Claiming your business listing on Google is one of the most important things you can do. The good news is that It’s pretty easy to get done, and it’s free.

I work with a lot of small business owners that don’t have a large marketing budget. They want to know how to get started and the best place to focus their resources. I always emphasize the hierarchy of digital marketing: 1st Website, 2nd Email, 3rd Social Media, 4th Paid Ads.

But a quick thing you can do today is to claim and update your business listing on Google. This provides the info people will see when they search for your business directly, or a product or service that you offer.

This listing is shown to potential customers based on geography. So if you type “Italian Food Near Me”, Google will display Italian restaurants in your area.

This is why you want to claim your listing and make sure the information is correct (hours, location, pricing, etc.)

These listing also provide ratings and reviews for your business. By claiming your listing you can interact with people leaving comments about you.

Go to Google.com/Business to review or claim your business today.

PS - Google just added the ability to add a Shortname for your business. Make sure you claim yours before someone else does.