Google Places vs. Facebook Places in Gibraltar

It’s not a secret that it is quite hard for local business owners in Gibraltar to get some online exposure on Google Maps. The reason is that the Google Places feature (local business directory listing) is currently not available on the Rock. So anyone who ever tried to submit their website or business information, had to realise that Gibraltar is not an available option in the country dropdown menu.

You can pay a Spanish national directory service provider (e.g. Spanish yellow pages – PaginasAmarillas) to get listed somehow or wait for Google to roll out with the service in the area. Or if you had enough waiting (like me), you can find a smart workaround (interested?). Perhaps go look for other hot places to sumbit your business like the relatively new Facebook Places.

Watch out Google – Here comes Facebook Places

Facebook is taking over the world of new media leaving everyone in the dust. The social media giant was the first website that surpassed Google in terms of overall traffic (US data during xmas 2010), making everyone wonder “who is setting trends online?”. Google better keep on eye on what Mark Zuckerberg is up to. Which, I’m sure they do 24/7.

Back to Gibraltar… So here comes the question? Would Google reconsider making local business listings available in Gibraltar after years of negligence? Or will they just watch Facebook coming out with new features in the area and once again beat Google?

Is your Gibraltar local business listed?

The Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce has recently initiated a project to make business owners aware of the benefits that Google and Social Media can offer.

Making people aware of the available options is a very important first step. After that they can decide to leverage those to grow their business or stick with the “good old ways” of marketing themselves.

As an internet marketer and social media consultant I would recommend not to miss out on what Google and Facebook has to offer for your business. The basic services are free, globally accessible and your smartest competitors are probably already using it. If you need help getting listed on Google Maps (or Google Places), would like to rank higher on Google or considering social media presence for your business, get in touch with Pi Image Design.