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INC.com:
Instead of turning to the paper Yellow Pages to find a pizza place, bookstore, or other neighborhood businesses, many people now turn to the Web.
As a result, a growing number of businesses use online services such as Google Maps, which displays phonebook-like listings for businesses located in the user’s geographic location of interest, to promote their business to potential local customers.
But, it can be hard to make your business stand out in a field of text-only listings. Now, with new features in Google’s Local Business Center, business owners can customize their listing to better advertise their services.
Business owners can jazz up their listings with photos, designate what category of business they operate, and specify attributes relevant to their business type, such as hours of operation. Businesses can also announce discounts or special deals in coupons next to their listings. Consumers can then print out the coupons and bring them into brick-and-mortar stores for redemption.
To help business owners evaluate the effectiveness of listing their business on Google Maps, the Local Business Center will now let users see the number of impressions and clicks their listing has received.
Google does not currently charge for local biz listings or coupons. Businesses can enter their listing and coupon information by logging in at the Local Business Center at Google Maps.
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