Decorative Concrete Contractors Should Take Advantage of Google Local Business

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Local business directories was part 5 of the 5 Fun Ways series of articles on how small businesses could use the internet to market their business with or without a website.

Let’s go a little deeper into this topic by discussing how you can make the most of the Google Local Business directory.

Google has an algorithm for everything it does, or so it would seem.  Many people are confused by this, mainly because they don’t really know what an algorithm is, or what it does.

Simply put, an algorithm is a system of “if this, then that,” if this is true, then respond with that action.

For instance, IF you have a photo on your Google business listing, THEN you will get preferential treatment over those listings that do not.

Does that make sense?

And this is exactly how the algorithm apparently works on the Google Local Business Directory.

Google, on your local business directory, allows you to:

  • post photos
  • have your customers write reviews
  • categorize your listing with keywords and descriptions
  • add coupons
  • add videos.

If you do all of the above with your Google Local Business listing, and then link to it from your website or blog, you will be guaranteed a higher position than your competitors who are not doing these things.

This will increase the chances of you receiving the call of a potential customer over your competitors when your potential customers search for decorative concrete in Google.

  • Melih Oztalay

    Hi Chip,

    I am in complete agreement that local business listings are the way to go for any local business dependent upon the local consumer for their revenue. This is a good point in time in which the Internet is a good local marketing tool to be found on web searches and mobile searches.

    What I am most concerned about are small and local businesses having to contend with multiple websites when it comes to their local listing. What I’m really talking about are “time resources”.

    Afterall, there are over 60 websites in four different categories specifically geared towards local listings. How can a local or small business have the time resources to cover this space?

    Even if you made a conscious decision to not manage all 60, there are well more than Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask. The space goes to Local.com (they went public), Yelp, Merchant Circle, and many others.

    Consumers will be the ones deciding which of these local listing websites they will go and post their experience through consumer reviews. This adds to the burden that no one single local listing website will do the trick.

    Something we recently read at KillerStartUps are companies that are offering a low cost service to update then manage these listings for companies. You can read about this at KillerStartUps here:

    http://www.killerstartups.com/Search/smartfindslocallisting-com-be-found-online

    It is a changing world and the local business will benefit. There will be some adjustment to this space needed.

    Good information from your post and hopefully varying opinions help give perspective.