On October 27th, Google announced Place Search. This is a new change in how Google handles local & business listings. The changes will have a significant impact on how a business is displayed, ranked and optimized. These new local results will be more blended in with traditional organic results. Below are some of the highlights from the change.
No more “7-Pack”
This is the most obvious change. The 7-Pack was the industry term used to describe the local search results with the map to the left. It often showed only 7 results
More emphasis on directory sites
For those who have seen many of my presentations, optimizing for other directories is nothing new. This should be a priority for any business. Google often looks at directory and listing sites as authoritative. Sites like CitySearch, InsiderPages, UrbanSpoon, and Yahoo Local are great places to get your company listed. Google has now expressed even more interest in these sites with the new changes, as seen in the example.
Take Action
It’s more critical than ever for a business to develop a “local search strategy“. Google is making “local” a priority. That means a business should too. Stop trying to figure out the secret tricks of SEO and get to work. If you have ignored local from this point, then you are behind. It’s time to catch up.
What is your local search strategy plan?
Tags: Google, google places, listing, Local Search Engine Marketing, News, SEO, small business« « Finding Kind | PubCon 2010 Session Review: Buying Links » »
