This week’s installment of the KISS RE social media marketing series talks about another powerful free tool for getting your small business found online – Google Places.
We are in to the series KISS RE (Keep It Simple, Stupid – Real Estate). We have talked about blogs, we’ve talked about social networks, we’ve linked them together, we’ve told you how to blog. But the one thing, the most important thing I can tell you is on this video.
It’s called Google Places. Now, if you don’t know what Google Places is yet, there’s a problem. The old days, I want you to think back, some of you might be as old as I am… I’m not going to share, but, trust me. Remember when we’d, one day we’d wake up, and on our doorstep, once a year, would be this big, fat yellow book? And inside that big fat yellow book was all this information that we had to have? We had to find people through that yellow book. Guess what. The yellow book’s gone. Now the Internet has taken its place. One of the items that has taken the place of the yellow book is called Google Places.
Think.
Google. Places.
Google search engine. They own it. What happens when a result of a keyword search can be found on Google places? That’s right. They put it first.
If you did nothing in your career, or your small business, except put your business on Google Places, you still have a chance of being found on page 1, because Google owns it. They put it on page 1 automatically. Go to Google. Type into the search any type of business-related term. “Hardware stores 90264” “Beauty salons in XY neighborhood.” “Restaurants Long Beach.” And our business, “Real Estate Offices, 92684.” “Realty in Long Beach, California.” What the search engine does is it realizes it’s a business inquiry. It is then going to take Google Places, which is a list of businesses that match your keyword description, and they’re going to put it on page 1. You’re going to be right there. Above the fold. First thing people see.
Now, there are a few things to Google Places that you have to understand. There’s a game that’s played within Google Places, and it’s called reviews. And clicks. The more people click on your Google Place, the higher it rises up. But really the reviews are what kill it. If you can get 20 of your 4,000 customers that you’ve had over your career to go to Google Places and write a review so that this says that “you are the greatest ever.” “I loved working with this person. They were fantastic.” You’ve got 20 reviews? I promise you, when it comes to real estate, you’re going to be on top.
Now, let me give you a couple of items that I think are going to really help you in this. Number 1. Make sure when you fill out your Google Places profile that you’re using your branded information. Go back to Video 1. Brand, brand, brand, brand, brand. Use your branded email, use your branded telephone number so you know when they call they’re coming from the internet. That’s important.
Secondly, think, what terms are you asking people to find you with? You’re asking them to find you with those three areas: geography, specialty, and industry. You’re not asking them to find you by your name. Here’s where your competition messes up. They put “Eric Bryant, Realtor” into their Google Places under Business Name. Uh huh. That’s not what you’re going to do, because you saw The Coach’s video. What you’re going to put is (think about my brand in the previous videos, go back and review them) Belmont Shores Homes for Sale, space dash space Eric Bryant, Realtor. You understand? Start with the brand. Belmont Shores Homes for Sale – Eric Bryant, Realtor. Now, when somebody searches for a term like “Homes for Sale in Belmont Shore” or “Belmont Shore Homes for Sale” my Google Places is going to come up. They’re not searching for my name, they’re searching for my brand.
Google Places is vital. Get off this video, go sign up for your Google Places account. By the way, make sure you’re logged into your Gmail, so it associates with your Google account, your Gmail, your Voice, and whatever other Google products that you might subscribe to. Vital. Google Places.
I’m going to give you one more, and it’s going to be a secret as to why it’s almost as important as Google Places. This far behind. It’s called Yelp Business Places, and I’m going to tell you why on the next video.
If you have any questions about what we’ve talked about today, or anything in the series, give me a call, 562-646-6710, or gmail, TheRECoach@gmail.com. If you’re a broker or an office manager and you’d like me to have this conversation with your people at a sales meeting or in a training, give me a call. Happy to come out and do that for you.
I’m the RE Coach. This is Tech Tuesday. I’ll see you next time.
