Google+ Local Pages, The Good, The Bad and The Google
Today Google announced that is in the process of turning all Google Places pages into Google+ Local pages. This is an example of how SEO is becoming more social and is a great thing for your business. It’s also an example why as a local business, you need a good partner for local online marketing in order to keep up with the constant changing landscape of local SEO and Google optimization. Is all that effort on your Google Place page wasted? No. Will Google+ Local Pages change the way you do business? Maybe not yet. Here is the Good, the Bad and The Google in the Google+ Local Page transition.
Here are a few example Google+ Local Pages from Google:
- Mezze Restaurant
- Lockhart Smokehouse BBQ
- Mama Pita Mediterranean Grill
- Museum of Making Music
- Nick Strocchia Photography
- Mio Restaurant
Google+ Local – The Good: Much More Social, Access to Millions of More People
The new Google+ Local pages are better than the old Google+ page because they are more dynamic, are more visually appealing, display more business information and are much more social. Each Google+ Local page can have followers and acquire “Plus Ones” which are similar to the Facebook “Like”.
This means you can create more meaningful connections with your clients and have them easily share your business with their friends online.
More Ways For Your Business to be Found:
With the new Google+ Local pages there are more ways for your business to be found through searches online.
They make your business searchable on:
- Regular search on Google.com
- Maps
- Mobile Apps
- And now Google Plus (there are millions of users searching here everyday)
Page Management
Nothing changes in management all of your new Google+ Local Pages can be managed from your old Google Places account. Also if you are running Adwords Express your ads still run as usual.
Google+ Local - The Bad: One More Thing to Learn
There are two ways to react to the new Google+ Local pages. You can either shake your fist at your computer screen and scream “Gooooogle!” or you can be the first to adapt to the new changes, learn about Google+ and beat your competition. The Localvox clients are lucky because we are in the latter camp. The Localvox Searchlight Directory Optimization team is all over the new changes and adapting so that our clients can thrive with Google+ Local Pages.
We feel like the new changes are not really that big a deal because we constantly preach Social Search to our clients. Now Google is forcing it upon us and we love it because it helps our clients connect in a meaningful way to their customers and their customers’ friends. So the only bad thing is now you have to learn how to use your new Google+ Local page and maximize your presence there.
Google+ Local - The Google: The Only Constant is Change
Google the search giant just bought Motorola the phone company. Search and mobile will continue to be more closely intertwined. Google Goggles shows a glimpse into that future. The only thing you can expect from Google or life is change. Google will keep rolling out changes to make things better for their users. The rest of us who dwell around this dynamic just have to be agile and adapt to change. You should be too.
Let us know if you need help making the transition. Contact us!
