Category Archives: Google Tools For Your Business

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RIP Google Authorship, we barely knew ye . . .

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“ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes” - David Bowie

Goodbye to Google Authorship.

Yesterday Google announced that it was unplugging its ‘Google Authorship’ tool after a three year effort to match authors with content and apply to search.

Authorship was a great idea with a lot of potential, but lack of adaptation and impact coupled with the rise of (and constraints of) mobile search led to its demise.

More specifically:

  1. Not enough authors were using it,
  2. Not enough webmasters were adopting it,
  3. The images took up too much space in search results served to mobile, and
  4. Google found that Authorship did not have a noticeable impact on click traffic.

Officially announced yesterday by John Mueller (see Google+ post from Google Webmaster Tools), Google will no longer show authorship results in Google Search, and is discontinuing tracking data for any content using rel=author markup.

The news has even sparked speculation and stretching that Google+ could be next on the chopping block, but don’t count on that further development. Google has a long history of rolling out new experimental products and rigorously testing them for usefulness, adoption, relevance, impact and overall value.  If those products fell flat or failed to measure up, then Google has admiringly pulled the plug on them and moved forward. That approach to products and services is one of the main reasons Google has risen to the top – and also why they should continue their dominance.

Chances are that Google already has there eye on a better way to achieve the goals that Authorship failed to reach – and are testing it in a super-secret lab in the mountains.

Rock on Ziggy Stardust . .  Changes on Youtube.

 

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Thank you Kansas City! Celebrating 10 years of being in business at MyJoeCard.Com

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Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and we are celebrating our 10th year of being in business and invite you to join us!

Marketing Kansas City - 10 year celebration

To join MyJoeCard at our 10 year celebration, call 913-271-2955 and mention this email.

In 2004, we launched www.myjoecard.com and began building a ‘Go Green’ and ‘Shop Local’ network of Kansas City area businesses. In the last decade we have grown to 100’s of business members and many tens of thousands of cardholders.

To celebrate, we are offering our best on marketing for Kansas City businesses!

We love Kansas City and we are grateful to grow and become a part of the community of greater Kansas City through partnering with local charities, non-profit organizations and also participating in many regional events with area businesses and attractions.

The Silicon Prairie has come a long way in the last 10 years. The KC online community has grown and blossomed tremendously. Where once we were just beginning to leave dial-up connections behind – we now are the envy of the World as Google Fiber has made us the starting point for their fiber-optic network delivering Gigabit Internet speeds!

Google Fiber Kansas City

We have a lot to be thankful for and we have decided to bundle together a package of our best and put it together at a better rate than we ever have before.

This package provides your business listing at myjoecard.com (one year), email advertising twice/month (linked with your logo) and 1,000 cards with YOUR logo on them.

We would love to have your business aboard and we look forward to being your #1 Marketing ROI.

Interested?

Drop a line to joe@myjoecard.com and mention that you want the 10 year anniversary advertising package.

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Google Fiber to Leawood, KS

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the google fiber rabbitWe have very exciting news for Leawood, KS residents: Monday night (August 19th, 2013), the City Council for Leawood, KS voted to bring Google Fiber to town. An announcement was made to this effect on the Google Fiber blog by Rachel Hack, Google Fiber Community Manager. This comes quickly after the recent announcement on August 5th that Google Fiber will be coming for Prairie Village, Kansas as well.

This is wonderful and exciting news!

In a previous post(7/26) about the need for the remaining communities in the greater Kansas City area to ‘get on board’, I lamented the delay of a handful of cities to approve Google Fiber. Now there are only a few more communities in the are to go, namely:

  • Overland Park, KS
  • Independence, MO
  • Lenexa, KS

Come on City Council members, please release your residents from ‘Technological Limbo’. Google Fiber is one of the most exciting things to ever happen to the greater KC area, and it isn’t fair to your residents to continue delaying the vote. Please put politics aside and place progress at the forefront.

The future is now, why on Earth would you delay?

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When will Overland Park, KS finally vote to bring Google Fiber to residents?

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From the ‘Late July Summertime Edition’ (MyJoeCard’s newsletter). Originally posted 7/26/2013 here.

