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Special Offer: Working RE is excited to announce the launch of a new print magazine exclusively for home inspectors. The premier issue mails January 2016. For a limited time, you can reserve a free subscription here.

Mapping for Success with Google

By Joel Baker, Instructor at a la mode

Whether we’re talking to real estate agents, appraisers, or home inspectors, the subject that always comes up is, “How do I get my website on the front page of Google search results?” Here is a free Google service that can get your website on the front page of search results that only takes about five minutes. It is something that every business owner should consider doing if they live or work in their service area.

Go to the Google homepage and do a search for “Your City Home Inspector,” so for example if you live in San Diego, search for “San Diego Home Inspector.” You’ll see a map that shows some home inspection companies. You can try it with agents and appraisers too, you’ll see the same thing – Oklahoma City agents and appraisers are all shown on a map. How do you get your company on this map?

Go back to the Google homepage and notice at the bottom a link for “Business.” Click that link. Once on this page that welcomes you to the Google Business Solutions, where you will be prompted to “Get Your Business on Google.” Click Sign Up. From there you can either login into your existing Google account or you may need to create a Google account if you don’t already have one, it only takes a few minutes and is also free.)

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Once signed in, you will see a Map of the United States. From here, select the Widget in the top right of the screen and click “Create New Page.” There are only a few fields to fill in: company name, address, phone number, email address and website. When you’re listed on the map all of this will show in the results. It’s also important to include a description of your business. For home inspection services, you may want to put “radon services,” “historic homes,” or your other specialties. Be sure to list the types of things you specialize in so when people are searching for those services your company will appear in the search results.

Once you’ve filled in everything that you can, click next. It’ll ask you for a code that is either emailed or text to you. You plug in the code and you’re done. This should only take five minutes and is something that can get you on the front page of results and hopefully result in more leads from your website.

Special Offer: Working RE is excited to announce the launch of a new print magazine exclusively for home inspectors. The premier issue mails January 2016. For a limited time, you can reserve a free subscription here.