Whether or not to write this article kind of had me torn. On the one hand I have always been willing to share my SEO knowledge to those at Active Rain and other social media sites that subscribe to me and I have become friends with.
In fact there are quite a few that call or email me when they have a question about search engine optimization (SEO).
Paying it forward has always been something I have done. Why is this so different? That is easy.
By following this article I am going to be giving other local Realtors the ability to compete with me on a local level through Google local business search.
While local search is a very small part of Internet optimization it is an extremely important piece of it.
Doing well in the local search means much more than just having a listing in Google Maps.
Local search is a competitive and increasingly critical space of the web that local businesses need to take seriously.
Those that have mastered the art of having a well indexed website, combined with an exceptionally written Real Estate blog can increase their business substantially, especially when combined with a coordinated social media effort.
People today spend hours in front of a computer. When a consumer wants to find a company or person to work with now more than ever they use the Internet as a tool. The days of grabbing the phone book often times have been replaced by our ability to type on a keyboard.
This could quite possibly be the best piece of FREE advice you read this week. This will work for anyone that has a business and wants to get noticed! So whether you are a mortgage broker, attorney, home inspector, home stager, or anything else for that matter listen up!!
In the screen shot above you will notice that I punched in Hopkinton MA Realtors. So whenever a consumer is looking to work with a local Realtor in my town guess who is in the #1 position! This did not cost me a 
dime and I am going to show you how you to can be in the Google list of the top seven results.
The 1st thing you are going to need to do if you have not already is claim your business in Google or if they don't have your company in their results to create your business.
For those that don't know how to do this here is a complete explanation: Claiming your listing at the local business center.
Once you have claimed your business you will need to go in and edit your listing. This is where you will need to make your profile stand out to the search engines. Above all else you will want to be as detailed as possible.
- You will want to write a description about yourself or your company using the keywords you want to rank for.
- Make sure you fill in all the contact information such as address, email and phone numbers.
- Filling in all the categories are important....for example if you are a Realtor; Real Estate, Realtor, and Realty are good categories.
- Add appropriate pictures of yourself/company
- Add a video if you have one
- Have others review your services: In other words a testimonial about you.
In fact if you know me and would like to write a recommendation for my profile that would be fantastic!
Below you are going to see a video from Web Pro News. I would highly encourage you to listen to it as you will pick up a few other advanced tips that will help your business rank locally in the Google map.
Remember this works for any kind of business not just Real Estate! So get going and get yourself some FREE exposure.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the Author: The above Real Estate information on free SEO through Goggle local business pages was provided by Bill
Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356.
Have a home to sell in Metrowest Mass? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise!
For Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate and homes see Massachusetts Real Estate. Want to have MLS access to beat other buyers to your dream home? Sign up with no obligation at my MLS Property Finder Site.
I service the following towns in Metrowest Massachusetts: Hopkinton, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Grafton, Northbridge, Uxbridge, Franklin, Douglas, and Framingham MA.
Click here to view Bill Gassett's Real Estate profile.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY METROWEST HOMES BLOG via email.
Building lasting relationships by helping people move in and out of Metrowest Massachusetts for the last 24 years.
Bill,
Great Post! Thank you for sharing this valuable information
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Bill, I promise to not tell any other broker in your area your secrets. I actually had a competitor ask me how I got so many comments on my blog and I had a weak moment about telling him, why, really or just deeking him. I told him the truth, and he never bothered to do it himself.
Paul - You are welcome. There is nothing better than using a free tool to get your business additional exposure online. Good luck with it!
Bill - Thanks for the information. The video was very informative, and I plan to take a look at my local page right now.
Phil those that are smart enough will eventually figure it out anyway. The amazing thing is there will be a lot of people that read this and think it is great but then never do anything about it.
Larry - You are quite welcome.
Bill - thanks for sharing! Very helpful info, I'm going to make it a point to utilize this new knowledge!
-Karin :)
Thx for posting this, Bill. I have been playing around with this and your post gave me a few tips I hadn't considered! Happy holidays to you and yours!
Thanks for sharing this. Most people will not follow through with content rich and lead capture.
Bonner
Karen, Karin & Bonner - I hope you guys take advantage of the Google local business pages...afterall it is FREE!
Bill, I was just talking to Donna Bigda last week and your name came up as being one of the true greats here in the Rain. Your knowledge and willingness to share are a huge gift to us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and may you have a very prosperous 2010!
