How Local Businesses Can Take Advantage Of Google’s New Local Pages
Google is making some changes that will affect local businesses and our team at Black Tie Digital Marketing is here to help you adapt and use these changes for your benefit.
The Internet is constantly changing and the guys at Google definitely stay ahead of the game. They have started the process to eradicate Google Place pages and transition to new Google+ Local pages. So now any local business that has been trying to avoid using Google+ will have to learn how it works and utilize it the best way they can.
Google+ Local pages can be found by the new ‘Local’ tab in the sidebar of Google+. These Local pages also feature Zagat scores and recommendations from people you’re connected to on Google+. So if you are wondering what’s going to happen with your Google Places page and how the new Google+ Local pages work there are a few things you should know that have been listed on the Google Places Optimization website:
The Google+ ‘Local’ Tab
“Now users will see the new ‘Local’ tab that is located on the left-hand sidebar of Google+. It will allow people to search for specific places or browse through various categories of listings such as restaurants, museums, clothing stores, etc. By clicking on any of the listings, it will take you to the Google+ Local page of that particular establishment. This page will provide useful information about the business such as location and contact information, photos, reviews, and Zagat scores/summaries.”
Google+ Local & Zagat Scores
“Zagat summaries and scores are going to be featured on every Google+ Local page. The scores you see are based on a 30-point scale, which is the averaged score of the individual scores given by reviewers. Also, featured on this page will be a summary of the reviews written about the establishment. This will give any potential customer insight from people who have had great experiences with your business.”
Local Pages’ Integration With Other Google Properties
Google+ Local also works with other Google services, including Google Search as well as Google Maps. If you are looking for a place on Search or Maps, you’ll find Google+ Local page results there, too. Searches on either of these services will also pull in Zagat ratings, replacing the former 5-star rating system that we are all so used to.
Reviews & Recommendations From Your Google+ Circles
“The launch of Google+ Local pages also aims to make the reviews, recommendations, and opinions of the connections in your Google+ Circles central to your Google+ Local experience. This will help users search for places and see the results from their own Google+ Circle who recommends using certain business or eating at particular restaurants. It gives the user an inside look into what places their friends are going to and whether they should try it too.”
So what does this transition mean for your business? You should definitely start looking into creating a Google+ business page. This will make certain that you are ready to take advantage of the other social features Google+ pages offer like status updates, Circles, and Hangouts when Google decides to integrate your Google+ Local page with your business page. If all of this seems a bit confusing or overwhelming our Melbourne, Florida website design team can help you adapt to these changes.