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Maps Applications and Claim Your Business Listing

Each of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing) has a business mapping application that allows businesses to set up or claim their own business listing, associate it with a physical address, and provide more information to the consumer who is looking for them.

For instance, if a searcher types in “electricians” into the Google search bar, it will return millions of results (the first 10 being displayed on page 1 of course). However, Google assumes that the person doing the search is looking for a local business, not all electricians. By mapping the unique IP (internet protocol) address of their computer to the city that they hit the Internet with, and shows up to seven results for “electricians near xyz city”.

Another example might be that the person searches for “windshield replacement, san francisco, ca” meaning she is looking for a company that will replace her windshield in her particular location. Again, the major search engines will return a map with several businesses listed for her.


Even though there are nearly 200,000 search results for that specific phrase (this is their competition!), the map is quite handy to get a business to the very top of the search engine results page (SERP).

Claim Your Business Listing

Many times, a business will get a listing in these maps applications automatically, because they are in one of the major business databases. These listings may or may not have current information, and tend to have sparse information (address, phone number, and business type).

Search for your own business name + location in any of the major search engines, and look to see if your business is listed.




Click the link for “Place Page” to go to your listing. If you see that the listing hasn’t been validated, because it has a link to “Business Owner?” above your name, you need to claim your listing.


Note that if you do not claim your listing, someone else may, and put false or incorrect information in for your business!

Once you create a free account for yourself, fill out the business listing as completely as possible. Make sure you fill out every single box on the page.

Google allows you to upload ten photographs and five videos (from YouTube). Make the first image you upload your logo. Then it will be associated with your business listing. The other photos can be of your staff (with their permission), your premises, happy customers (again with their permission), or anything else you deem to be important for your customers to see.

Here’s a different company’s listing with their logo next to their name.


You can create a free YouTube account and upload five short (1 minute) videos. Just use a cell phone video camera or other low cost camera to create some short testimonials, service summaries, or intro from the business owner or staff. Link those to your business listing, and this will help complete your business listing.

The more complete your listing is, the more you’ll bubble to the top.

Finally, make sure your categories are completely filled out with all the business services you offer. The categories have the most influence over your position in the maps than any other information you provide.

Once you’ve completed these steps, each of the search engines will have you go through a very short process to get your listing verified. For instance, Google will call your phone number and ask you to enter a PIN.