Through Google Places, formerly called Google Local, you have the ability to create a high-quality free listing for your business whether you currently have a website or not.

While it’s relatively easy to create the listing, it can be much  challenging to get your listing to appear on the first page for the keyword phrases you are targeting.

To that end, I offer the following seven tips:

1. Before creating (or claiming) your listing it is important that you do thorough research. You should know what you your customers are searching for when they are trying to find your product or service.

2. Fill out every field completely.
There are approximately 20 fields to fill out when completing your Place Page listing. It is imperative that you fill out each and every field as the omission of even one can negatively affect the ranking of your Places Page.

3. Utilize every available category.
Google will suggest one category specific to your business and require you to use it. However, you can also add more categories and it is important to do so.

Using your keyword research, use your remaining keywords as the category names until you have used every additional category available to you.

4. Google allows you to use up to ten photos and I encourage you to use every one of them. You can also enhance your optimization efforts by renaming your images to include your keyword phrases before uploading them.

It may seem basic, but it’s true. Each business owner is afforded the same opportunities when creating their Google Places listings but many don’t take advantage of them.

5. You’re allotted five videos — use them too.
As it is a bit harder to create videos than photos, you’ll frequently find that your competitors fail to use their entire allotment.

However, you can create short “slideshow” type videos (which are merely a collection of photos put to motion) quite easily. If you search Google for the phrase, “slideshow maker,” you’ll find a number of tools that can help you make these types of videos online.

You’ll need to upload each video to YouTube.com before you can add it to your listing.

6. Understand citations and build as many of them as possible.
A citation occurs whenever an online reference is found for your business and services. In Google’s eyes, it’s a validation that your business truly exists and that it offers the type of services you list on your Places page.

It’s important that your citations closely match the information found on your Places page. You can create your own citations by submitting your information to a variety of online directories including Yellow Pages, Super Pages, CitySearch, Insider Pages, Yahoo Local, Localize and a number of others.

7. Get reviews and ratings.
Google will automatically display reviews it finds on sites like yelp.com and  insiderpages.com. Having a lot of positive reviews is not only helpful for your Google Places SEO, it can help you get business that might have gone to a competitor otherwise.

Ask your existing clientele to post a review of your business on the site of your choice and if necessary, offer them some form of bonus for completing the task.

If you spend the time to follow each of these seven tips, you’ll be well on your way to getting your Places page listed on the first page for a variety of terms.

Just like traditional SEO however, don’t make the mistake of neglecting your listing after completion. While you’ve completed the majority of the work, it’s wise to continually build new citations, get more reviews and ratings and respond publicly to the reviews you receive.

In this video Don Crowther shares 21 ways to use QR Codes.

I use them on my business cards, how are you using them?

In recent months, Facebook has undergone many significant changes that effect how pages are created and maintained. As a fan page owner, knowing and understanding these new changes can help you better administrate and customize your Facebook fan page to make the most of the exciting marketing potential it creates.

First, Facebook user profiles underwent a bit of a transformation and Facebook users responded positively to easier usage and simpler navigating on the site. Soon after, Facebook gave fan pages a serious makeover and the new iFrames system was implemented in early February 2011. Though these changes are the key to maximizing the marketing potential of Facebook fan pages, they mean significant differences for current fan page owners. From page creation to page administration and down to the very way fan pages look, the new changes to Facebook fan pages involved many changes you need to know and understand. Once you do, you will realize the great possibilities and new growth potential these changes can mean for your business.

What you need to know about the new Facebook changes to fan pages:

1. Static FBML is a thing of the past. Facebook announced the plan to phase out their own brand of code and implement iFrames.

2. Simplified fan administration. The fan page count is now just a count box. Deleting or banning fans is simple to do by clicking the “people like this” link located directly below the fan count and accessing a thorough list of fans only when you need it.

3. Better information about you. The “About Me” box has been removed in favor of a more comprehensive solution that allows you to share as much information about yourself as you would like. No longer are you limited to the small space the box allows; go ahead and share your story on an iFrames page section dedicated solely to you!

4. New masthead encourages socialization. The new banner-style Photostrip along the top of every page instantly adds a fresh new update to your fan page every time a picture is added to the page. Unfortunately, unlike personal profiles the photos are random and you cannot control the order. You can however prevent any photo from being shown in the top banner by hovering over the top right of the photo in the banner and clicking the X to hide the photo. This removes it from the banner but does not delete the photos.

5. Say farewell to page tabs. Tabs along the top of the page may be gone, but Facebook has revamped these navigational tools and moved them to the left column of every page. This change allows page owners to utilize page design techniques to make these new page sections as customized and unique as their clients desire. Customize these further by placing them in order of importance as you see fit. The options are endless!

