Start at the main page and enter your business name and zip / postal code, then state / province and country. For this example, I’m using a new deli that recently opened near my home. Once the data is entered, click the “check my listing” button:

This begins the process for checking the status of your local listing and you will see the following message:

After a few seconds, the results will be displayed in a control panel. Signup for a control panel account is optional, but saves your listings so they'll be there when you come back!  If you'd rather not create an account, you can simply re-enter your business information each time you return to Salesmix.com

The snapshot tab is a quick overview of which local listings have been claimed. As you can see, the owners of Mancini’s have yet to claim their local listings.  These guys really need to read the information at SalesMix.com & get to work

If you were the owner of Mancini’s, your next step would be to click "Add your business listing" under the Google logo. This opens Google's Local Business Center in a new window. Next, follow the step-by-step instructions to add your business listing to Google.  You will be given the option to confirm your listing via phone or mail. I suggest phone verification. This prevents the verification postcard from being tossed out with your junk mail.  You will find a similar process for each of the local search engines and directories.

After claiming your listings, you may check back in a couple of weeks to see if you have any citations ("mentions" of your business name and address or business name and phone number on other sites. Citations originate from data providers and other trusted websites that Google relies upon for information. 

The “To Do” tab offers a punch list of the steps to take to complete your local listing. Remember to follow the tips found in our Guide to get the most out of your listing.

Once all of your listings have been claimed and your to do list is complete, its easy to keep track of customer reviews by search engine by clicking on the “details” tab

Or check out the reviews tab for a summary of all search engine reviews:

This may look overwhelming at first, but remember – you don’t have to do it all at once. I suggest picking one listing a week, doing it right, and then moving on to the next. When it comes to internet marketing, its ALWAYS  better to do it right, than do it fast. 

Now get out there and sell something!