If you're new here, we would like to recommend you start with "Welcome to Business InSites" which explains the aim of the website. You might also like the series Getting started on Google or a 3 minute introduction to Google paid advertising

Everyone loves free advertising – yet not many business are listed on one of the most important online business directory – Google Local. Probably because it is little understood and hidden away.

This article will take a look at

• Where you see Google Local in action
• How to sign up to Google Local
• How to get better rankings on Google Local

Where you see Google Local in action

If you were to search on Google for web design kings hill at the top of the page you will hopefully see something like the image below. You should see a nice map and listings of local businesses. If fact if your search is made up from company type and location you will normally see this type of listing.

This is an example of the Google Local data being used in the main search on Google.

If you have ever tried to find directions you may have used Google Maps. There is a map link at the top of your Google results or you can visit maps.google.com . If you enter a trade or profession in the search box you will again see companies list. This is from the Google Local Database.

Clicking on one of the business listing will show more detail about the company you have picked. This includes business hours, contact details, promotional videos, a link to your website and more importantly reviews from past customers.

If you look back to the initial example you might just make out next to the first listing it says ’3 Reviews’ while the others just say more. The 3 reviews stands out and takes someone who clicks on it directly to the review section.

How to sign up to Google Local

To get signed up at Google Local visit the Google Local Business Centre and start the sign up process. Lets go step by step through the stages. First you need to either create a Google account or if you have one sign in .

If you are creating an account the next page asks for basic information and a password…

then where you live…

Your Google account can be used on all the other google sites like Google Adwords – for paid advertising or Google Analytics – for website visitor tracking.

Once you have either created an account or logged in, you should have screen offering you the choice of add new business or upload a data file. Click on Add new business.

Next you need to complete your company information. Once you enter the postcode/zip code your business will appear on the map on the right. If the position isn’t quite right then click on the fix incorrect marker location link which is under the map. This allows you to adjust the position of the pin that is placed on the map. You will be able to drag the marker around with the mouse.

Then add business categories to your listing. Look for all that apply.

Then add opening hours if required.

Nearly there… Now tick any payment methods you accept, upload any photos or graphics. If you have a logo in electronic form upload that now.

You also have the opportunity to upload up to 5 video links from Youtube. If you do not have any videos on youtube that promote your business you need to create at least one. Easy ways to do this will appear in future articles.

Finally you need to be able to confirm your listing. You can do this my phone, sms or postcard. Whichever method you pick you will receive a PIN code to enter into your listing. The process is quickest if you use the phone or sms method but lets look at the postcard method.

Once you click submit you will either get an SMS, an automatic phone call with the PIN code or a message as follows for the postcard option.

Look out for the postcard and enter the PIN code when you get it. Simply return to the Google Local Business Centre – find your listing and enter the pin.

If you are using the other methods you will have a screen that asks for the PIN code. Enter it and save the page. Job done.

Once you have entered the PIN code it can take 3-6 weeks for your listing to appear.

How to get better rankings on Google Local

How does the listing order of business work.

As with anything from Google no one really knows 100% how it works but it seems to be based on

• distance between your business location and the searcher
• how many reviews and the quality score on the reviews
• whether your website uses the location names on the pages
• whether other sites link to you using the business type and location
• other databases they have access to

You can’t influence the first one but you can ask your happy customers to review your work. Note the reviews appear quickly but the number of reviews on the main listing takes a while to catch up. Having reviews will get your listing clicked on more and hopefully give customers confidence to contact you.

You can add your business address to every page of your website and make sure the phone number appears on the site somewhere.

You can add a page to your site mentioning local or regional towns. Such as a "here are local areas we serve" page making sure to mention the services you provide on the same page. It could also go on a frequently asked questions page under the question ‘Which areas do you cover?’

If you have any other ideas how to use Google Local or wish to share your experience of it or comment on this article please use the box below. We would love to hear from you.

Popularity: 77% [?]

Technorati Tags: Google, Google local, Google Maps, Google Sites, promoting your business

Take a look at the basics of getting your website higher up in Google.

This video takes gives you an overview of the process know as Search Engine Optimisation – what it is? how it works? what to expect from a company doing search engine optimisation for your business.

It finishes with points to consider when doing your own optimisation or getting a company to do it for you.

