How To Advertise With Google, FREE!

As a business you cannot underestimate the power of web advertising, while you all may eventually have your own website, what’s the point if no one can ever find you?

Last week a member of the high street foundation was searching Google’s business listings of Rochdale, over 25% had incorrect or outdated information, think of the potential custom you may be missing out on.

Google Places or Google+ for Business as it’s becoming, is a free service that lists your business on Google Maps and an invaluable tool when people are not searching your business by name. For example, searching “Bed and Breakfasts in Rochdale” returns  a map of the town with location markers for each B&B with their business details, images and where applicable, reviews. This can be narrowed down to you being found by postcode, so if customers are looking to stay near a certain area of the town then you’re in a much better position to attract their business.

Example of Returned Results for Bed and Breakfast in Rochdale

You can further enhance your listing with optional paid add-ons from the search engine if you so wish:

Google Adwords – Ever seen those results on a magnolia background that appear at the top of the web page when your search is returned? These are paid advertisements through Google Adwords, you credit your account with an advertising budget and each time you’re business is displayed relating to the keywords that have been searched (also known as an impression) a set amount is deducted based on your business sector and the keywords that impression was returned for, if a user clicks on your advertisement (also known as an action) then a further amount is deducted, again related to the sector and keywords. Should you choose to sign up you will be given the rates applicable for your business. New applicable businesses are entitled to a £50 adwords voucher when signing up and verifying their business with Google Places.

Google Business Photos – As we blogged last week, Google Business Photos allows your premises to be added to search, your Google+ for business listing as well as Street View as an interactive 360 degree virtual tour, as shoot by a Google Trusted Photographer. Dan Root of Business Virtual Tours being the photographer that covers north Greater Manchester, including the borough of Rochdale. They have been contracted by Google to work with local businesses, to shoot, create and embed these virtual tours and still imagery into Maps. The service is ideal for business premises where presentation is key selling point.

To get started with your free advertising with Google, then please follow this link and follow the onscreen instructions, you’ll be seeing an increase in custom in no time!

Google+ makes Rochdale business go global

Award winning fashion boutique 25 Ten Boutique has become the very first business in the Borough of Rochdale to feature in a Google+ interactive view, which allows users to take a 360-degree virtual tour.

It was filmed last week at the Yorkshire Street business for the Search Engine giants, as they incorporate the 360-degree tour into their street view experience across the UK.

Commenting after taking the 360-degree tour of his business, Director Paul Turner Mitchell said:

“This really is an amazing tool and I’d encourage others to use it for their business. I often hear from people who say they’d like to visit the boutique but don’t live near enough to pop in. I’m hoping after now being able to take an interactive tour they’ll go the extra mile to get here!”

Originally trialled in the US last year, the service has proved an instant success and is now being rolled out across the UK, Australia and New Zealand with other countries being lined up in the future.

For independent business owners the Google+ tool is a chance to showcase business premises online and include all the details that customers love, allowing users to walk around, explore and interact with the business, it’s just like being there.

Dan Root of Business Virtual Tours in Middleton, who shot the first Google+ interactive tour in the Borough for Yorkshire Street’s, 25 Ten Boutique last week said:-

“It’s a real honour to shoot for 25 Ten, it’s a fantastic building both internally and externally, the virtual tour really adds a wow factor to an already very well presented premises. It can do nothing but enhance their Google+ local  listing.”