Thanks Sharon I really appreciate that! I hope you have a great holiday as well.
Bill--I figured this out myself about a year ago when I switched companies. It works amazingly well to get your name and association to your company out. (I had developed quite a following with my other broker but didnt' have as much SEO when I switched to RE/MAX. This fixed the situation very quickly!) Nice of you to share....You are so good when it comes to things like that!
Teri - It is no surprise to me that you were on top of this from the start. I have had my page up and running for quite sometime as well.
Great stuff, Bill. Everyone should take advatnage of this free tool to help grow their business.
Jeff
I think I'll work on this right now. I'm on floor duty and it's not busy = free time.
Thanks Jeff! I know you enjoy SEO and this is an easy one:)
David - Good idea...no time like the present especially when you are not busy!
Hi Bill. Funny.
A friend had me set up my business listing last night. WOW.
Great tip and thanks for sharing,
Ken
Have I told you lately how much I love what you contribute to this group? ;-)
Bill:
Just seeing this blog made me subscribe to you. This is a wealth of great information.
I can't believe you're willing to share it, but I appreciate it. This dude rocks! =)
(I've already maxed my points today, but I just HAD to thank you!)
Hi Bill...I sure those in your area will not get ahead from what you are showing them here...if that's the case the top trainers would not be in business.. People Hear you, they just do not implement what they need to do, a few might, but not many if any.
Great Post, I've been on Google Maps for sometime too. Putting your phone number in your description is important, even here.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing! I hope all the good you paid forward comes back to you triple.
Bill - I have been using this google goodie for a few years now and it's awesome.. I saw this on Web Pro New as well.. Great stuff....thanks for sharing with the rest of us and have a great holiday.
Bill, I have tried to do this a few times & it hasn't seemed to work. I went through a different set of instructions, though so maybe I wasn't doing it right. Thank you!
Thanks for reminding me. I had set up a map profile a few months ago but I don't think I have it optimized well. Going to have to rethink some things and try to improve the ranking. Two other agents in my office also have themselves associated with the address and one of them comes up instead of me with the map in most of the searches I've tried.
Great tip - Thanks for sharing. Any help these days is appreciated.
I've added my business through the business listing center some time back, but did not get the results you have noted.
DANG - now everyone knows!!! :-P I have to check mine - I remember doing this but it was so long ago I better make sure it is correct!
Bill - Who could possibly compete with you? I think they just try to keep up! Thanks for sharing this valuable information. Have a great day.
Hi Bill, You're a very stand-up guy and always sharing. I doubt many will bother to impliment your terrific advice so maybe your local competition won't bother. Hope your Holiday Season is the best ever !
Tim - I have had a similar issue. It seems that other agents in my company have somehow been able to go in and modify my listing. Right now n=my correct phone number is not showing up. It is a real pain in the neck. The agent who I know made the change in the past now claims she is not changing it so I am not sure how to fix it.
Glad I could help everyone else who has commented:)
Bill - Your knowledge and generosity is greatly appreciated. I'm off to get this implemented. Thank you
Bill, as usual you have a hit! My ad should appear in a day. Thanks!
Bill ~ Thanks for sharing. Recently I used Google local business, I need to update the description and play a bit more with it.
Bill- THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING!!!!! I very much appreciate it! I am off now to try and figure it all out. You are always so helpful. Thanks again.
Wow Bill! Thank you so much for this. I just added myself.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for this - great post!
Judy - The thing that is funny about your comment is the fact that there are agents in my area that are claiming with their clients that they are social media marketing experts. Apparently all you need to have is a twitter and facebook account and you can be an expert. These same people do very little Real Estate business!!
Erin if you follow my advice you should be on the top on the list for Bellingham.
Bill you are always so generous with your knowledge and it is appreciated.
Thanks so much for sharing this great info, I'm setting it up as soon as i finish this blog. Your posts are always great...but this one is REALLY great!!!
I use the local businesses on Google whenever I am searching for anything else in my city, why shouldn't I be a part of it? Such a 'duh!' thing that I never even considered. Thank you!
It turns out I had done this a long time ago, but I hadn't set it all up. Now I just need to get my ranking up to the first page atleast. I'm one off from where I need to be. Great post.
Bill, As always a great post. I had a conversation about Local Search with someone just the other day. I think I might just send them your post.
