HOW TO ADD A LISTING TO MERCHANT CIRCLE

by: Blake Denman @blakedenman www.ricketyroo.com

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13

Step 1: Open an internet browser and go to http://www.merchantcircle.com/signup. After the page loads you will be prompted to enter in the listings basic NAP information, as long as creating a login for Merchant Circle. Starting from Business Name, enter in the appropriate information in the fields provided. When finished, be sure to check the box that says you agree to Merchant Circle's ToS. Click on the submit button to continue and go to step 2.

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13

Step 2: You will be prompted to pick a plan, from Basic up to Premium. If you would like to upgrade your listing to one of these to get the added benefits, by all means do it if you believe it is worth it. If you scroll down the page you will see a No, Thanks link. For this how-to we will be clicking on this link and creating a free profile. Click on the No, Thanks link to continue.

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13

Step 3: You will then be prompted with more product offerings from Merchant Circle. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the No, Thanks link to continue.

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13

Step 4: Now we get to start adding some rich information to our listing. Let's start with Categorization first, and work our way down the list. Click on the Choose your categories link and go to step 5.

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13

Step 5: You are allowed to add 4 categories to your listing. Starting with top level categories, get as granular as possible for each one. If you can not, select the most appropriate Top Level or 2nd Level Category and add it. When finished adding categories, click on the Edit Business Info link just above the Categories link in the left hand navigation, then continue to step 6.

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13

Step 6: Review your listing information for accuracy, then add the neighborhood that the listing is located in. If you don't know, then skip adding a neighborhood. In the description, add the long description you have in your NAP document. Then add the business hours of operation, payment methods accepted, website URL, and keywords. When finished adding all of the information, click on the Save button. The page will reload and tell you the listing has been updated. Click on the Map link on the left navigation and continue to step 7.

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13

Step 7: How does the pin marker look on the map? If it needs to be moved, click and drag the marker to the appropriate place. When finished, click on the save button. After the page loads, click on the Websites and Links link in the left hand navigation and continue to step 8.

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13

Step 8: That's it! For a basic listing on Merchant Circle, you have added the necessary information to give the listing a proper citation. You can do much more with Merchant Circle, if you would like it to be your platform. You can add blog posts, create 140 character updates, connect with other businesses. The list goes on and on. Feel free to explore around the dashboard to get comfortable with how Merchant Circle operates. Thanks for following along!

web: www.ricketyroo.com | twitter: @blakedenmanWednesday, July 10, 13