The Focus on Local Search Today
In the world of escort services, the majority of potential clients in hotels are looking for your listings and websites from smartphones and tablets. The address that you list matters in relation to where the potential client is. This is referred to as the “geographical proximity” in Blueprint 2 and Complete Blueprint. There really is no update on “geographical proximity” issues – it is still as important as it was when I first wrote about it and perhaps more so as the use of smartphone searches proliferates.
You will need a local address to list your business. Do not check the box to hide your address. There are a variety of mailing stores that sell boxes with street addresses or you could use a “virtual office”. The “virtual office” is not expensive, but is a monthly charge. Often for $50 a month you can get the street address, access to copy and fax machines, and mail forwarding services if necessary. With many you can also purchase conference room time by reservation which is a great idea for conducting your interviews. If you interview in the conference room, you’ll have the copy machine right there to copy contract agreements and driver’s licenses. Important note: Do not confuse the “virtual office” with the leased office that is most often required to obtain a business license.
Your first focus should be on listing your business with a variety of local search websites. I listed several in the books, but today the most important local search websites, other than the big 3, are listed below. List with these before you tackle Google Places, Yahoo! Local, or Bing Local, but make damn sure you use the same address to match the business name and telephone number when you list in all local searches:
yellowpages.com
local.com
ezlocal.com
superpages.com
Now, to list with the big 3, go to:
Yahoo! Local (enhanced listing is now $9.95 a month)
Bing offers free local listings for businesses and there is no option of enhanced listings as with Yahoo! Local. Google Places is still free, but in all honesty I wish they’d start charging to eliminate the crap listings. The big 3 could charge for enhanced listings one day and it would be a great value for the business owner, but Bing and Yahoo still have some work to do. The other local search websites mentioned also offer enhanced listings for a price, but too often that price is ridiculous. I’m not paying anyone $100 a month for a local listing on an indexed website – it ain’t happening – and you are better off making your own website go to page 1 of search results.
It used to be called Bing Local, but it has undergone changes for the better and is now a useful local search service. Read about how Bing Business Portal works, though there isn’t much of a help forum at this point. They do mail you a postcard with a PIN to activate your listing, or at least this was required when I claimed a listing.
In my opinion, Yahoo! Local and Bing Local are worth the 15 minutes it takes to set-up listings, but when it comes to anything adult, well, neither seem to know what they’re doing. Both are somewhat anti-adult and you will find senior companion type businesses next to the few escort services that make it in. Maybe it all depends who specifically reviews your listing because there is no solid reasoning for some of the listings deemed “unacceptable”. I have had party entertainment listings denied as “unacceptable” and escort service listings accepted and really the websites were all similar. What the hell? A personal issue with bachelor parties? In all cases there was no nudity on the websites.
You see escort businesses with listings in Yahoo! Local and Bing Local. So how do they get there? One way to get in Yahoo! Local is through Express Update or through City Search as both feed Yahoo! Local. City Search looks far too expensive, but I admit that I haven’t read thoroughly and am not exactly clear on what you get for your $s. Express Update has a free listing option.
A Discussion about Google Places Today
In the original Blueprint book, Google Places didn’t exist – it was Google Maps back in July of 2009. It was later that Google started Places and there’s a discussion in The Complete Blueprint for an Escort Service on the topic as it was not published until May of 2010; Places has undergone substantial changes since. Today Google pays much more attention to Places than it did last month – this is evident as Google employees step-in to resolve any issues or problems posted on the Places Help forum.
The Google Places for Business Help forum has become an invaluable resource. There is absolutely nothing that will make your phone ring like Places listings on the first page of relevant search results. What you do when the phone rings is entirely on you and you should realize that the callers have no clue what your rates are – few will click on your website in the listing. I offered solid advice on rates in the books so I won’t reiterate herein.
I advised in the book that it is certainly possible to have multiple listings. Well, it is still possible, but requires much more care and attention today. You will need separate accounts, different telephone numbers, different addresses, and a different business name. You also need to access your separate accounts from different IP addresses. Is it worth all the trouble? Sure, it’s a hustle if your business is in a major metropolitan area. Note that more likely than not, you will be sent a postcard at your listing address for verification – phone verification is rare today.
Understand that I am no expert on Places. This guy is an expert and is often on the Places Help forum helping others:
Understanding Google Maps and Local Search
Google Places really has gotten much better with helping businesses succeed in listing their business. I feel (and hope as stated earlier here) that this is related to a future intention to charge for listings. The major problems with Places in past and today can really be blamed on renegade locksmiths and tow truck drivers, believe it or not. I’m just happy that adult businesses are not causing the problems.
Google Places Update (February 2012)
I have noticed that Places listings in various areas for “escorts” and “escort services” with the city in front of search terms have been disappearing and reappearing lately. Yesterday a search for “las vegas escorts” showed no Places listings and it still doesn’t, but now a search for “vegas escorts” does show Places listings. Same issues with Orlando, Atlanta, and New Orleans. Check your area frequently. Most have returned at this moment.
Another issue that I noticed recently is that there are only 3-4 Places listings on the first page of search results.
It looks like Places is changing once again. I do advise Blueprint readers to implement other means of listing and advertising your business as discussed in the books. Work on your websites and try to get them to the first page of relevant search results. Do not make your business depend on Places.
If you purchased my Blueprint book and if you had a Places listing that seems to have disappeared recently, contact me at the email address in the book and I will offer you quick and easy advice on the problem.
I will update this page when necessary in the future.
