If you're a local business, the way your prospects find you is changing in a big way. Yellow pages are dying, as 60%- 80% of local searches now take place online. Most of those searches start on Google. And most will end up with results provided by Google Places.
Formerly known as the Local Business Center, Google Places provides a directory for local businesses to list themselves so they come up in local searches and as locations on Google maps. A search for "Palo Alto dentist" returns 7 Google Places listings on page 1, and 10 on page 2. Increasingly, Google Places listings are dominating the results for local keyword searches.
What this means is that it is not enough to have a good website, you need to have a listing on Google Places. And not just any listing. There are probably hundreds of dentists serving the Palo Alto area. How does Google choose which of its listings to display first, and in what order?
At tonight's event, local SEO expert Thomas Petty will reveal the secrets of placing your listing in Google Places in such a way that it will outrank your competitors. Google looks at certain factors to determine how to rank similar businesses. Tom will reveal what those factors are, and teach how to craft a listing that shows at or near the top of Google's results.
You'll learn simple, non-techie things you can do yourself to improve your ranking. This can have a dramatic impact on your business! Being listed in the top 3 of Google Places can send a flood of prospects to you, free of charge. Whereas, if you're showing up as #14 on page 2, you may only get a trickle of prospects contacting you, and probably not the best ones.
We'll also look at live examples of Google Places listings from audience members and give tips on how to improve them. If you're a local business seeking more prospects, leads and customers, this is a "can't miss" event!
About the Speaker
Thomas Petty is Founder and President of the Bay Area Search Engine Academy, which teaches beginning and advanced internet marketing and SEO classes to business owners, marketing firms and Web design companies. He has been involved with technology since 1989. He had a 21-year career at a Fortune 100 company, most of which was spent in the Information Technology arena. He enjoys teaching online marketing concepts in a non-technical way. His past meetup presentations have garnered rave reviews.
Details:
When: Monday, March 28th; 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Where:
Silicon Valley Pad
1370 Willow Road, 2nd Floor
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 276-0536
Agenda:
6:30 - 7:00: Networking
7:00 - 8:30: Speaker Presentation
8:30 - 9:00 Open for Discussion, Networking
Beverages will be available.
Cost:
$10 pay in advance
$15 at the door
Purchase tickets at: http://gplaces-rl.eventbrite.com
QUESTIONS?
Contact Gene Chamson
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (510)282-0348
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