Thank you very mich for sharing your secrets. I'm going to try to do this right now!
Now Bookmarked, thanks for paying it forward !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I added my business a while back and was on the map listing for about two weeks. Now it is taken by the large firms. There is not one individual on the list. I may change keywords and see what happens.
Great post! I definitely have been taking advantage of that. It's great to see your business come up on google maps when your keyword is searched. Awesome!
Thanks for the post!
Thank you for sharing this with us. I also have a hard time paying it forward even though it is the right thing to do.
I think this is a nice tip BUT, I think it's important to note that the free stuff may not get you to the top of the search lists, especially in competitive markets....
Thanks Bill, that is extremely generous of you and I have bookmarked for further reading.
Yep, I set this up as soon as I got the email from Google; great stuff.
Bill, fantastic stuff here. Thanks for sharing. This is the part of ActiveRain that sets us apart from other social media. I don't think I have met anyone here that is not willing to share the wealth of knowledge to help others do well in their business. We have a very unique group of over 160K people here, which makes for a great learning experience each and every day.
Thanks!
-Rob
bill thanks! im not in y our area so im not your competition but thanks for giving me an edge up on mine!
Great Post Bill.
It works real well and the price is right! I have been sharing this information with my clients that own their own business for awhile now and they appreciate that extra added service it provides.
Well Bill, I guess this is one of those times when I use that phrase that I otherwise avoid like the plague....Thanks for sharing.;-)
Denise
Wow thanks for the great information! I am currently in the process of raising my google rank. I WILL apply your tips!
You're the best, Bill! Thanks for generously sharing this with everyone. It's like an unexpected Christmas gift (or holiday gift, depending...) Have a great week!
Great info....If I ever move back to the area I know who to call. I used to reside in Thompson, CT. The in-laws are in Franklin and the Cape... Being a lender, this is great information as there are quite a few of us out there.
Great information here Bill... I have bookmarked this to come back and read again so I can better understand and make changes.
Bill,
Nice post - I'm glad you made it available for re-blog...because this is a great topic that should be shared and now I don't have to write it!
Merry Christmas,
John
Sonia - The fact that it is free has nothing to do whether or not you will get to the top of the list. This is free for everyone. You will get to the top if you optimize well and that is the point of this article:)
Michael - Look me up if you ever come back or a family member of friend needs help. We have an office in Franklin MA:)
Thanks again everyone for your comments and I am glad to help you all improve your SEO results.
Thanks, Bill! My husband asked me last week what it would take for me to show up on Google Maps. I just assumed I couldn't be listed as an individual agent. Thanks to your blog that I just happenned to stumble on today, I found out different. My Google Maps listing is now up!
I've also subscribed to your blog.
Bill - Lots of great ideas in here. I am sure they will come in useful for me, and don't worry, I'm not going to compete for business in your area.
Bill,
Awesome Post! Great information, and thank you for paying it forward. You will be blessed by doing this type of thing.
Bill, Have you ran into the problem yet of several agents using the same firm and google puling from each. For example if you google Biltmore Park it has my info but uses the company's website address.
Jeff - Yes I have. It is such a pain in the @#$! There are a couple of agents in my office that have used something similar to my title and because of this their information shows up on my listing. As a matter of fact this agents cell # comes up instead of mine.
Bill,
Thanks for the info. I just signed up but am not sure how to edit my profile and add the terms like REALTOR, Real Estate, etc. I had to choose Real Estate Agency.
Google is not extremely user friendly in my opinion.
This is truly a great help to the majority reading this, and you sir are a gentleman and a scholar for passing it along !!
... but you know I think that of you anyway !!!
Cheers again my man - you da bomb !!!!
Sheldon
Thank you! I went through the steps, so I hope it helps. I appreciate your sharing this tip.
Bill... that is such a great tip. Thanks for sharing! I do a lot of google maps searching on Google Maps on my Blackberry. It is much easier to find business contact info when searching on my phone. This will come into great use. Thanks again!
Sybil ~ When you are in your page under categories where you already added Real Estate agency Google allows you to add 4 more categories. There should be a drop down box that appears. You just want to add those keywords:)
Will ~ You have given the perfect example of why getting into the top 7 results of the Google map is becoming more important by the day!
Sheldon & Diane - Good luck with ypur Google business listings:)
Thanks for the help Bill. I think some aspects of Google probably assume a certain amount of technical savvy exists.
