Google Places Help Forum and the Path to Google Adwords

May 16 2012

I started off with a Google Places entry, found the Google Places Help Forum and now I am dipping my toes into Google Adwords.

I spent 26 years in IT, most of it as a freelance consultant working for Bluechip manufacturing and financial UK companies, all the utilites and my local authority, and a few IT and Software suppliers.  It all went a bit pear shaped in 2000 when work dried up after a busy lead up to the Millennium end.

After a time resting and a divorce I decide to do some Carpentry based work as I did Woodwork as a 5th un-timetabled A-Level. I did 6 months working for John Barnard in Norwich making bespoke furniture.  That was after my Physics degree at Birmingham University and before venturing into IT.  Three of us did double Maths A-level and we were sent off the learn Fortran one Easter at Loughborough University.  So in my first week at Birmingham I knocked on the Particle Physics computer support door, the first under-graduate to do so, and got an IBM Fortan manual and permission to put my card decks into the first IBM360 mainframe in the country.

So I made a few Places entries for various carpentry based offerings and more importantly for Springlight Mirror Wardrobes in Erdington, Birmingham UK.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?rlz=1C1LAVA_enGB349&ix=aca&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=springlight+mirror+wardrobes+near+b23&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=springlight+mirror+wardrobes&hnear=0x4870a4942b158c71:0x6463b71c716335b5,Birmingham+B23&cid=744755709896448623&ei=oZOzT_DsNIfs8gOAk7zECQ&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=placepage-link&resnum=4&ved=0CNMBEOIJMAM

And I started getting phone calls and business.

I made the mistake of adding a one page free Google Website.  Not knowing Google was not allowed in a site as an anti-spam initiative.  After a few months in the busy period and no calls I investigated and came upon the Google Places Help Forum.  Now called Google Product Forums > Google and Your Business.

http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/business/need-advice/a_0wy7uNOBY

I have been posting there now as SQLPerformance for over 2 years now and I am lucky to have the above pinned post in the new forum, having had two in the last version where I worked out the workings of the Rejection and Pending Review algorithms.

I early on realised the consultancy opportunities in Places but my first attempt giving my UK moblie phone resulted in a swift ban. So I had to come up with a new Google Email address and build up a presence, hard when not in the USA and pressing Google flesh, so I could make a profile with my consultancy offering.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/116819799750868340452/posts

I am not a Top Contributor as I did a bit of soliciting when Linda Chau and Brianna Brekke were on their holidays.  A shame as its not worthwhile to do that for a free product.  Even though its a very valuable resource on its own and a requisite for a Google Adwords account. And I had too many separate Carpentry Places entries even though I saw them as valid Yellow Pages categories in that real world.

Anyway I learnt enough to make a Places entry for my public persona, email, on the forum – ‘SQL Performance Consultant’ and my blog title –  ’Google Places, Local and Maps Help’, for AndrewHuskinson.com. A professional style layout.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?rlz=1C1LAVA_enGB349&ix=aca&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=google+places+business+consultant+near+b23&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=google+places+business+consultant&hnear=0x4870a4942b158c71:0x6463b71c716335b5,Birmingham+B23&cid=13341616866138540078&ei=NW-xT-utF42u8QPc8qSdCQ&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=placepage-link&resnum=5&ved=0CM0BEOIJMAQ

Just noticed my Reviews have disappeared.  Good job I backed them up here.

Search on ‘google places reviews backup’.

One review is from Martin Russell my partner in a Google Places Blueprint, who found me on the forum.

http://www.googleplacesblueprint.com/index2.htm

A problem with my Places entry is that ‘places’ of itself is not a trigger for a blended search result with its map and red pins.

Fortunately Ashley from Clickspring, a website SEO startup near Hagley, has helped me set up a Google Adwords campaign in exchange for me setting up their Google Places page.  I had my first ‘click’ yesterday on my blog page.

http://andrewhuskinson.com/getplaceshelp/

Hopefully this will result an a steady stream of business, especially when its extended to the USA and Australia.  Both countries where I have had good clients.

My Google Website in the UK lists my product offerings.

https://sites.google.com/site/b9412e3447f2f921/home?pli=1

I would like to thank David Twigg of Online Marketing Consultants in Brisbane for hosting this Blog for me.

Cheers. Andrew Huskinson. B.Sc. MBCS. C.Eng. CITP.

 

 

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Google Product Forums > Google and Your Business > Spam

May 14 2012

Google have pinned my post ‘What constitutes Description Spam’ at the top of the ‘Need Advice?’ section.  This is evidence of Google’s anti-spam stance.

http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/business/need-advice/a_0wy7uNOBY

You need to be careful naming your business in the real world as Google expect your business name to be used in your Places entry.  Your name should encompass everything people need to know about who you are, what you do and even where you are.  Being unique in name and place are important attributes of your business.

Google allow you 5 fields to say what the service is your business provides.  As in the Business Name the Category says what it should contain, just the type of business you are, no less and certainly no more.

In the real world we understand a Description to be a proper English paragraph, consisting of sentences with proper grammar and only proper names being capitalization.  You must not repeat your location name here.  I would only repeat your prime category once here and use synonyms for your general category area.  Adding more details about your business is alright.

In the web page continue this practice of mentioning your categories only once and use sentences with a category as the leading section and some new feature as the trailing section of a sentence.  Google are looking for sentences enhancing the semantic value of the description of your business.

Being careful in setting up a Place entry allows you to appear in a blended maps search result with the maps and its red pins.  Content which violates Googles guidelines, both written and un-written, to combat spam, is essential and I provide consultancy to help you make the best entry.

For self help I do the technical support for an ebook giving a detailed guide to setting up a Places entry. At http://www.googleplacesblueprint.com/

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Google Places Help and Support – Google Maps Search Listing Expert

Apr 30 2012

I have been the leading poster on the Google Places Help Forum for over 2 years now.  As SQLPerformance, look out for my red Laverda 750 icon.  I offer professional expert support to users worldwide via email and Skype.

My background is in main frame IT, working as a freelance consultant for over 20 years for blue chip UK companies, utilities , finance and IT suppliers:

GEC, Delta Metals, Triplex, Jaguar Cars, AMTICO, Argos,  SPAR, Himatic, Transco, MEB, S. Staffs Water, Birmingham City Council, Forward Trust, Weslyan & General, Equitable Life, Barclaycard, Honeywell IS, ICL Dataskill, Istel, CAP Gemini

I came upon the Google Places Help Forum whilst looking at a problem where a Places entry had stopped appearing.

After posting for 1 year I was contacted by a Marketeer from Australia and I do the technical support for a joint project: http://bit.ly/GooglePlacesEntryBlueprint – This guides you in making a Places entry with 15 minutes consultancy by me.

For small businesses managing their own Google Places entry I offer a £30 review to give advice on data and ranking issues.

I set up a Google Places account to conform to the written and unwritten Business Guidelines for £60, or for £120 do support for two months and SEO the Categories (Keywords) to give you the best placement in the Maps blended searches.

I do a package of Places support for Web Marketeers and Website SEOs as the Places product is in continuous change and upgrading. To fight SPAM and keep up with the ever changing technical landscape in consumer IT and telephony.  My on-going posting on the Help Forum keeps me up to date on changes and issues as they break.

For larger users I offer direct support helping with serious Places issues with account Suspension, Pending Review and Merge issues with group entries.  I also offer guidance with the tidying up of other Web Directory data causing Places problems.

For support contact me on 0779 011 2897 (UK) or email at SQLPerformanceConsultant@gmail.com.

Cheers.  Andrew Huskinson.  B.Sc.  MBCS.  C.Eng.  CITP.

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