Please feel free to comment on this video below.

Popularity: 41% [?]

Technorati Tags: search engine optimisation, SEO

Google Starter Series Part 1 [ 9:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (417)

Part 1  – the Google Starter Series

Everyone wants to be number one on Google.

The Google Starter series takes you step by step through the process you need to follow to take a new site into Google and get great rankings.

These videos are aimed a small to medium businesses and their owners to give them the ability to understand how Google search works and what needs doing to improve things. My aim is to give you the confidence to do it yourself or to know what you need someone else to do.

Contents Part One

First we look at whether Google knows about your site and how much it knows.

View Part Two – Improving search engine rankings

We welcome your comments and ratings below.

Resources:

Slides, additional notes and action plan download

 When searching for your ranking you might like to check out the Tip on seeing more than 10 results in Google.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Technorati Tags: Google, google starter, ranking, search results, SEO

For most business people doing the accounts, invoicing, etc are the least favourite job.

I use sage accounts for my main books which goes a long way to managing the books but it isn’t very modern and not very manageable.

One of the fastest growing accounting software products, FRESHBOOKS, came to my rescue.

Freshbooks is an online invoicing, time tracking and support ticket system. I use it along side sage but why have two systems.

My first interest in this arrangement is getting paid. Freshbooks allows me to invoice quickly and easily. It issues an electronic invoice which is emailed or at a click of a button posted to your client all online with no franking, stamp licking or envelope stuffing.

The invoice created can be linked to a payment system such as paypal so your client can click a link and pay online.

If by any chance your client does not pay bills straight away, then the system will start to send out automatic reminders from you. You decide the timings and the text that is sent. My emails are not the standard ones I have injected some of my own personality into them and they do feel like I sent them personality. It appear I am on top of my accounts – if only people knew.

One great feature is you can see if a client has viewed the online invoice – so there is no excuse of I haven’t seen it. During my two years of using the system I have unfortunately had two companies go into administration. One thing I noticed is that three months before it happened both companies stopped looking at the electronic invoices. Now I am ready for any next time it happens to chase harder and to stop working on their projects earlier.

If you offer a service or product on a re-occurring billing basis then Freshbooks steps in to help again. You set up a repeating invoice that automatically invoices the clients each period.

Your clients also get access to an online statement without having to wait for you to send one. This can be branded with your company’s colours and even completely hide the freshbooks web address.

At the end of each quarter freshbooks gives you a quarterly scorecard comparing your accounts to similar business type so you can see how you are doing. Are your customers paying quicker or slow? Is your order size bigger or smaller than average.

I haven’t covered the online estimate and approval system, the time tracking for projects linked to billing or the support ticket and file sharing tools. Apart from the online estimate I have not got a use for those parts of the system.

The only downside I can find is that you have to keep reasonable up to date with entering payments coming in. Otherwise your clients get emails saying they haven’t paid when they have! Not good.

The little effort needed is well rewarded by a dashboard should invoicing totals over the current quarter, amounts unpaid and paid. Even better is the increase in payment time you can get from properly running this system.

All in all a highly recommended service that is worth trying out.

Resources:

Freshbooks website

Popularity: 32% [?]

Technorati Tags: accounting, automation, freshbooks, processes, software

It is all to easy to get in to the office, sit down at your desk and rush into the most important job of the day.

About six months ago I was introduced to a nice simple idea that gets me focussed at the start of the day and keeps me on track throughout the day.

Let me introduce you to

B    A L E R T

The mnemonic forms a reminder of the key aspects you should try to have in each day.

The letters help you get a more balanced day. The ideas is to try to include as many of these themes in your day as possible. Don’t forget some can be combined at the same time. So listening to a business on your ipod while exercising knocks of two.

I write done the letters each day, crossing them off once I have done one. At the end of the week I look back to see how balanced or otherwise the week was. Making sure you don’t neglect any aspect too much.

Combining this technique daily with business planning, goal setting and mentoring has helped me tremendously.

Resources:

Keep track of B ALERT online – http://ottoyuen.com/balert – trying it out now, i’ll keep you posted.

Original Idea appears to be from Mark Victor Hansen, not sure who taught me.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Technorati Tags: goal setting, mnemonic, planning