Last September Flower Chat had a post called Spammers Hijack Top Florist Google Local Listings. The post detailed issues with Google’s local 10-pack results that allowed spammers to wreck havoc with some of the local listings. Fortunately, this post offered some helpful tips to avoid or overcome the issues that were occurring.

You might be wondering why I would bring up a 6 month old discussion. After all, isn’t it old news? Evidently not!! A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from a Flower Shop Network member. It seems their  shop was displayed in the local 10-pack results. However, the information attached to their listing was not correct. Understandably, this florist was upset and wanted the incorrect information removed. Because we help our members with so many things, the florist naturally turned to us. I directed her to the Google Local Business Center walking her through the process of claiming her listing (which is the only way, I know to get Google to fix the problem).

Although I was happy to help this florist, I have since found a better tool for explaining how to claim your Google Local listing.  I found this Google video that details exactly how to claim your Google Local listing.  Easier and more efficient than my phone instructions, any florist who follows the directions in the video will be able to easily claim their listing and avoid some of the Google local 10-pack issues.  As the video explains, there will be places where you can include information about your company.  In the description box be sure to include searched words in the sentences you use to describe your services. Try using words like send flowers, flower delivery, wedding flowers, funeral flowers etc.   In the website box, be sure to include the url of your FSN Custom Ecommerce Website. Both of these boxes will give customer the important information about your store.

Think this doesn’t apply to you because, you don’t have a website. Think again! Even if you don’t have a website, it is very important that you claim your local listing.  Why? Because, there will be information about your company whether you have a website or not. My family’s nursery and garden center doesn’t have a website. If you type garden centers Paragould Arkansas in the Google search bar, we show up in the local results. By claiming your local listing you can control the information about your shop.

Google isn’t the only place you need to claim your listing.  You also need to claim your listing at Yahoo Local,  Best of the Web and Live Search.  I will try in the next couple of weeks to post guides for claiming these other listings.  Get started by claiming your Google local listing, so you can control your company’s information.