Have you signed up for Google Fiber yet or pre-registered? It is a very exciting time to live in the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan area – as the Silicon Prairie is being established.

Unless you live or work in one of the areas that is noticeable NOT ON BOARD YET. I’m talking to you: Overland Park, Lenexa, Leawood, Independence and Prairie Village. As shown in the map below (thank you, Jenna), nearly EVERY CITY in the metro area has figured out how to get on board with one of the most exciting things to ever happen to the Greater Kansas City Metro area.

google fiber rollout map

Next Saturday will mark the one year anniversary of an additional city in the metro area making an announcement that their community had reached an agreement with Google Fiber. Since then, over a dozen communities have joined in to expand the Silicon Prairie.

But not Overland Park, or Leawood, or Prairie Village, or Independence, or Lenexa.

Why?

This morning I spoke with Sean Reilly, the Public Information Officer at the City of Overland Park and he was able to share an approved status update of the situation: “The city has expressed its interest in Google offering its services to the residents and businesses of Overland Park, KS, and the city is continuing to pursue those services with enthusiasm.”.

Reilly also was able to share that if a new company were to be in the process of bringing services to the city of Overland Park – that there are protocols and non-disclosures that would be in place and therefore limiting and/or preventing release of any informational updates per said agreements.

My takeaway from this is that if Google is excited to roll-out the entire metro area, AND Overland Park, KS is enthusiastic about having Google Fiber provide its service to residents – then it is probably a matter of time (who knows what paperwork and red-tape gymnastics would be involved in getting something like this together).

Sean Reilly said he would welcome me sharing his contact information in my newsletter for residents that want to weigh in on Google Fiber coming to Overland Park, KS. So, to reach Sean Reilly – contact him by email at Sean.Reilly@opkansas.org or call his line at 913-895-6109.

If you are also excited to see Google Fiber be a part of your AS-YET-UNANNOUNCED city – PLEASE take a moment today and let your city officials know. If you live in one of the following communities – please take a moment and weigh in with a call, an email or both:

Enjoy the weekend!

- Joe

- – -

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Defining the Future – Kansas City’s Opportunity

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Dear People and Companies of the World,

Young and old, big and small – the future is ready, are you? It spreads in the daring minds of pioneers. Architects of the future are now increasingly valued in the World – more than at any time in recent memory. Those minds are being encouraged and fed greater resources.

Resources to build, room to dream, frontiers to conquer, sails to set and horizons to eye.

It is happening.

Today, explorers and adventurers have the ‘royal ear’ and the New World is here once again. It is our same old World seen through transformative eyes . . .

New Kansas City, New Austin soon.

What will we call that place on the slopes? New Provo sounds nice!

Google is sending out the fearless, the bold, and are planting flags of the future in the Heart of America. A new product launching called Google Fiber – and running glass – fiber optic cable, to connect the World in ways in which we should have already been connected. As daring and bold as it is, what we are seeing is merely the groundwork for what is to come – people connecting, sharing, building new things – better things for a better tomorrow.

Ford, Chevy, Sony, Microsoft, Apple and Small Businesses – there are new ‘roads’ being built for your products and services. Get off your laurels – the time to act is now – and ever now.

Kansas City Areas Eligible for Google Fiber (as of 05/08/2013).

The only foes in this bright and exciting New World are those keepers of the old order – fat, complacent cats dining on old hoarded cheese. The Fiberbahn is being built, line-by-line, street-by-street, pole-by-pole, city-by-city, and mind-by-mind. When someone jumps in to build a better World, a better way – open your mind and wallet and get on board. Buy-in and build.

Enjoy being part of building and creating the new and improved – FOR REAL.

Don’t think 20% better, or twice as good . . . .

Think 100 Times – Faster, More Powerful. The old ISP and cable feudal lords know that the ‘gig is up’. Sad that someone entirely outside the industry had to come in and build a platform for the future – but there is much excitement, because a fiber-optic network is finally underway. The clamor for Google Fiber is resounding throughout our land – ask any city leader about the calls and emails that they get, saying “Can we get it? When can we get it??!”.

