Using Seo In Philadelphia To Ensure Your Google Places Page Is Ranked Competitively

By Author: Stephanie Aiello
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If a local business does nothing else to promote themselves, they should at the very least create a Google Places page. Google Places is more important than ever to improve rankings for SEO in Philadelphia. Small business owners, branch managers, and franchise owners benefit greatly from these listings, setting your business apart and establishing trust in your brand. If your business is positioned competitively on local search results, you have an edge over competition in searches done on desktop computers and mobile devices alike. Follow this guide to ensure that your Google Places page is optimized correctly for SEO in Philadelphia.

First of all, claim your Google Places page.

Once you are on the Google Places main page, perform a search to see if someone else created a listing for your business. If not, you will need to create one yourself. If there is already a listing be sure to claim it as the owner, which can be done by clicking the “Business owner?” link at the top right of the page. After claiming your page, Google will ask you to verify that you are the real business ...
... owner by providing a 4-digit code. This option is offered either over the phone or by postcard, usually within one to two weeks of claiming. Verification is required to prevent suspicious behavior on your Places page.

Complete your listing using SEO in Philadelphia

Fill in every field to the best of your knowledge using the same information that is on your main website (address, phone number, fax, etc.). Google does not recognize P.O. Boxes, so you must use a physical address or UPS store location address with your mailbox as a suite number. If you do not wish to have your address displayed, there is an option to hide it later.

Provide the most accurate information possible to better optimize your listing – business hours, payment methods, website, all contact information. Filling in the “Category” fields helps Google classify your business (using category keywords also improves SEO). To practice better SEO in Philadelphia, optimize the content on the page with keywords you want to be found for. The company history, business description, and specialties fields all give you the opportunity to use good SEO. You can also make use of location based search terms within content, such as “SEO in Philadelphia,” so that your listing ranks better and tempts searchers to click through to your main website. When optimizing content on Google Places, avoid “keyword stuffing,” or using too many keywords repetitively. Google may identify this as spam, damaging your overall rank.

Reviews are also extremely helpful; encourage reviews from clients and colleagues to boost your credibility and keep content fresh on your listing. Google recognizes unique, updated content and will in turn rank your page higher.

Use media to enhance your page.

Internet users are drawn to the visual. Use images and videos to appeal to these senses while further informing searchers about your business. Optimize any videos or images with keyword-rich alternate text so they can also appear in Google Video or Google Image searches. You can add several images and videos and update them as often as you please.

Again, Google Places listings are completely free of charge, so take advantage on your piece of land on this search giant! If SEO in Philadelphia is used correctly, Google Places listings will pay off in many ways on and off the Internet.

Stephanie Aiello is a writer for Boomtown Internet Group, a full service Internet marketing company specializing in Philadelphia SEO. For more information on Philadelphia website design, visit our website at Boomtownig.com.