Unbelievable, I claimed my business over a year ago. I guess I never really understood how it all worked. I wondered why I never came up on the map, but I did not investigate it. After reading your post and watching both videos I logged in the local business center. I reviewed my profile and added a couple of keywords and re-verified using their phone call system. Then searched again for edisto beach realtor, POW, I was 6th, in less than 10 minutes. Thanks.
Chris - That is awesome! Glad it worked for you and you did not even have to wait a day. There is a good success story blog post for you to write:)
Sybil - You are welcome. Hopefully you got it right now:)
Thanks for sharing!
Bill - Thanks for sharing this. I am pretty familiar with SEO, but some of the local Google results have had me puzzled. I'll watch the video!
Bill,
I talked to my secretary about this and she said she signed me up two weeks ago. thanks for making me aware of this.
Bill:
I been using it for a long time.
Yahoo has a paid local and Bing also has it now.
Richard
What could I expect from you otherwise? Thanks for sharing your knowledge so freely. It will only come back to you. I absolutely believe that.
Hi Bill!
Found your post this morning, by this afternoon I have two confirmed addresses on Google maps!! I have been trying to figure out how to do that for some time now, I thought I had already done it and couldn't figure out why I wasn't showing up!
..again and again I learn something from you!
Thanks so much for being so generous!
Lesley
thank you for your generosity. I will put it to good use.... and know that under the auspices of "what goes around, comes around" something great is coming to you!
This is going on the to do list. Thanks for sharing this valuable information.
Bill...
I should have known that once winter sets in on you we'd hear more from you. I haven't decided whether that's a good thing or bad thing :)
Wait...
Okay. So it's a good thing. I'm pretty sure you owe me a tutorial. I promise not to toss it in the pool :)
TLW...ROAR!
Bill,
Well the cat is out of the bag. I've been using google maps for quite a while now. What a great tool. Do you know some of the position checker tools even register a "maps" listing as an organic. That should tell everyone how important it is. Any time you are at he top of the page or "above the fold" you are doing very well. With maps it's easy. Thanks for sharing.
Lesley that is awesome! There are already a few folks that have fixed their Google local business pages and are now showing up in the top 7.
TLW - LOL You are right on the money about that. Now that things are a little slower I can do some blogging:) I still wish I had a pool and it was 85 degrees out though.
Jeff - I have been meaning to write this post for a while. Getting on Google maps is an absolute no brainer!
thanks for sharing -- I also found a tool called smartguy.com that helps you get listed in a directory and then on the first page of google too
Thanks Bill, I wonder how you managed to get to be at the top?
There you go again, Bill, sharing. You've always been so gracious with sharing useful SEO tips. I'm forever appreciative.
Kathy
Bill thank you for sharing this. I have not done this yet so I need to follow your link and check it out.
That was fantastic! I followed all the recommendations--it was pretty easy, but I loved that they called my phone instantly with the number - very cool. Thanks for a great post!
Bill - I am GUILTY of sending you an email to ask you a question! Your sharing on SEO tips is the best, thank you again! Glad to see you are doing so well, as always!
Bill I believe it was Jane Coffrey who first wrote about this. However I am going to watch this video and hopefully pick up some tips to enhance and strengthen my Web presence. Thank you very much for sharing Bill. Great post.
Bill, You are a GOOD man! I just went out and did this and it worked great. I really appreciate that you struggled with sharing it. I am really hoping the pay if forward, good karma gods will visit you for this one! All the best, Mcihelle
How many people actually click on business listings do you think? Or do people just look at them as "sponsored' links, and move down to the organic search results instead?
Wendy - that is never a problem as I am glad to help you out! In fact I am going to email you with a tip that is going to be huge for you!
Michelle - Good to know:) I am sure you will get a few hits from being on the Google map.
Jennifer - People do click on the google map results. There is actually an analitics button attached to your account that you can use to track how people find you. The other thing you need to remember is that when a consumer does a search and the Google 7 map is displayed there are a lot of organic results that get knocked off the page.
Bill, Thanks for putting the information out there. 95% of your market will procratinate on this, so you probably won't see any crazy negative effects on your own listing. I thnk I have done this, but...ahh...not with a video! I will have to go check my work! Again, thanks for posting!
Thanks alot for sharing the info Bill, just registered for this on GOOGLE. Very cool....
You are just so smart. I think I will have to double check if I have done this before
Great idea. In Atlanta, I have loads of agents already there ahead of me.