Indeed. Thank you, Google for having the vision and guts to begin building what will hopefully grow into a nationwide fiber-optic network. And thank you for choosing Kansas City as your first market.

The light is shining, the future is here – and it is double-parked . . . Let’s Go! Envision how our bright future will look and help build it.

There are no monsters in the uncharted waters. The Earth is not flat. The waters of the oceans don’t spill off the edge of the map into oblivion.

There are new vistas to behold, new ground to break – and it is all around you as far as you can see – wherever you are.

I see the pioneers of today building the World that they want to live in. Bob Bigelow is building a fleet for travel into space with plans for a lunar settlement and he is making progress. Ree Drummond, ‘The Pioneer Woman’ (and dear friend) has built a fairytale into a televised, and best-selling reality in Pawhuska, Oklahoma! I can’t wait to dine at her new restaurant that is in the works (from what a little bird told me).

I LOVE Ree, she calls me 'Josefus'!
I LOVE Ree, she calls me ‘Josefus’!

Google is laying a fiber optic network which will transform the way we live in ways that we are just now starting to imagine – and providing tools and opportunity – necessary means for us, our children and the leaders of tomorrow in America – to employ.

Build the future, think of ONE HUNDRED TIMES . . . Bigger, Better, Stronger, Faster.

Be part of a New Renaissance of all communications, commerce, products, services and their exponential impact of their application.

Leave complacency behind – on the couch, in the cubicle. Re-think goals, dare to dream ‘What if?’ and put on your running shoes and join in.

I’ll see you on the frontier.

– Joe

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“Move Over Rover” – Google Fiber Is Coming To Olathe, Kansas!

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Google Fiber has announced that Olathe, KS is on the slate to receive Google Fiber’s 1,000Mbs Internet Service. We Love it!

Google Fiber Olathe MyJoeCard

We are very excited that Google Fiber will be coming to Olathe, KS! Seriously, 100 Times faster than normal broadband Internet service is hard to fathom – we can easily imagine 2x faster or even 10x faster . . . . At the absolutely excellent rates Google Fiber is being offered at – there is NO REASON why someone shouldn’t be jumping-up-and-down excited to choose one of the packages they are offering.

Now you can get the new Google Fiber MyJoeCards. They are available at some of the newer CardCenters (like All Tech Electric & Contracting or Villa Medici Apartments).

As well you can order 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 and we will mail them directly to you. Let us know if you are having a special event for your neighborhood as well.

To order online click here.

We are very excited that Google Fiber will be coming to Olathe, KS! Seriously, 100 Times faster than normal broadband Internet service is hard to fathom – we can easily imagine 2x faster or even 10x faster . . . . At the absolutely excellent rates Google Fiber is being offered at – there is NO REASON why someone shouldn’t be jumping-up-and-down excited to choose one of the packages they are offering.

Check out Google Fiber online here: google.com/fiber

See Google Fiber at MyJoeCard by clicking here.

If you are very interested in Google Fiber, you should inquire about being an ‘Ambassador’ or ‘Advocate’ for your area or neighborhood. Visit this page: https://fiber.google.com/tell/ to access flyers to pass out for your neighborhood and more info on helping champion a very exciting and worthy cause.

Google Fiber's First Neighborhood Launch Party 20120929_172040
Google Fiber’s First Neighborhood Launch Party in Kansas City on September 29th, 2012. With Fur and Joe.

I can’t think of many things more exciting than having the World’s most amazing Internet Service across all areas of greater Kansas City . . . and then the rest of the United States.

Beautiful stuff. Historic events.

Have a great weekend!

Joe

 

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Google Fiber - THANK YOU

Fire Up A Torch. Light Up The Sky.

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Google Fiber - THANK YOUMy friends, there is a coming superstorm. Not a bad one, but a good one. An EXCELLENT one.

One that we will build (and in some cases are building, and have been working toward).

We have a World that is in flux in many ways – which is alarming, in that we have been sedentary for decades (centuries?). Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ was dispelled by global growth – a lack of question marks on the map – and more importantly, a lack of querying in our minds. The old ‘it’s all been done’, ‘I can’t make a difference’, ‘what can I do?’ fears and excuses are sad comforts that are easily cultivated in our minds and later manifest in our Worlds.