6. Quick viewing of popular posts. With new administration tools now available, page admins can quickly sort comments on their pages and rank those that have generated the most response. This is a great time-saving tool for page admins and keeps their fingers on the pulse of their pages with ease.

7. Easy identity swap for page administrators. Previously, page admins were limited in their capacity to browse, comment on and “Like” other pages. Now, with a simple click, admins can toggle between identities as a page or a person, enjoying freedom to browse and comment on all types of pages without complicated logging out and logging in under different identities.

8. Featured “Likes” share networking connections. Along the left navigation column, the most recent “likes” from your page will appear, potentially connecting your page visitors with others who might share similar interests or sell products that compliment your own. Select these carefully and switch often to offer relevant and timely changes to your page that are simple and easy.

The new changes to Facebook mean big differences in the way Facebook looks and feels, but most importantly, in how Facebook pages are run behind the scenes. Though many of the changes are mostly cosmetic, the most significant and impressive changes will not be seen by Facebook users at all. Facebook page administrators are most affected by the changes to Facebook, but they also stand to reap the most reward from the new networking and marketing potential that has resulted from Facebook’s revamp of its most popular features.

Amy Porterfield demonstrates how and why to use Facebook lists on your Facebook profile. Facebook lists can help you distribute different updates to different people – very helpful if you have a mix of business and social friends.

Haley Hohengarten from eMarketing vids gives some quick tips about using Twitter lists.

Amy Porterfield shares of of the best features of the recent changes to Facebook pages: How to Post as Your Page, not your personal profile.

In addition to posting as your Facebook page on Facebook itself, you can also post as your page on external sites that have implemented the new Facebook commenting system.

This is information you need to know from Amy Porterfield about how that Facebook business page you setup may or may not currently be available from your Facebook profile. To start, don’t worry about the part regarding the Web Developer toolbar, just put the name of your Facebook business page in the Employer box.

If that doesn’t work (and I haven’t seen it fail), then install and use the Firefox web developer toolbar as described. If that doesn’t work or is just too much to deal with let me know and we’ll work through it together.

Frustration is a word frequently used to describe companies new to social media and those who have been involved in social media but have yet to enjoy a return.

The problem is two-fold. First, establishing a social media presence takes time and continued effort. You have to be consistent in your involvement with the social media medium and remember that returns will not be overnight. Second, you have to make sure that you are using social media in a way that makes sense for your business and for your clients or customers.

If you are not sure, ask yourself the following questions:

Are you using the right platform?

There are a variety of social media platforms for you to consider – most notably Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Further, within these platforms, there exist variations on the theme. For example, in Facebook, you can have a “Page,” a “Group,” or a “Community.” Each variation has its own set of tools, purposes, and capabilities. In addition, you may decide to participate in several social media platforms at the same time. For example, if you have a fitness center, you may want to use your YouTube channel to publish videos on how to perform certain exercises or tapings of classes you offer there while using Facebook to build a sense of community through candid photos, listings of hours, available classes, and upcoming events.

Are you providing the type of information and interaction that your audience wants?

Ask yourself what it is that your audience would want to read, not what you want to tell them. Providing discounts or having giveaways can be useful, but you have to have more substance than that. Consider posting facts about your company, the brand, or its products. Think of the tidbits of information you encounter everyday that make you stop and say, “Really?” Examples include fun facts about how long you have been in business, what happens “behind the scenes”, why your business operates as it does (e.g. why Yoga class was cancelled on Tuesdays, why you do not serve poppyseed bagels, why you buy local, why legal documents are presented in blue card stock), etc.

Are you listening to your audience?

Likewise, are you listening to your audience? When they make a post, do you respond? Do you stay on top of when your company is mentioned on other sites, blogs, social media, etc., and make relevant comments to that affect (on that site and yours)? Remember that social media has developed because of the continued interaction it affords. Its purpose is not to simply broadcast, but rather give people a voice in things they would otherwise not be privy to.

Do you give your followers a voice?

Similarly, make sure that you give your audience a voice. Ask open-ended questions, run surveys and polls, include them in new product decisions, etc. – the more things like this you do, the more valued your audience will feel. Remember that interaction is a large part of a successful social media campaign. If miss out on this, you may already be out of the game.

Social Media can be a key part of growing your business and brand to attract local consumers.
Local Internet Marketing isn’t just about having a website, it includes being findable in multiple places when local consumers are looking for your product or service.

Julie Perry from BlastMedia shows how and why to setup your own YouTube channel and playlists. Go ahead, do it now… even if you don’t have videos (yet!). Setup your channel, create playlists of other people’s videos and start interacting with other YouTube channels.

Being camera-shy is no excuse for not creating videos. You can use Powerpoint or Screenflow (Mac) to create presentations to convert to video format or use screen capture software such as Camtasia, Jing or Screenflow.