More and more Kentuckians are searching for businesses online than anywhere else, so it is very important to ensure that your business listing can be found in Google search results and on Google Maps. Your Google Places listing is an easy way to maintain an online presence for your business, even if you do not have a website.

Here are the general steps to follow to create an owner-verified listing for your company:

1. Visit Google Places at [www.google.com/places]https://www.google.com/business/?gmbsrc=us-en-et-gs-z-gmb-l-z-h~pl|redirect|u&ppsrc=GMBLR&utm_campaign=us-en-et-gs-z-gmb-l-z-h~pl|redirect|u&utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=et&dialog=places-transition.
2. Sign in with your Gmail account. If you do not have a Google account, sign up for one. It’s simple and takes about five minutes.
3. On the Google Places homepage, click **Add New Business**.
4. On the **Find Your Business** tab, search for your business by phone number to see if Google already has information about your business.
5. Review the search results, if any, to see if one of them describes your business. If none of the results are related to your business, you will be prompted to add business information on the next page.
6. List your company/organization name exactly as it would appear in a phone book. Do not try to manipulate results with anchor text, as this may create duplicate results.
7. Add your address and make sure it is accurate.
8. Use a local area code phone number, not an 800 number.
9. Add an email address where you can be contacted for business-related inquiries.
10. Provide the URL for the page most related to your local business.
11. Select a business category.
12. Create a description of your business.
13. Submit up to ten images related to your business that are smaller than 1MB and 1024×1024 pixels.
14. Submit links to up to five videos.
15. To make your listing stand out compared to your competitors, add additional details that make your business unique.
16. Verify your listing. This can be done through a simple phone call, text message, or postcard. The listing can take up to 48 hours to go live.
17. Your business will now be viewed by millions of customers who search for business listings online.