Updated on November 22, 2021
In today’s world it seems like everything is done online with search engines and social media and small-businesses have been left behind. Remember phone books, now you would be hard pressed to find one in the majority of American cities, large or small.
People use Google for many different things in 2015, including searching online, maps and answers to simple questions like what is there to do for kids in small town, USA. Businesses in small cities have been hit the hardest with lagging technology but Google has the answer with their newest initiative called: “Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map.” Google has developed custom-built websites for nearly every town and city in America to help local businesses and improve the search results that comes up on Google search, Google maps and Google+.
Research shows that consumers are looking for more than name, address, phone and basic information when they are searching online but with tech advances they are expecting to find the information they’re looking for, such as photos, business hours, etc. Research Company; Ipsos MediaCT states consumers are 38% more likely to visit and 29% are more likely to purchase from businesses with complete listings.
Soo Young Kim, head of marketing for Google’s Get Your Business Online Program (www.gybo.com) states “small businesses have said getting online is hard,” so in 2011 Google began working on a project by conducting small business workshops in a number of U.S. cities and Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map was born.
Kim says “We’re using sophisticated technology on the back end to make it simple for small businesses to get online and create their listing.” Google has been hard at work diligently creating over 30,000 websites to help every business in virtually every city get found fast, easy and free.
Google suggests you find a localized “Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map” with Small Business Development Centers, Chambers of Commerce or SCORE chapters so you can:
Learn how to put your business into Google
Get your company verified for Google searches
Add your location, hours of operation
Add photos to enhance your listing
Get Google diagnostic tool to see what you need to do to improve your listing
Get your one-year free website and domain from Google partner StartLogic
Get trained at your local workshops
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