8 small changes to Google Maps in 2010?

2010-12-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

Do you know how many changes Google has made to Maps this year?

In one word - lots. Looking back on 2010 there have been a number of very prominent changes that Google has introduced in the Local/Map/Places arena. Below I have summarized what I believe to be the most significant changes (if you disagree or wish to comment, please do so):

Name change to Google Places - Although there are still links on some of Google’s pages for Google Maps, Google decided to change the name of the Local Search to Google Places.
10 pack becomes 7 pack - The number of businesses that are displayed beside the map was reduced from 10 to 7.
Website factors into ranking. At the bottom of each listing you will see your website’s key pages and possibly other pages which link to or reference your business. This is a wake-up call for all those who have been holding off in optimizing their website.
Introduction of Tags - You can now purchase tags which will be displayed alongside your listing. The tags can be used to direct someone to your website, landing page or a special offer. There is a monthly charge for the use of tags
Introduction of 3rd party reviews from the web - In addition to reviews via Google, Google is now displaying 3rd party reviews from popular review sites. Google also added a feature which allows you to respond, as an owner, to a bad review.
Introduction of Boost - Boost is Google’s buzzword for local AdWords. For a minimal monthly amount you can target your AdWords campaign to a local market. Even if you do not rank for free, you have the option of ranking for a fee. Boost is being piloted in selected cities
Hotpot - Hot off the press. If you have a google account, you can now rate an establishment from within a Places Listing or by searching within Hotpot. The Hotpot rating is now displayed as part of the Google Places listing.
Social Media Sites- Although the likes of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are not directly involved in local search, their size and impact deserves attention. Twitter is being indexed by Google and there have been rumours that Google is interested in buying Twitter. Facebook on the other hand has a competitor like feeling. Reminds me of the old Microsoft/Wordperfect/Lotus days.

What does all this mean?
Google is taking Local Search more seriously than they have in the past. The amount of changes that Google has implemented in the local arena this year is staggering compared to last year. Part of this has to do with the fact that, as Google states, 20% of all search traffic stems from Local. This type of traffic is nicely suited for the millions of businesses who’s market is primarily local in nature. There is no doubt that ad revenue may be the primary driver for this increased focus on the part of Google.

What does all this mean for your business listing?

1. The opportunity to get free traffic via Google will become increasingly difficult. As the Local Search comes into the radar map of all those companies who have so far stayed away from Local search, suddenly there will be an interest to rank higher in key keywords and key markets. For this reason it is even more important to keep on top of the changes to Google Places and ensure that you are doing the utmost to keep your listing on top.

2. Links and sitings of your business in other online venues is becoming essential to staying ahead of the pack. There are many possibilities here for improvement including: ensuring that you are listed correctly in national and local directories, reviews on popular review sites, sitings and links to your business and website on news feeds and blogs.

3. You will need to focus on other factors outside your business listing to power traffic such as reviews, your website, Facebook, LinkedIN and other local business directories. You never know where the wind will be blowing next. Rest assured though that the big names will be an important place to hang your hat.

Local Hits Media LLC is dedicated to serving you in the Local Search arena for the purpose of maximizing your business’s online visibility. If any of the topics above interest you and you would like to pursue further, do not hesitate to either email us at support@localhitsmedia.com or call us at 646-810-8662.

The State of Online Advertising

2009-06-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

With increased focus on moving advertising dollars to the online medium, it is wise that every business be as familiar as possible with the online advertising opportunities available to them. Below you will find a brief summary of the most accepted online advertising opportunities; the website, Banner advertising, Adwords and Local Search

The Website

Today it is hard to find a business that doesn't have a web site. A company website has become the defacto standard for presenting a business to the public. Some people compare the need to have a company website to a business card. The problem is that there are so many websites vying for the consumer's attention that the advertising impact of having a website as a marketing tool has become marginalized. For example if I was a painter and I wanted to let people know about my services, I would develop a website that describes my services, my reputation, possibly inidicate my pricing and how to contact me. But there are so many painters out there with websites containing similar information that it is almost impossible for a painter to get advertising value from the website. The website ends up being, simply, a business card. If someone calls the office or hears about me by word of mouth or sees some advertising then the potential customer will go to the website to get an initial impression and learn more about the services. The bottom line is that the website has subplanted a company brochure. The upside is that I don't have to spend money to print the brochure, it is relatively easy and cost effective to make changes to the website and the website is available to the consumer 24/7.

Banners

The next step in the evolution of the online advertising was banner ads. The banner ad, like an advertising spot in a magazine, was created to leverage the consumer's interest in a topic or a website, with an advertiser's interest to market its products & services to the visitor of the website. The model developed to charge the advertiser was Pay Per Click or PPC. Every time a website visitor clicked on the banner, the click was recorded and then the advertiser was billed based on the rate agreed upon with the owner of the banner.

Adwords

With the advent of search engines a new form of advertising has recently sprouted namely search ads or in Google lingo Adwords. The way Adwords work is that Google responds with ads on the right side of the screen (it can also be found in the upper part of the screen) based on the user's search words. The advertiser pays on a per click basis and the charge per click is determined based on the placement of the ad and how much someone is willing to spend to be on the first page. Google has developed a very elaborate system which assists advertisers in selecting keywords and tracking their results overtime. There is very little literature as of yet about Advertisers success in using this form of advertising, but safe to say that there will be more info on the effectiveness of the this form of advertising shortly.

Local Search Directories

Another online advertising opportunity resulting from the search engine developments is called Local Search. Local Search is an offspring of the various maping developments from Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. When the user searches for a specific business in a specific locale, Google responds with a map of the locale and with pages of businesses which meet the search criteria and can be found in that locale. The benefit of using the Local Search Directories is that you get a a listing at no charge and there are no per click fees. When a user is searching for a product or service in your locale, the search engine will respond with listings that meet the search criteria.

Local Search Directories supplant Yellow Pages and other hard copy directories.

With the advent of the Local Search Directories, we will now experience the demise of the print Yellow Pages. The cost of printing and distributing a Yellow Pages Book compared to producing a Yellow Pages online directory makes the demise of the printed book absolute. With this in mind, every business should be reviewing their online advertising strategies and ensure that more of the advertising dollars is moving to the online medium. To further emphasize the shift, we have recently noticed that almost all of the Yellow pages listings can now be found on the online Yellow Pages as well as in the local search listings of Google.

Local Search Advertising

8 small changes to Google Maps in 2010?

The State of Online Advertising