Snap your fingers and dispel those lies. Do it now.

The World needs people that are, as the Chili’s say, are ‘Wide Awake Now‘.

Wake Up!

Start making a difference. You are a generator of storms. We are all builders, creators, explorers, pioneers, inventors and innovators. Marianne Williamson is right – Our greatest fear is not that we are powerless – but that we are powerful beyond all belief.

My experience is that activating that power in oneself happens when we begin allowing ourselves.

Allowing.

To dare, dream, plan, build, achieve, create.

No one can keep us down but us. Let’s allow ourselves to experience a full life and fix this World as much as possible.

Right now there is an election going on that people are all in a furor about. But this is not about politics. Every time someone starts getting ‘bent’ about politics, it just makes me think about how disarming the idea of choosing someone else to make decisions for us can be. If we all dared to make the World that we live in a better place – then evil men would be eternally discouraged and confounded.

I like the sound of that.

Every day that sun comes up, the turnstiles turn, people die, people are born, and the status quo rolls on in a slightly different iterations.

I’m all for kicking it into a better gear.

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has returned like a wicked multi-headed Hydra.

It aint no big deal.

We’ve been slaying beasts and overcoming ‘insurmountable’ problems for as long as anyone has been paying attention. It is what we do.

What heads on the hydra?

  1. Global economic fears,
  2. Global environmental fears,
  3. Conspiracy fears,
  4. Health-related fears,
  5. Fears for our safety, livelihood and future.
  6. Et al and ad naseum.

I’m not buying it. Make a play for all of the brightest minds and light will shed (thank you again, Anthony Keidis).

The mythical beasts have returned in digital forms. The Medusa holds us paralyzed in her gaze through TV screens, live feeds of varying nonesuch-ery and sales pitches. The evil creeping up has been creeping up slow and digging its tendrils in for a long time. Certain unnamed industries have used a steady hive of smartly-dressed, sexy sirens in Washington lobbyists to turn the eyes, blind the minds and darken the hearts of our good men that we keep VOTING for. Those poor, over-paid, over-sexed and over-privileged lost sailors.

We must retake the World for tomorrow by waking up today.

I pride myself on having a television that is far older and crappier than the one in the lavatory at the local sports bar. Yes, I admit I will follow a certain long-maligned local NFL franchise and my Alma Mater in certain sports. Not saying that we don’t need some re-creation and entertainment. But let’s wake up and not be blinded, used, misled.

Dearest Mankind, we can handle ANY problems that come our way. We have to believe, we have to try, and we have to wake up and pay attention. We are capable; we have been blessed with endless gifts. You can’t tell me that one person can’t make a difference. Sure, more helps. But we all have to start somewhere. If we start lighting torches and lanterns, we kill darkness around us and provide light for others so that they may light their torch as well.

It is not about a political party affiliation. It is about who we are, what we do, how we see ourselves and how we can choose to change the World by starting with ourselves, our outlook, our decisions on what we will think and what we will do with our time and abilities.

They say that is cheap, but I am lighting my torch. I want to spread light, to shed light, to help wake people up. I dream of seeing a World of empowered free-thinkers.

Let’s wake up and slay some dragons. Our ancestors climbed mountains, slayed beasts, overthrew tyrants, sailed seas, conquered the wild, trekked forests and deserts and tundras.

We can do the same. Let’s allow ourselves. Let’s have REAL ADVENTURE and build a better World.

Forget online fantasy role-playing games that eat up your time. Disengage from any scurrilous activities that are beyond engaging us – but engorging us . . . hello Mr. Eight Fantasy Football League Teams.

The World is for doers. For dreamers. For those that dare.

So wake up and un-plug. Dare. Dream. Do. Grow. Learn. Create. Build.

That person in the mirror is a dragon-slayer – and we’ve got plenty of dragons in our new Hearts of Darkness.

The World in flux? How about the WORLD ON FIRE WITH LIGHT!

You want opportunity, challenges, adventure, drama, romance? It is all there in front of us – ALL YOU WANT.

