Think of Google Places as the local, online Yellow Pages. Finding a product, service or just about anything is now easier than ever with the internet. An online presence is essential for a business so that customers can easily find you.

According to Google, about 20% of searches include a location. Google Places is a service that lists businesses on Google Maps, working specifically to benefit these searches. If you’re a business targeting locally as opposed to globally, Google Places is essential in growing your business. Even if you’re a small business that cannot afford to maintain a website, Google Places still puts your business out there on the web.

With Google Places, businesses can manage the information regarding the physical location of the business. Displayed is anything a customer may need to know about your business: the address, phone number, email, website (if you have one), hours of operation, payment methods, mode of service, images, videos, and reviews.

Major benefits of Google Places include:

  • High search engine results
  • Increases online reputation
  • Allows for user reviews
  • Mobile-friendly
  • Improves customer satisfaction
  • Creates an online presence (if you don’t have a website)

It looks something like this:

The Importance of Google Places for

During June 2016, we tracked the impressions and clicks of a financial client’s local listings. The results are as follows:

  • 61,394 impressions
  • 486 website clicks
  • 382 clicks for directions
  • 131 clicks for calls
TB Buesiness Search
TB phone calls
Where customers view your business on google

TB customer actions

Thanks to Google Places, this information was relevant to a local user searching key words and location. Most importantly, this information was easily accessible to the user, providing options for the user to convert, either by browsing the website, calling the business or using the directions to walk in the door.