Google has recently provided a slew of new offerings to their digital lineup in the search engine game. The latest of which are Google Boost, Google Hotpot, and a revamped Google Places. The moves have come as a way for Google to better capitalize on the possibility of generating revenue from local search. This has traditionally been a field for companies like Yelp or Insider Pages, but Google appears determined to invade the waters. The Orlando SEO Company InBusiness, Inc. is one of the first to investigate these new offerings and how they affect the online local marketing landscape.
Although most people are not even aware of the changes, they may have significant impact on how businesses market online. Google is making more room for locally based companies to appear in the search results and pushing aggregation websites further down on the results. Savvy business owners can capitalize on this says InBusiness, Inc. SEO strategist David Wolf, "Our clients are seeing dramatic increases in the amount of business they have been receiving after the changes. We believe this is a combination of overall increases in the visibility for local business as a whole, and our use of best practices were made even more effective by Google's changes."
Google Places, Google's local search directory engine, changed it's look and feel completely in November.
Gone in most cases, is the pack of 7 or 3 results at the top with a map. They have been replaced by blended results that incorporate pieces of a company's website, and their Google places listing. "If your company has not taken advantage of a free Google Local listing then in needs too" says Mr. Wolf, "It is pound for pound the best time anyone can spend on promoting their local business."
Among the most important factors for ranking well in Google places are the number a quality of reviews you company is receiving from Google users and across the web on other review sites, the number of mentions (Known as citations) of your business across the web which Google finds by groupings of your business name, address, and telephone number, factors such as the SEO strength of your website, and the amount of related content such as maps that you are listed in.
Google Places may have a new addition to the local search optimization equation in the form of Google Hotpot. Hotpot is Google's shot a local social search engine that is aimed at increasing the quality of their local recommendations. Hotpot makes recommendations for places you might like based on past reviews you have given and others in your social circle. InBusiness, Inc. believes this will significantly affect Google Places rankings in the near future if it is not already. "It's always a good idea for local business to have a game plan for attracting more reviews of their business," says Mr. Wolf, "They build trust for prospective buyers, and create a deeper connection with the reviewer. It is the best, and cheapest advertising your business can do."
If Google Hotpot is the big G's attempt at winning in the social search realm, then Google Boost is aimed at grabbing more local advertising dollars from competitors like yellow pages and other local avenues. Many local businesses fear Google's formidable Adwords interface, and quickly shy away after a failed test. Boost, aims to put an end to that by simplifying online paid advertising for local companies. The system allows local providers to pick a category, and a monthly budget to show up in the PPC search results. The simple but effective lack of choices is geared at small business who find the complex Adwords interface difficult to use.
The combination of these three offerings represents Google's largest push in local search since they started Google Places. Expect to see more changes to come. InBusiness, Inc. offers monthly seminars on topics such as these that can give you business the edge. Contact them to see when the next seminar is available.
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