Want your business listed high on Google? Want your website indexed quickly with Google? Want to make your site available to local businesses?

If you answered “no” to any of the above you’re in the wrong place. If you’d like to implement some easy and FREE tools for getting your site ranked with Google, you’re in the right place.

An easy, and often overlooked, way to accomplish all of the above is the “Google Local Business Center”. The Google Local Business Center is an online directory of local business that are organized by service category and city. Examples: San Antonio Florists, New York Advertising Agencies, Los Angeles Dating Agencies, etc., etc.

The Google Local Business Center is Googles equivalent of an online yellow pages directory. Actually, since it is free to list, it’s more of a local white pages directory. As with all things Google the ad revenue is derived from paid ads placed along side the listings.

So Why is This Important?
Location, Location, Location. Business listed in the Google Local Business Center recieve top billing. The listing appear directly under the three paid listings (that nobody barely ever clicks on anyway), but above the organic, free listings.

So achieving a listing in the Google Local Business Center can lead to really high page 1 listings for your website. Marketing your site to the Google Local Business Center is a process in itself (more on marketing your site in the Google Local Business Center in another posting), but if you acheive a successful listing you’ll have high page 1 placement withouth the negative, and ignored, stigma of the paid ads.

And, the Google Local Business Center ties directly into the Google Maps.

Google is clearly making a push for local content.

Let’s face it. The previous champion in the paid advertisement model was the Yellow Pages. Doesn’t it make sense that Google would try and embrace the same model…deliver local content that is searchable by users.

How to List Your Site in Google Local Business Center
Follow the steps below to list your site in the Google Local Business Center.

1) Start at Google Local Business Center Page
Google Local Business Center

2) Login or Create an Account

3) Add your Business Info
Add all of your business info, save and you’re done. Note that there are multiple tabs with optional information: Categories (select multiple categories); Hours & Payments; Photos; Custom; Coupons; etc.

Getting your site listed in the Google Local Business Center will help potential local customers find your site. However, if you’re business category is crowded you’ll need to employ some traditional search engine marketing strategies to help move your site higher up the local listings.

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Article by Greg Banig Design & Marketing, http://www.gregbanigdesign.com