webpress.ie

In April Ireland saw the launch of the Google Local Business Centre, AT LAST. If you search for a service and in the search results you see a wee map with an A-J of businesses alongside, your looking at the GLBC, also know as the 10 Pack.

The problem before was that when you searched for “Web Designer Dublin” you got up all sorts of rubbish including the Wikipedia page for web designer or maybe a link to the Web Designers Association (the what?). So when Google thinks your probably looking for a service it puts in the GLBC module directly after its sponsored links but above the organic links.

How do you get listed on the GBLC
The good news it its free. Signing up is quick and you can do it here:
www.google.com/local/add
After you sign up Google will post you out a code to verify your address. Then you should be up and running.

What the drawback?
Well, its the LOCAL business centre so you will only show up for your local area wheather that be Dublin, Meath etc. If you have various branches you can submit them all no problem.

In conclusion

Every business should be signed up for GLBC period. Google have really come through here as if you think about it this free feature is in direct competition with their Adwords/Sponsored links. So Kudos to Google. They walk their moral line pretty well and as long as they keep it up im not likely to jump on the next search engine bandwagon that actually works. (BING im told doesn’t work!).

I plan to write a follup article soon about how best take advantage of GBLC. Watch this space.