Take Advantage of Google Tag’s 30 Day Free Trial
Recently Google Places launched nationally and on Mobile, Google Tags, which allow business owners to highlight important aspects of their business within Googles local listings and maps. Adding these tags to your local listings is not typically free and costs a flat monthly fee of $25. Currently Google is offering a 30 day Free Trial for Google Tags, so this is a great time for local businesses to learn more about this feature and to give it a try as they are a powerful way for business owners to make their listings stand out within Google’s Local Listings.
What are Google Tags?
Below is an example of a Philadelphia Laser Hair Removal Center’s use of Google Tags.
As you can see in the example below, the addition of the Google tags helps Med Spa’s listing stand out from the competition.
If I click on the tag I am taken to the Coupon Page, screen shot below:
These tags also show up on Google Maps. When scrolled over on the map the details are shown as seen below:
How to Get Started With Google Tags:
To get started with Google Tags a business will need to set up a free Google Places Account
Once you login into your Google Places account, look for the create a tag link. Tag types available are based on the information you have available in your listing. The full list of tags includes:
- Photos
- Videos
- Posts about your business
- Link to your website
- Reservations
- Menus
- Coupons
If you dont see one of these tag types it means you will have to add the type of information to your listing. For example if you have not added video to your listing then you will need to add videos in order for this tag to be available.
Once you select the tag type you can proceed to billing and activate your listing. Your tag should show up on Google within a few hours.
Why Should I Test Google Tags?
The tags will not help your listings rank, but will help your listing stand out from competitors. You will also be able to track the effectiveness of your tags in the local business dashboard and modify your tags as necessary. This is a great way to promote coupons, offers and reviews.
Now that Google is offering a free trial of this feature, any local business owner should test local tags before your competitors do to see if this is something worth running in the future for the $25/month flat fee. If these tags help you get even one new customer a month and your profit on that customer is more than $25 than running Google Tags is no brainer.
Google has some great videos and additional details on how to get started
Happy Tagging!
Posted: 08.19.10
web design in Maidstone:
:/ sad.. but not available in the UK (…yet)
still… i’m registered in google places already some time ago…
Ashley:
Hi there,
Have you tested these ‘tags” by any chance? Are they REALLY free for a month, or is there some kind of cancellation fee, or a minimum number of months you have to run them?
Garious:
I’ve never heard about Google Tags before so thanks a lot for sharing this piece of hot info. I think Google Places is like the Facebook Places of search engines? Correct me if I’m wrong. Yet, I think this is more useful than Facebook Places as you don’t have to tell people just where in the world you are right at this very moment.
Bonnie Schwartz:
@Ashley We have not tested the Google Tags Yet, but are eager to do so for some of our local clients. According to the Google blog: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/07/try-google-tags-for-free-tag-youre-it.html: “Your free trial comes with no strings attached. You can cancel before your trial is over and never pay a dime”
@Garious: Im glad you found the post helpful. Google Places: Helps Local Businesses verify their listings so that Google has the correct information when people are searching online for you. Placements are not guaranteed, but providing details can help your listing stand out.