If you get a call from someone who makes it sound like they represent or work with Google and they can help you get your Google Business Listing online – hang up – especially if they tell you it’s URGENT!!!
Yes, you probably want a Google Business Listing, but no, you don’t want it from someone that is going to charge you $$$ for a “lifetime” placement. You don’t want it from someone that cold calls/emails you and you don’t want it from someone or some company that you’ve never heard of.
If you want to DIY, you can go straight to Google and enter the information yourself: Google Business Listing. You’ll need a Google account, but it shouldn’t take more than 20-30 minutes to set up a basic listing. You’ll then need to verify your listing by phone or postcard (they send you one to verify your address).
Heads up – Google likes to try things… and then try something else… and then change things again. So the interface may not be intuitive and it may look different every time you log in. So if you’re not tech savy or you’d rather spend your time on your business than on playing with Google, have someone else do it for you. Your web designer can probably help you or they can refer you to someone who can. But by all means, get a referral.
If what a company does is get you listed in Google, and the only way for you to know about them is for someone to call you, something is very wrong with that company.
