Google Maps features will enhance Local Business Center for Service and Home Businesses
Up until now, the Google Local Business Center has had some real limitations for the following scenarios:
- Service businesses that work in multiple cities but only have an office in one
- Home-based businesses that don’t want to reveal their home address on their Google Maps listing
The first scenario has been particularly troublesome for us and many of our clients, as our physical office addresses often limited our presence in the Google Local results to a very limited area, when we actually service and want visibility in a broader selection of markets.
Google seems to have resolved these issues with recent enhancements to the Google Maps features in the Local Business Center.
Businesses now have the option to select service areas outside of where their office is physically located, and also have the option of not showing their address at all, providing the privacy that many home-based businesses were looking for.
Matt McGee provides more details in his post titled Google Maps Finally Welcome to Home-Based and Service-Based Businesses.
This is an important change for anyone offering local SEM services to small businesses, as it makes it easier to provide more value to a wider audience of businesses. We’ve often struggled with customers being frustrated that their local listings were only getting visibility in the market where their office is located, even if their services are offered primarily in other markets. Google must have heard enough complaints, as they have rolled out what seems to be a simple and effective solution.
Mike
Tags: google local business center, google maps, local online marketing
