If you are a Small business owner competing in your local market for customers, Google just changed the game!
On October 27th, 2010 Google launched one of the biggest changes I have seen in my 10 years of monitoring them. The jury is still out as to how this change will improve the searchers experience, but I want to talk about how it affects Small Business owners trying to compete in their local market.
If you are familiar with the Google Local Search results, you are used to seeing the Local business map with what we call the “Google 7 pack” next to it. These results give searchers a list of 7 local businesses based on the keywords the searcher uses. On top of the 7 pack were a few pay per click ads and directly below it were your organic listings, usually directories and business websites.
All of that has drastically changed overnight as Google has completely changed the results page in what they are now calling “Place Search”
The new Google Place Search has taken over most of the results page. They have placed the map to the right of the screen and it floats down the page as you scroll down, The biggest change is that the organic results (your website) has been pushed even further down the page. So, if your website was at the bottom of page 1, it will probably be bumped to page 2.
Before I get into how these changes affect you the small business owner, let’s talk about why Google made this drastic change.
According to Google, “We’ve made results like this possible by developing technology to better understand places… One of the great things about our approach is that it makes it easier to find a comprehensive view of each place.”
In other words they want the user experience to see more local business listings with more information.
My gut feeling is that Google is pushing to get more small businesses to claim there business listing and take it more seriously. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a charge coming down the pike. Google wants to give the searcher a great experience, but they also want to make money.
How is this major change going to affect you, the small business owner?
First lets look at the possible benefits to small businesses:
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The local results are now highlighted on the page and are much more obvious than the old results.
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The directory listings like Yellowpage.com. citysearch, are being pushed further down the page leaving more local results above the fold.
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The map, now on the right side of the results page floats down the page as you scroll, reminding searchers to think local.
Now lets look at some of the possible negative effects:
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If your business had 2 or more mentions on the first page it will now only be 1.
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Businesses that still do not have a website will probably be nixed out of local search entirely.
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If you still have not claimed and optimized your Google listing, you may have trouble ranking high and if you do, the viewer will see an incomplete listing.
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Businesses with a poor service record will be damaged by all the negative reviews.
What do you need to do right now!
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Claim your Google business listing.
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Make sure all the fields are filled out properly on your Google Local Place listing and it is fully optimized.
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Make sure your website has your local address and phoe number on every page.
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Do not use a 800 number, make sure you use a local phone number with your area code.
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Set up a system to promote reviews and avoid paying for review services.
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It is now extremely important to have your website optimized to match your local listing. If you currently have a Flash website or a poorly optimized website it can hurt your local rankings.
If you have been putting off claiming your Google business listing, you better get on the ball. Google local results carries the most weight on the Internet, and they still offer you a Free listing. A top ranking in the Google Place Search has just become a potential goldmine for small business owners that take advantage of these new changes.
I believe that small business owners that claim and optimize their google local listing and then redesign their website to be more locally focused and keyword driven stand to benefit the most.
Remember, these changes happened yesterday and as I gather more information I will keep you updated. I have been doing Search Engine Marketing for 15 years and make it a point to always try to stay one step ahead of Google!
Time is not on your side because as the competition increases it will become harder and more expensive to grab those coveted top spots on the New Google Place Search!
Just claiming your Google Local Business Listing is not enough! If you do not handle it properly you will never see page 1 results. Don’t believe anyone telling you it is easy to claim your Google listing. Sure, anyone can do it, but if you are not monitoring it every day, targeting the right keywords and using the right format the results can be devastating to your business.
Hiring a professional with 15 years of Search Engine experience is the best way to ensure that your business listing will get top rankings for the right keywords. Our state of the art system is highly effective and very affordable.
Our Local Search Domination system is designed to take care of the changes and put you at the top of the New Google Place Search. We stay on top of all the changes Google is making and work to keep you in front of your best customers.
Jeffrey Taylor is a 15 year Search Engine Marketing expert and is the Director of Search Engine Marketing for LocalGoldMine.com a Internet Marketing Consultant Firm for small businesses.
