Did you know? It’s easy and free to customize your company’s Google maps listing (the listing that occurs when someone searches for the address of your business in Google maps). You can even incorporate photos and videos to tell potential customers more about you.

Step 1: Log in

To create a customized listing in Google Maps:
- Navigate to http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter
- Log into your google account
- Click “Add New Listing”

Step 2: Create Listing

From here you will have the option to specify Company/Organization name, Street Address/City/State/ZIP, Phone, and Email address. As you type, the preview window will show what the listing will look like. Click Next.

Step 3: Claim your Listing

If Google has a listing for your business already, you will have the option to add your listing or claim the current listing. To claim the listing, click “Claim” and follow the instructions. Google will call the listed office phone number and you will answer and type in the pin number listed on the screen.

Step 4: Pimp your Listing

Once your listing has been verified, you will be able to specify additional information. (Remember, once you tie the listing to your account, you can edit the listing at any time by logging in).

You can add a Category (this is an auto fill field), Hours of operation, Payment options, Additional Details (such as parking instructions) and up to 10 photos and 5 videos.

For our listing, we incorporated some images from our RD2 Flickr group. Still working on videos… though there’s always this one.

Results

The result:

Once you submit, you can edit at any time and view some basic stats on your listing by logging into the Google business center.