Google has launched a new site to help business owners improve their website content and take advantage of Google’s new push for better content. The new Google site has tools to evaluate current data for local businesses so owners can visually see how they stack up. You enter your business name and city and click the FIND OUT button to see what viewers and potential customers see when they are looking for businesses in your market.
The new program, called Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map, offers resources to business owners to assist them to get online or correct, complete or improve their current online presence.
This is how it works. Google invites business owners to search for themselves and then tells them whether their listings have been entered and completed. If “incomplete” it asks businesses to update their information. There’s also lots of training videos, FAQs and other information for business owners who aren’t sure how just how to go about improving and/or completing their online presence.
Why the big push? Businesses that are online grow 40% faster than businesses that don’t have an online presence. So across the U.S. Google is hoping that every local business gets their information online. Do you want to improve your city or town’s local visibility? Read below to see how you can help.
Google is trying to partner with local chambers of commerce and small business development centers to get business data into Google with correct and updated information. These partnerships come with free training and customized city materials to run workshops for local businesses. Google believes that local partners understand the particular challenges associated for businesses in their locality better than anyone else and they also understand the value of getting local businesses online.
If you are a part of or work at chambers of commerce, SBDCs, SCORE chapters, municipalities, city or neighborhood associations or other non-profit organizations that support small businesses in your community then you are eligible to form an Official Partnership with Google. Also Google affiliated groups like badged Google Partner agencies and Google Trusted Photographers meet the criteria.
How will you spread the word? As an Official City Partner, you’ll help local businesses connect to more customers by sharing free resources and hosting workshops using Google-prepared materials, such as:
- city-branded emails, flyers, and more
- Host your own Google workshop using Google presentations and giveaways
- Access Google+ private community to get support from Google experts
Find out more about Google’s Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map program. Not online yet? Google is offering a free domain and hosted website (for one year) through Startlogic.