Big Changes With Google Places

Google has been making some major changes lately. Now the fact that there are changes shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Google admits to making around 6-8 changes to their search algorithm every day! But in the last week Google drastically changed their algorithm and end user interface. The biggest change involves Google Places (formerly known as Google Maps) and how they are displayed on the search engine results page or SERP. In the past when you did a local search like “Phoenix Divorce Lawyer” – a map and 7 local listings would often appear at the top of the search engine result page. This was known as the “7 pack”. On October 26th , Google unveiled a new search result page that gives much more prominence to local search results. The map is on the right, the 7 pack is gone, and the Google Local results are now intermixed with the organic search results. This is a monumental change in the way Google delivers search results and makes local SEO a critical component to any online marketing strategy.

Although this is evolving daily, in early tests we are seeing that the new results blend local and organic results – meaning both organic and local optimization is now critical for ranking success.
For example, after the change, the Google places page for two of my clients comes up 1 & 2 in the SERP. However, prior to the change, http://www.sdsfamilylaw.com/ was #1 in the “7 pack” but ranked #3 organically. Today he is number 1 overall, but no longer gets the benefit of having two listings on the first page of results. The attorney who was first previously in organic results , http://www.bishoplawoffice.com/ is now featured second overall – despite not being optimized for local results previously.

Keys To Local SEO
Just like organic SEO, there are now steps you can take to better optimize your position in Google Places. If you haven’t done so already, its important that you claim your Google Places Business Listing. I recommend that you do so at http://www.getlisted.org/ as you will also be able to sign up for Yahoo Local, and Bing Local at the same time.

The proximity of the business’s address to the city center plays a key role for local search. This is especially true for competitive markets and is a major component of local search visibility. However, like organic search, Google Places is evolving. Today there are 3 main qualifiers Google uses to determine location of interest in a relevant search:

-Geo qualifying keywords used in a search phrase
–IP Address detection
-Location Detection via a mobile device.

These three qualifiers can be used individually and/or in combination to represent the searcher’s intent. It is both Google’s determination of the searcher’s intent plus the business location that produce local search results.Importance of Business CitationsSending and aligning the geo-local signals of a business are of the utmost importance for Local Search optimization. Even more important is that the signals come from trusted and authoritative sources. Having credible business citations, that have correct address information and that point to your place page, is the #1 way to establish a solid foundation for any local search effort. Findlaw, the company I work for, has a proven local optimization program that can help your firm harmonize clear, distinct and attractive GEO signals to your Google Places Page.

What’s Coming
Google estimates that 1 in 5 searches have a local intent. With the rise in usage of mobile devices – those numbers are sure to go up. Currently Google is Beta testing “Google Boost” in a few select cities. Google Boost is a new paid search option for local businesses, priced from $100 a month. A Boost result will look like an organic result, but will link to a business’ website or its Google Places page.

There are important implications of the new change. Moving forward, it will be imperative that firms pursue both an organic and a local SEO strategy.