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How
to List Your Business in Google and Yahoo Local Search
Even if your business
is done completely online, you may benefit from getting
listed in Google Local or Yahoo's local listings. People
often feel more comfortable doing business with someone
who is local; and potential customers may stumble across
your business while searching for other things. Submission
to Local Search at both Google and Yahoo are free, and
may bring you more business than you expect.
Here are the URLs for the signup forms
below, but before you get started you should have the
following information ready at hand:
1. The first thing they will ask for
is the physical location of your business. If your business
is in your home, that is no problem, just use your home
address. You shouldn't, however, use a post office box,
as Google doesn't accept them.
2. The telephone number(s) of your business
- If you use your home phone number for your business,
be sure you have an appropriate answering machine message,
and that your phone is answered in a professional manner.
It is best to get a separate telephone
number for your business, even if it and your budget
are very small. Check with your phone company and the
VOIP companies, you may be pleasantly surprised at how
cheaply you can get a second number. Many people use
VOIP for their business, and pay just $25 per month
for unlimited local and long distance through their
broadband internet connection. If you have a fax number,
have that ready also.
3. A business email address - Use an
email account at your business domain. If you don't
have a website for your business, buy a domain for your
site from a registrar such as registerfly.com who gives
website space with a domain purchase, or at least put
up a "one page business card" website on the
free space Yahoo offers to local listers. In any event,
don't use an America Online address or a "freebie"
email service such as Hotmail or Yahoo for your business.
This is considered very unprofessional.
4. Your business website address - Get
a site if you honestly mean to have an internet business.
Yes, a website is not strictly required in order to
earn online, but to anyone with online business experience
you will appear as a rank amateur without one.
5. A description of the services or
products you sell. This should be a short 1 to 3 sentence
summary such as:
"Your Business Name provides widgets
to all widget users, with special emphasis on blue widgets
for widgeteers. We also offer widget payment plans."
Don't make it a blatant advertisement,
just an explanation of services.
6. Categories your business falls under
- You'll be able to choose up to 5 categories for your
listing.
7. What types of payment can you accept?
(Cash, credit card types, etcetera)
8. Your business operating hours and
days at your location.
9. Contact Name - likely yours.
Google users will need to setup an Account.
Fear not...if you have Gmail, Google Sitemaps or any
other Google service requiring an email address you
are already registered.
When you have your information ready,
go to http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter.
Sign into your Google account and follow
the onscreen instructions. Once you have finished, Google
will telephone or send you a postcard (your choice)
with a confirmation number. When you receive the pin
number in the mail or by phone, you will then need to
go back to your account and enter that pin number before
your entry can be activated.
After that, just wait for the phone
calls from new customers.
For Yahoo, the information needed is
nearly the same, and they will give you a free 5-page
website for your business to boot!
Sign up at Yahoo here: http://listings.local.yahoo.com/
Get going and boost your business into
areas you might not have thought of trying.
1howto.com
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