Tina -

I just want to clarify - are you saying your reviews are found when you're on maps.google.com and then look for "Italian Restaurant" or something like that? I thought maps.google.com only returned actual businesses, and that your reviews needed to be attached to that businesses's page there ...?

No, my stuff is being found in a normal google search. I do a list of my favorite 5 Italian restaurants in my city, for example, and that gets found by the normal google search.

Tina -

Ah OK see Google Search is completely separate from Google maps. So this information here is focused on Google Maps and how to get your business found as a top entry in Google Maps. Think of them as completely separate areas.

OK I understand. So is the way to be found on Google maps to post something on Google Plus?

I searched for my chiropractor by name on Google and my blog post about him was second but his own website was fifth. But neither of us are on Google maps. So, if I was my chiropractor, how would I get on Google maps?

Tina -

More and more people are using Google Maps to find businesses near them. My friend Lynn gets nearly all her business through Google Maps searches. This has nothing at all to do with a "normal" Google search. It is a completely separate system.

The critical first step is for a business owner to go to Google Maps, search for themselves within Google Maps, and "claim" the existing entry. Google should already know about every business in the Google Maps interface. They did that project quite a while ago. So right now the entity is sitting there unclaimed and without valid information. The owner needs to prove they own that spot so they can gain access.

Google already knows the address. So what they do, when they get a claim request, is send a physical letter TO that address. The person then receives it there and follows the instructions.

This prevents hackers from getting access to that account, unless of course the hacker physically breaks into the store's location .

Let me know if this part is clear. It's about physical locations and physical mail being sent there.