Very cool post! I'm wondering why the search term : 'location realtor' shows up but 'location real estate' does not. Additionally local searches aren't good for web development/SEO companies as google has disallowed a lot of the search terms for the local search. It will be interesting to see how this pans out in the future and what companies can do to get a leading edge in local SEO.
Bill, I am late to the post but SO glad I didn't miss it! Your business name comes up quite often in my Google Alerts, even if I've only made a comment on your blog....I'll have to go and study this information, there are some things that I haven't done. I appreciate the information and thank you!
Briddick - I believe the reason why you will see the Google 7 for the term "location Realtor and not "location Real Estate" is because Google interprets the Realtor request as a search for a business. The word Real Estate is more likely associated for just property.
Jim & Carole - Always glad to help out my buds. Good luck with your Google map!
Bill - I did this a few weeks ago, but don't rank high at all. I'll have to take another look at my listing.
Bill,
Thanks for a great post. Here's to the hope that you truly do get by giving.
Bill, once again I am thankful for your willingness to share these gems with the rest of us. I will most definitely get right on this suggestion.
Bill, I read this soon after you posted it but didn't have time to comment. I learned about this last year and did it right away but after checking it again I saw that I did not fill out my profile as well as I should have so thanks for yet another tip. I will call you tomorrow. Thanks!
Bill - LOL I too knew about it but haven't written about it :) We have gotten a few calls because of this too. ~Rita
Bill..this may be a dumb question...but, can individual agents use this page or is it for agencies only.??
Just wanted to add too that you can add a couple of listings i.e. you do real estate and property management you can have separate listings. It works awesome. And if you are not showing up on the first seven look at your keywords and it looks like - at least here that your location dictates a bit what position you come up in at. Sorry Bill don't mean to take over here - LOL. ~Rita
Bill - As usual, you ROCK when it comes to sharing all that you know about getting the best SEO possible. Thanks so much for paying it forward! :)
Bill...agree with everyone else...thanks for sharing this!
We just moved our office, and I use to be on the top 7 on the list, but not anymore. I'm going to tweek my listing in the morning at the office as I'm going to change my phone. I primarly use my cell phone rather than the office phone, but now that I have a direct dial extension, maybe that will give me more location credit and get me back on the short list!
Thanks again!
Bill...agree with everyone else...thanks for sharing this!
We just moved our office, and I use to be on the top 7 on the list, but not anymore. I'm going to tweek my listing in the morning at the office as I'm going to change my phone. I primarly use my cell phone rather than the office phone, but now that I have a direct dial extension, maybe that will give me more location credit and get me back on the short list!
Thanks again!
Bill -- you are # 1.. both in your profession and your willingness to share your knowledge with others. I stumbled upon this a few months ago.. and I got similar results, but didn't really understand the significance of what I had accomplished. I think I need to work some more on my profile... Thanks for sharing this valuable information with the AR family.
Another great suggestion Bill! I've had my name on the business directory for quite awhile and it's definitely a good thing. Kudos to you for sharing the info!
Hi Bill! I come and go on the list--but, it's wise to update and Ive got to get that video thing going better this year. It's served me well, what little I did with it this year so, it's full speed ahead in 2010!
Great info Bill. I'm studying my butt off and trying to get my head around SEO. I appreciate the knowlegde you've passed down here.
P.S. I updated that surprised kitten video so can see it. Take care.
I did this several months back, need to update with some more info. Thanks for the extra tips! I will give you a recommendation on yours tommorrow, hope it helps you out.
Read it, appreciated it, went in and tweaked it a little, and see plenty of room for improvement.
Thanks, Bill, you rock!
Hi Bill -- I implemented this before after learning about it on AR -- I'm thinking it was you that clued me in, but I can't remember, it's been a while. Thanks for the reminder, I just googled myself and my company (which is me) is out there! Very cool.
Very valuable info. In addition to posting your own photos in your profile Google pulls images from Panaramio that are geo-tagged near that location. I would urge you to talk pictures of your location, geotag them with the GPS coordinates of you location, and upload them to Panoramio to try and control some of what comes up.
Bill,
As always, you provide us with important informatino to help us with our SEO, and I really appreciate it.
