Q: When people go to Google to search for our office, they end up with a very old address. How can I fix this?
A: This is something called a Google Places page. It’s a page about your company that Google created and it’s tied to Google Maps. It’s important that this information be correct, so that people can find you on the Web and also find your physical address.
The good news (that not that many people know about) is that you can claim and control this page. Here is how:
- Visit your Google Places page itself. (If you can’t find this page, start at http://www.google.com/places/.)
- In the lower right corner there will be a link that says, “Is this your business? Manage this page”. Select this.
- It will ask you to sign in, use your Google account.
- Once signed in select “Edit My Business info”.
- Next, make the needed changes to address and contact information.
- Add a nice description and under category, select things like staffing, employment, etc. – words that tie to the service you offer (this can help with SEO). Just start typing a word and available categories will show up.
- You can add a photo of the office or team and even a video if you want.
- Scroll down to the bottom and click submit.
- Before the changes are accepted you need to verify that you “own” this listing. You can do this by phone (Google will call the phone number in the listed and provide a pin number) or via postcard (Google will mail a postcard with the pin). If doing this by phone, just make sure whoever picks up the phone copies down the number. They call pretty quickly after you hit submit. I’d suggest verifying by phone if possible.
- Click finish and follow the verification directions.
Remember, when it comes to Search Engine Optimization for your staffing firm — every little bit helps. Making sure your information is correct will help people find your business.
If you need any help with your staffing firm’s SEO, just give me a call at 888.696.2900. I’d be happy to help you drive more traffic to your website.
Brad Smith
Director of SEO & Social Media