Three Deep is Google’s Favorite Place

December 17th, 2009 | Posted by Jeff Sauer

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We are Google’s favorite place! You read it correctly!  After years of hoping, prodding, sweat and tears, I can finally announce to that Three Deep Marketing is Google’s favorite place in the United States, and presumably the world.

I would like to thank my family, friends, acquaintances, complete strangers and people who I might meet in the future; we couldn’t have done it without you!

In the mail today, Three Deep received a package from Google containing a large window sticker with a bar code, like the image shown to the right.  I have been anticipating this package for the past 10 days; ever since reading this announcement from Google.  I knew it was only a matter of time before Google would send us an affirmation of how much they truly like our organization.

What does it take to be Google’s favorite place?  A strong presence for your local business listing.  Those fortunate enough to receive this designation and a package in the mail (about 100,000 exclusive businesses)  have worked hard to optimize their local business listing on Google so that they often show up in local business oriented search results.

How can you get your business to be one of Google’s favorites? There’s actually a pretty simple process to follow in order to become a Google favorite:

1. Claim your Local Business Listing (you’d be surprised how many businesses do not get this far)
2. Add Vital Business Information - Things like your web address (remember to use tracking url’s for maximum value), phone number (unique tracking number encouraged here as well), business hours, category of business (this is the trickiest part, since they don’t always describe your  business perfectly), photos, videos, coupons and more
3. Optimize your Company and Service Descriptions for Search - Claiming your listing is easy, but make sure that you use relevant keywords in your description so that people can find you
4. Make Searchers Choose YOU – The typical local search results page has 10 results; why should they choose you over your competitors?  Do you have the best prices?  Most convenient location?  Friendliest service?  What  is it about your company that should make them choose your listing?
5. Define Success – What makes your listing successful?  An impression of your listing?  A click through? Requesting driving directions?  Phone calls?  Sales?  Defining the action you want your visitors to take, and then optimizing around this goal will result in an amazingly effective marketing campaign

If your business follows these simple steps, then Google might find you worthy of being their favorite places as well.

At Three Deep, we have been “eating our own dog food” and spent a lot of time optimizing our Google local business listing so that we can easily be found.  The results are humbling: our listing is viewed by thousands of people each month, and driving directions are requested hundreds of times each year.  All for a marketing company with no retail presence or “drop in” potential.

Through optimization, we were able to build a presence around our company using Google’s free local business listing tool.  Now we have an awesome Google sticker on our front door that makes our business look even more awesome than it did before.

For more information on what you can do with a Google Favorite Place sticker, check out this video:

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