, Aviva
Image & Video Optimization | | debi_zyx0 -
Google News
So, hi mozzers! I have a website with press release, and i like to add the rss feeds to the google news of published press release. All press release on our website, are revied from journalists of press firm here, and than published. Can you tell us, more steps about the submission to google,msn and yahoo news? What kind of terms and conditions, etc... and where to add. Thanks
Image & Video Optimization | | leadsprofi0 -
Will linking to my citation sources help google recognize them / credit my places account?
Or will those sources be discounted by google then similar to how google discounts link exchanges? I have noticed some pages, like mapquest, don't really have a directory, so google might not be aware of their content unless it is linked too??? In this type of a case, would it help to link to mapquest's search results? then the citation will get picked up by google? Example: http://www.mapquest.com/?hk=6-i30tP49i
Image & Video Optimization | | adriandg0