In case you have not heard yesterday Google Announced a change to Google Places and integrated it with Google+; it's social networking site. For about a year now Google+ has been trying to leverage itself as the next Facebook and for about a month it was the talk of the town. But then the dust settled and Facebook still remained the king of the hill. All the while Google has been trying hard to get some serious traction with Google+ but really not attracting anyone more than the social media hounds and the geek community.
All the while Google Places formally Google Maps has been a hit amongst the local business crowd. Google has done an excellent job about promoting Places in search placing it above the organic results and really turning into a very powerful marketing tool for local businesses. Well just yesterday Google has launched yet another monkey wrench into the crowd and has now integrated Google Places with Google+ and named it Google+ Local.
As with anything pertaining to Google, it's very hush hush about the change, what it does and what it means to local businesses. As a leader in SEO for Plumbers we stay at the forefront of changes in Google land. Here are some things we know so far
- Google Places and Google + are now one.
- Videos that you had on your Google Places page are no longer available
- Reviews can only be placed via Google +
- The review system, now a part of Zagat, is only up to 3 stars
- A presence in Social Media is now a must as all reviews posted to Google + Local will be seen by everyone in your Google circles, hence the new word of mouth marketing
- The appearance of a “Local” tab within Google+
This is a great day for local Plumbing companies taking part in social media marketing. For Google has integrated local business search marketing and social media. This is powerful in many ways including:
- Google + Local will start showing up in search - allowing you to share all your social content
- Google + Local will be the main place to start harnessing the power of referrals from your customers friends and family
As more information is released on Google + Local I will continue to share information with you.
If you are interested in learning more about marketing your local Plumbing company online using the Interent download our Free Internet Marketing Guide.
