Ah, the Google Local Listing. A thing of beauty and portent. Discussed in such edifying tomes as the Google Webmasters Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide. Where to begin?

Google Local is the new Yellow Pages

Actually Google is the new Yellow Pages, but Google Local is essentially an overlay of additional information and listings when Google can recognize that the search is a locale and when there are at least two local listings available to display.

Google Local is Maps and Geolocation

Maps as in Turn-by-Turn Directions. Maps are useful for cultures which use maps extensively. This is true for most native English-speaking countries and so are helpful for targeting this market. Mobile search is a huge geo-location and mapping (turn-by-turn) opportunity and will become more important in the future. This is about the present, but certainly the future as well.

Google Local supports Images and Video

Up to 10 images and 5 videos (YouTube, natch).

Google Local Listing is easy to create

Watch the video, enough said.

Edit Google Listing Information

These are the Google listing information fields for Thailand

First Page

• Country
• Company/Organization (~77 characters)
• Street Address 1
• Street Address 2
• City/Town
• Province (drop-down in Thai)
• Postal Code
• Main phone (limits to Thai phone numbers)
• Email address
• Website
• Description (200 characters)
• Categories (up to 5, up to 4 custom)
• Geographical location marker

Second page

• Hours of operation (various options)
• Payment options (various options)
• Photos (Picasa, upload or web URL for up to 10 images)
• Videos (up to 5 YouTube URLs)
• Additional Details (custom data pairs)

Google Local is another Advertising Platform (Coupons)

Yes, even more. Google offers free-to-display Coupons.

Google Local Coupon Detail Limitations

• Business Name (35 characters)
• Headline (25 characters)
• Sub-heading (optional) (35 characters)
• Details (250 characters)
• Image (optional) (jpg, gif, png) (100×100 with cropping tool)
• Good until date (max 1 year from creation date)
• Offer code (optional) 15 characters
• Locations (ignore the “only valid in US nonsense”)

Google Local is Free

Yes, Free as in Free.

Maybe it is about time to go get your Google Local listing? Here is a quick video with roughly some of the same information and some additional goodies and guidelines.

• More great information is available in Google’s Local Business Listing guide

Some ISO 3166 Country Codes (for Southeast Asia Local Listings)

ISO 3166 Country Codes (selection of Southeast Asia and nearby countries)

• Cambodia (KH)
• China (CN)
• Indonesia (ID)
• Laos (LA)
• Malaysia (MY)
• Myanmar (MM)
• Nepal (NP)
• Philippines (PH)
• Thailand (TH)
• Viet Nam (VN)