Bill - your ability to navigate Google Search, Maps etc. is impressive! I spend an enormous amount of time doing SEO for our website and find the task to be incredibly challenging, even for the savviest of developers. One technique I would recommend for those looking to generate traffic is to spend more time focusing on the Facebook stream. The news feed is a low investment, high return way to engage with YOUR NETWORK to generate buzz, clicks, leads and eventually commissions. High quality features and content that link back to your site are an easy way to start making progress on improving the black box that is Google's "page rank" algorithm. For those of you interested in the news feed, feel free to give some of your feedback on this survey for some ideas I have been generating. Either way, good luck!
http://www.stik.com/streamsurvey.html
JJG
Bill,
Google has so many different tools for real estate and mortgage pros that it isn't funny. This one ranks high up there and has to be explored carefully. Thanx.
Bill - This is great information. Thanks for sharing.
Bill, Thank you for such valuable information. I bookmarked this post so I can refer back to it when I work on my google maps profile tomorrow.
Sweet! I will get my wife on this first thing today! Thanks for the great post, Bill!!
Bill I thought I had my 2010 plans set and here you come with a valuable addition - thank yoo
Thank you for deciding it's safe to share, Bill! Going to try right now!
Sue
Sherry - I would really appreciate you writing a recommendation on my profile. That would be terrific!
Chris - Thanks for the tips about Panoramio.
Jay Gierak - While I agree with you completely about developing relationships through your Facebook business page I do not see how that has anything to do with your websites page rank. The links within Facebook are all "no follow" so it is doubtful you are doing anything to increase PR.
Everyone else I hope you are able to get your Google map listing up and running in the 1st 7 results!
We started using local business a while ago and it still gets us business today. The size of the maps is what gets me, you take up so much space front row and center that it is a great tool.
Bill,
I never would have stumbled across this information without this post. I don't have time now, but I have bookmarked it and will follow your advice. Thanks!
Brian
Bill I added mine a long time ago. It is messed up, my website, another agents photo and even another agents phone number.
I'll call you later, my assistants husband works at Google in Ann ARbor and even came in Friday to help me fix it but it is still not showing up. He said the other agent has to change theirs as mine looks ok but it is not showing up. We even set up new categories on mine.
Bill,
Thank you so much for this advice! I will be working on this today.
Bill awesome post. I just registerd my business yesterday but did not even think of putting key words in my descriptions (should have known better too). Thanks for sharing this critical information, now I just need to go make a good video.
Thanks for sharing this! I needed it!
kp
Great post, I have already started on this but for some reason I just cant get mine to the top. Ill keep trying!
wow,, now this is some good stuff and something I am going to do today ... thank you for sharing
Thank you Bill for getting this out to us today! I'm on it!
Patricia/Seacoast NH
Bill, Thanks for the info. and for sharing.
I've just posted. I'm interested to see how well this works.
Bill, Thanks for sharing the information, this is why ActiveRain is such a great place. The info and great ideas that are shared, now it is up to us to use it. I also recently set up a google local business page, still working on it.
I actually just set one up last nighr, great to see some validation for my efforts
Wow Bill, thank you so much for sharing this information with those of us on AR. It is "FREE" stuff like this that I love to do to get ahead of my competition. Thank you again.
Missy I have had the same issue and it is very frustrating. I have been able to change mine to reflect the correct information up until most recently. For some reason another agents cell phone is in my listing and I have not been able to fix it. I think I need to have this agent do it on her end.
Thanks every one for all your comments. Good luck creating your listing for the Google map.
Bill Gassett~ I've said it before and I'll say it again YOU ARE MY GURU!!! Every time that song plays on my BB I know I'm in for another fabulous tip from you! Thank you fro all you do and for your support - you have no idea how important that is to me. Congrats on another well deserved feature post!
Got swamped here over the past couple weeks but do want to pick up on our discussions! Thanks again Bill and YOU ROCK my friend!
I ran across this awhile back and filled it in. Being new to social media I'm not ranking as well as you. I have patience!
Bill, Do you have a fix for the problem. I don't care about the mixed up phone. It is the website that gets to me. Oh and all the leads that go to some other site.
Thanks Pam! Good luck setting up your site I hope you make it onto the Google 7 map:)
Linda if you do what I said you should be able to hit the 1st page.
Jeff I will shoot you an email.
Thanks for your in-depth insights on how to leverage Google Business pages, Bill. I promise not to move to Hopkinton and compete against you!
Thanks Bill,
Recently we had a teckie telling us about this very thing. I'm forwarding this to my partner, the computer guy and reblogging.
