How to get your business on the map that appears on the top of a Google search

[botoxwales]

I registed on google and was surprised to find that when you do a google search of botox wales newport the top link is a google map link with a picture of my house on !!! cool !!!

Got loads of business from people just googling and getting this...

 

[beautyandthebod]

Thanks Ruth. Di xx

 

[Beauty by Chell]

I done this and was on the top map but for some reason it has now kicked me off and I am under the map even though the nearest person to me is in the next town, any ideas why this could be?? x

 

[Ruth Mills]

I done this and was on the top map but for some reason it has now kicked me off and I am under the map even though the nearest person to me is in the next town, any ideas why this could be?? x

What were you searching for when that happened? It might be that the person who is top of the list has more links into their website, or better search engine optimisation?

 

[Movida]

Thanks so much for this, i actually paid over £200 after someone called me and asked if i was interested in being in top of google listings etc, this was for one month only, can't believe i was so stupid.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Thanks so much for this, i actually paid over £200 after someone called me and asked if i was interested in being in top of google listings etc, this was for one month only, can't believe i was so stupid.

Aagh, those cold-calling, hard-selling, rip-off merchant cowboys!!! I bet they lied through their teeth and said they worked for Google too - when in actuality I bet they work for some company with extremely dubious business practices who has nothing whatsoever to do with Google!!!

 

[smooth]

Nobody can guarantee you to get on first page either. I had a guy SEO my site, which was in a very competitive market and due to the restrictions on POM Act you couldn't use the brand name of the product. It worked and it quickly went up the ranking but what they also did was add a link to one of my competitors sites at the bottom of mine without telling me. It was only cheap to get it SEOd and worth it for me but there are pitfalls and lots of companies out there trying to rip you off.

I had a guy try and quote me £4000 for a years SEO, I couldn't stop laughing when he told me! Obviously I said no and he still phones now trying to knock down his fee. I don't answer his calls anymore. Well done ruth for putting this on, this is invaluable information to know about
x

 

[lady R]

brilliant! I've just done it too! Ruth, you're ace!!

 

[elliebee]

Thanks for that great link Ruth. Unfortunately, I can't get mine to show. Grrrr. Have been going back to this for weeks since I first listed it but I am nowhere to be seen. Can anyone advise me as to whatI may be doing wrong???????

My listing is completed (I think) and submitted, but when you do a google search I don't appear :cry:

Am I missing anything obvious? (probably)! LOL

 

[karenrose]

Aagh, those cold-calling, hard-selling, rip-off merchant cowboys!!! I bet they lied through their teeth and said they worked for Google too - when in actuality I bet they work for some company with extremely dubious business practices who has nothing whatsoever to do with Google!!!

I had a guy call me a few weeks ago saying he worked for google and can guarantee to get me to the top of the listings with the website they can build for me. I said I already had a website and he asked if I done it myself and I said yes. His response was "yes I could tell its a home made job" I was totally shocked! Said it does the job and I actually get clients coming to me and saying they picked me over someone else as mine is so friendly and you can tell its me who has written it all compared to larger companies who talk about "them" and not "me"

Just out of curiosity I asked him to email me info on the website and how it all works etc. Gave him my email address and I got an email from him and not one mention of google in his email or in the entire text!!

 

[chazz!!]

Hi I'm already on google maps but I'm d in the list how can I get to a. Or is that something I can't control

Thanks
Charlie x x

 

[Ruth Mills]

I had a guy SEO my site, which was in a very competitive market and due to the restrictions on POM Act you couldn't use the brand name of the product. It worked and it quickly went up the ranking but what they also did was add a link to one of my competitors sites at the bottom of mine without telling me. It was only cheap to get it SEOd and worth it for me but there are pitfalls and lots of companies out there trying to rip you off.

That's really dishonest - putting a link to your competitor without telling you! I'd have been inclined to sue him for that!

 

[Ruth Mills]

Thanks for that great link Ruth. Unfortunately, I can't get mine to show. Grrrr. Have been going back to this for weeks since I first listed it but I am nowhere to be seen. Can anyone advise me as to whatI may be doing wrong???????

My listing is completed (I think) and submitted, but when you do a google search I don't appear :cry:

Am I missing anything obvious? (probably)! LOL

Oh the joys of Google! Alas nothing is ever instantaneous with Google; in the case of getting a *website* listed on Google, that will only happen when the "Googlebot" visits your website - which normally happens every few days or so... and then it usually takes a few more days for Google's search database to be updated after that.

Without resorting to re-working your website's content to be better for SEO, a "quick fix" is usually to get your website listed on as many free index websites as possible, e.g.

http://www.freeindex.co.uk/
Hot Frog - Your UK Business Directory
United Kingdom jobs, cars, property, free classifieds and more - Gumtree.com
Free business listing, free advertising - online UK business directory
London Reviews, London Top Restaurants, Pubs, Shopping, Nightlife, Services and More | Tipped
Scoot | Scoot Home - UK Business Finder
http://www.sheriffratings.com/
London Restaurants, Dentists, Pubs, Beauty Salons, Doctors
London Restaurants, Bars, Gigs, Hotels, Events & more
MoreUK.com
UKs Local Business Directory of Local & National Businesses - Ufindus
Smile Local
Party, Event and Wedding Planning - Plan Weddings, Parties, and Events online

 

[Ruth Mills]

I had a guy call me a few weeks ago saying he worked for google and can guarantee to get me to the top of the listings with the website they can build for me. I said I already had a website and he asked if I done it myself and I said yes. His response was "yes I could tell its a home made job" I was totally shocked! Said it does the job and I actually get clients coming to me and saying they picked me over someone else as mine is so friendly and you can tell its me who has written it all compared to larger companies who talk about "them" and not "me"

Just out of curiosity I asked him to email me info on the website and how it all works etc. Gave him my email address and I got an email from him and not one mention of google in his email or in the entire text!!

The stupid thing is that you can get to the top of Google with a "home made" website if you word it right (in such a way that it will work well on search engines) - and you almost certainly know your business better than some big web design/SEO company anyway, so why pay someone to second-guess what you know already?

It does shock me how many salespeople claim to "work for Google" when they blatantly don't!!! At any rate, Google is just in the business of running a search engine, selling online advertising to people, as well as all manner of other geeky things - but what I've *never* heard of them doing is offering SEO consultancy services. So any cold call "from Google" is probably best handled by putting the phone down, or referring the salesperson to your dog to take the call...

 

[wishes]

I log on to my google maps and it says rejected doesnt meet the quality guide lines!!! I dont quite understand why though, has anyone else had this problem?

 

[Ruth Mills]

I log on to my google maps and it says rejected doesnt meet the quality guide lines!!! I dont quite understand why though, has anyone else had this problem?

Never heard of that before. Didn't it say anything more specific?

 

[sarahlouise7]

Thank u Ruth, I just added me x

 

[IndieBindii]

Thank you SO much Ruth...you are a huge help xx

 

[elliebee]

for those of you who have recently added your businesses - are you showing already on google maps when you do a search?

 

[bonechild]

I've been to a few business link seminars about maximising your web presence and SEO wich have been great. and they're all free!
It's worth check them out. You get expert advice worth thousands (and a free lunch hee hee)