So, here I am spouting off, running around with my torch, looking for dragons to slay. I need some help. That darkness closes in a bit at times. It also brightens the heart when I see other points of light.

Grand terms, yes. Why not.

It is only our World, our minds, our lives and our futures.

Strike it up!

If I can help – let me know. There is a lot going on out there. If you have a retail business and could use some exposure, branding and extra traffic (Internet or ‘foot-traffic’) – I will help. If you made it through my ‘rah rah’ blog post, the least I could do is offer to help.

Just let me know you’d like to help spread some light, slay some dragons, have some adventure and build your business a little more.

What will I do to help? I will advertise your business at no cost. As long as you are willing to help me as well – help me spread some light – and make a decent offer (discount or promotion) for our Cardholders.

That’s it.

I’ve been inspired by many to try to spread light. I get inspired by people and company led by people that dare, dream, do, build, create and do things for the right reasons. I’m talking to you, Google.

Yes, a lot of people like to gripe about an industry leader. But this one actually builds things and GIVES THEM TO THE WORLD.

I like that.

  1. An excellent search engine that organizes the World’s information and puts all of it at your fingertips? (Google)
  2. An incredibly detailed, feature-rich global (and then some) mapping system?(Google Maps),
  3. An awesome email system? (Gmail),
  4. Et cetera.

They just keep going.

What I love is their latest gift to the World. Google Fiber.

This has been needed for so long. I’m doing EVERYTHING I can to help make this latest Google ‘gift to the World’ get built and spread as quickly, and effectively as possible.

  • Gigabit Internet Speeds Upstream and Downstream? OH YEAH!
  • Crystal-clear HD video-conferencing? OH YEAH!
  • Speeds that are 100 TIMES FASTER at a better rate than companies that just want to keep out any new competitors, continue to screw their customers and NOT work to build something better? OH YEAH! (Yes, Pete – I heard you).

Well, I’m drinking the Kool-Aid.

It can’t be any cooler that Google Fiber chose to start in Kansas City. They have decided to LIGHT UP A TORCH that can light up the sky and help make the World a better place.

It starts here. I’m helping them. I am helping spread the word.

Thank you, Google Fiber for coming to Kansas City and firing up that big, huge torch. I see the light. Better things are coming.

Booyah!

And I’m out.

Joe

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Web Analytics: On-Site Analytics In A Nutshell

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Web Analytics - On-SiteIt starts with data. Internet data. Get it, measure it, analyze it . . . and report it.

Why?

Well, to be better, My Dear Watson. More specifically, make your website and product/company better.

Part of that improvement lies in helping to measure traditional advertising campaigns and to hone your digital marketing campaigns for optimum effectiveness.

*business research and market research*

By properly implementing Web Analytics you will have access to valuable info:

  • # of visitors
  • # of page views
  • # length of visit
  • # traffic flow
  • # most popular links
  • # geo location of visitors

Off-Site versus On-Site Web Analytics.

Off-Site Analytics measures potential audience (I.e. your site’s opportunity, visibility and ‘buzz’) on the Internet overall (and Off-Site Analytics is not today’s main topical focus).

Effective Use of On-Site Analytics

On-Site Analytics track and measure the site visitor’s journey from the moment they reach your website. With On-Site Analytics, you can see what works – and how well (measure ‘drivers’ and ‘conversions’);

  1. Define what is important to your organization.
  2. Set goals.
  3. Develop a digital marketing strategy to achieve goals. *Note: unless your organization has an endless supply of money, you will want to measure the Return On Investment (ROI) from investing in the following digital marketing channels (I will address Digital Marketing ROI in another post):
  4. Implement On-Site Web Analytics:
    • Decide what you want to measure and how you want to measure it.
    • Configure Google Analytics (or other) to track all relevant assets (pages, files, pdfs, podcasts, videos, links, contact forms, etc.).
  5. Start a digital marketing campaign(s) (I.e. Email blast, Adwords Ads, Banner Ads, Pop-Up Ads).
  6. See what assets or landing pages are driving the sale – or phone call/email that leads to the sale.
  7. Compare this info with key performance indicators (jargon for performance measurement).
  8. Take the information gathered from your efforts, interpret it, adjust your organization’s digital marketing strategy accordingly.

