Recently, the world’s largest search engine launched a service called “Google places,” which replaces its previous geographical map listings for businesses. Signing up is inexpensive, and only takes a few minutes… so should your company take the plunge?

If you operate any kind of retail business, or regularly have clients, colleagues, or vendors visit your physical address, then the question isn’t whether you should, but why you haven’t already. Roughly 1/5 of all searches contain some sort of geographical element, according to Google, and so it only makes sense to put this marketing tool on your side.

For companies that don’t normally see walk-in traffic, being listed on Google places is probably still a good idea. Why? Because you never know when someone might have need to find your address, and the service is going to make it a whole lot easier. And even if no one ever comes by, customers feel comforted by being able to go online and see that you do exist somewhere. Again, for the relatively small amount of money, why not err on the side of caution?

Google Maps Platform

Local and geographical-based search has been a growing trend for quite a while. Google Places is just the latest and greatest incarnation. Take a few minutes to sign up today and see what kind of features (including photos, industry codes, and even customer recommendations) are being added. It’s always a good idea for you to make your business easier to find, and Google Places could become an important tool for years to come.