Hey Bill,
Thanks for being so generous! I have bookmarked this post for future reference.
Gassett - Holy macrole, my man... some pretty kick a** info here. Seems to me this piece of advice is crucial for any business out there.
Terry, Tony & Jason - You guys are all more than welcome! Best of luck setting up you listing on the Google map!
Bill
Thanks for the great info; I have some more great ideas that I can use now after reading this.
Thanks Bill, the tables are now turned. My site is back on my own profile.
Bill funny you should write an article about this... I just did this 2 weeks ago and I noticed Im right up there with your for the search term Massachusetts Short Sales.... Awesome... Thank you as usual.
Tom & Jeff you are both welcome. Jeff I am glad I was able to help you figure it out:)
Kevin - No problem my friend. It is good to be able to give a referall up to the Merrimac Valley and know it will be handled well.
This is an interesting and informative blog post.
Thanks for sharing...
Bill,
This all sounds great but you are a Broker. How do you list correctly as an agent? Do I just use my name? When I read Missy's comment up there it made me concerned about doing anything that might screw things up!
Bill ,
As always you pay it forward and this is another example of that.
Homework, thanks Bill I love it. I saved this so I can give the attention it deserves
Gerry - You are quite welcome. Good luck with your Google business listing.
Hey Bill,
Great information!... Thank you and to all who shared!
We Love Paying Referral Fees!... Please keep Pinehurst, NC in mind anytime you encounter someone considering a second home or retiring to the mild climate of a resort environment that is 2-hours away from the ocean and 3-hours to the mountains.
Best wishes,
Wayne and Lynda | PinehurstHomeTeam.com
Hey Bill, Thanks for the great information.
Thank you Bill,
Any one can use these pointers on SEO, especially if it is generates FREE presence on Internet. Have a great 2010!!!!
Thanks Bill, This is the second time I've seen this information. Now I must "just do it!".
Margaret C.
Bill,
I really admire your savvy. I've been telling agents all along that the future of search is favoring local results. Search is the new Yellow Pages.
Combining that strategy with blogging and social media would have any REALTOR on the front page of Google.
Thanks Jonathan. The beauty of this one is you don't need to have any experience with SEO in order to make it work.
Bill what a Great Post! I signed up about two years ago and it really works! Keep the synergy flowing:)
http://www.calgriffin.com
http://www.MyEdistoRealEstateBlog.com
Bill,
This was awesome information...but what do you have to do to get to page one. I can't even find myself on there but the ad is up now! I tried to keyword but... yikes!
Wendy - Did you listen to the video? You need to do EVERYTHING if you are in a competive market. Keywords are important. You need links from other sites. Make sure you have your address on your website along with all the pages offsite that link to it like yellow pages, ect.
Bill, that's awesome advice! Thank you so much for sharing! I'm on it!
Bill, you thanks for the advice! I was looking at some SEO stuff here and came across your post. I went back and edited my existing google business listing to include more relevant information and will add a video and more in the coming week. I created my google business listing a couple of years ago when I knew nothing about seo. Have a great week!
Don & Joe - You are quite welcome. Good luck with creating your business listing for the Google Map!
Bill:
I am moving to Vero Beach, Fl, so I won't be competing in your local market. I sure appreciate your tips about google bc. In life, those that give, receive....thanks again!
Ketherine - You are quite welcome. Good luck in your new venture and setting up your Google Business listing.
Hi Bill -
Thank you so much for the info. I am actually in the process of doing this now and I'm glad to see not many agents have done this.
But I have a question for you: As an individual agent in an office for a major real estate company - should I just go ahead and claim my office's listing or should I create my own? I would love to go ahead and just claim my office's listing (without letting anybody in my office know) but do I need to worry about any implication for doing that? If I claim my office's listing I don't want to either loose any ranking I may have because I am notified I am not allowed to claim my office's listing or I happen to ever leave my office.... Any advice on this would be appreciated.
Camille - Given the reasons you mention I would probably create your own Google business listing.
Thank you so much Bill... I will be sure to follow the advise.
Bill- You are awesome!!!!Thank you so much for the information.
Hi Bill, Great Post, but I couldn't get the one link to work for you tube, it says private video.
Thanks,
John
Great post, Bill...I'm arriving a little late in the comments section, but I just wanted to let you know that I re-blogged your post! :)
Leilani