How can your organization best apply On-Site Analytics? /UGLY BABY ALERT!/

Be prepared to learn that you have an ‘ugly baby’ for a website (and possibly an ‘ugly baby’ for a digital marketing campaign as well!). That’s okay. The whole idea here is to reach your organization’s goals. The improvement of certain aspects of your website and your digital marketing campaign will move your organization further along the path to reaching its defined goals.

Now that you have gathered Internet data on your digital marketing efforts:

  1. Verify the accuracy of the data. (I.e. Compare your website’s data as shown through Google Analytics, to direct analysis of the raw server logs). What is it they say? Trust, but verify.
  2. Ensure the validity of the reporting (ideally two reports; the first being a snapshot of data relevant to focus; the second being an overall site metrics. The combination of these two allows context and perspective).
  3. Interpret the data.
  4. LEARN from the data. (What worked? What did NOT work?)
  5. Identify issues, roadblocks, challenges.
  6. Adapt (improve strategy).
  7. IMPROVISE/INNOVATE (improve, change, create or eliminate) your:
    1. tactics,
    2. functionality,
    3. products,
    4. services.
  8. OVERCOME CHALLENGES. If you don’t fail, you can’t learn. Remember that every digital marketing campaign fails to a certain degree. Embrace the experience, dissect the elements that are lacking, and pay attention to what your audience is telling you.
  9. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Evolution of Web Analytics.

The definition of Web Analytics and On-Site Analytics continues to evolve, and the methods and tools used for Web Analytics continually evolve. To ensure optimum accuracy and effectiveness, your organization needs a resource (person) to be continually integrating new techniques, tools and functionality of existing tools.

Dynamic Evolution: Digital marketing continues to evolve, as does traditional advertising, the mobile web, competing platforms, emerging technology, how people connect/share and overall consumer habits. Effectively utilizing Web Analytics to measure your organization’s performance will require insight, peripheral vision within your org’s industry, anticipation of future tech, recognition of emerging trends, impact assessment and adaptability. Change is the only constant.

Joe Wooldridge is a Digital Marketing Generalist, currently working on MyJoeCard.Com in Kansas City.

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Get A Google Voice Phone Number

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Get A Google Voice Phone Number . . . Isn’t it time?

Get Google Voice! It's Powerful, Cool, and Free.
Google Voice Rocks

This morning I set out to slay a tech dragon, in this case to ‘figure out’ how to sign up for Google Voice and set it up in an optimal way for my needs.

Hooray! It was quite simple.

  1. Google Voice is free (and awesome).
  2. You may choose a new phone number in the area code of your choice.
  3. You can set up your ‘Google Voice’ telephone number to ‘auto’ forward to any (or all) of your phones.
  4. Also, Google Voice can ring up to six total phone numbers (land lines or cell phones) simultaneously.

To use Google Voice, and get a Google Voice telephone number, first you have to setup and activate your new Google Voice account.

Here’s How To Get Set Up:

  1. Go to the Google Voice homepage (here)
  2. Login with your email address & password (click “Sign In”). NOTE: If you do not have a Google account yet, then get one! Select “create an account” enter the required info to open your free Google account.
  3. Click on the “I want a new number” button to get setup with a Google Voice phone number.
  4. Enter your area code you want and then click “Search Numbers”. NOTE: You can search for numbers by zip code as well.
  5. Pick your new Google Voice telephone number from the list, then click “continue”.
    Enter (and confirm) a four-digit PIN code (used to access your Google Voice account). Click the “I Agree” box for terms of service and click “Continue”.
  6. Enter the phone number (your home? cell? work?) that you want your Google Voice number to be forwarded to. Click “Continue”.
  7. Click on “call me now”. Google Voice will call you at your number. You’ll need to answer that phone and enter the two-digit security code that is displayed (This allows Google Voice to confirm that you owner the forwarded phone number). Click on “Done”.
  8. Congrats! You’re in business! You have a new Google Voice number and have successfully completed setting up your new Google Voice account.
Get A Google Voice Number Today!
Get A Google Voice Number Today!

Hope this all helps.

Peace Out!

Joe

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