ORLANDO, FLORIDA-Have you noticed that your Google Places page looks different yet? Because it probably does as of last month when Google converted approximately 80 million Places pages into 80 million Google+ Local pages. This is a move toward integrating Search, Maps and mobile.

Courtesy of webmarketingpros.com

Users can still access these pages through regular Google search or maps, but that information is now available on a new tab within Google+ called Local. Businesses’ old Google business profile is now a Local+ page that is the home of all important business information, including address, phone numbers, hours of operation, photos, videos and reviews.

The announcement was made by Avni Shah on May 30, a director of product management at Google.  He explained, “Today, we’re rolling out Google+ Local, a simple way to discover and share local information featuring Zagat scores and recommendations from people you trust in Google+.”

Business owners might not even notice the change since managing their local listing is still currently done via Google Places for Business. There is mention of future changes that will allow them to “take full advantage of the social features provided by local Google+ pages” though. That sounds like a Google guarantee that they will continue to push Google+, so get used to it now.

How This Might Change Local SEO
You might be wondering what the difference really is if the user might not notice anything other than an aesthetic change, and the business owner might not notice big changes when it comes to managing their listing. However, there is a big difference between the old Google Place Pages and the new Local+ business profile. These new local business profiles will be indexed. That means they will show up in the search results and, when optimized properly, can be another tool used to get more visibility and a higher SEO ranking.

There are all sorts of ways to spiff up the new business profile, but here are some basic guidelines to help you create a page that appeals to your visitors and the search engine:

1.Keep the About section brief. The introduction section is one of the areas where you can include keywords about your business. Just make sure they fit naturally into what you write there and keep it concise. The address, contact information, hours of operation and category tags show up under the intro, and then the reviews of the business show up under that. Reviews and recommendations are often the biggest influence in people making a decision, so don’t crowd those out with a long-winded explanation of your business. There is a new rating system as well. Zagat’s 30-point scale is being used to score all types of businesses instead of Google’s previous rating system of five stars.

2.Ditch the stock photo. The flexibility of Google+ gives you the option to really display your business. Take advantage of it by showing visitors the new office renovations, a photo tour of the facility, the staff hard at work, or some of the products your business sells.

3.Start asking satisfied customers to leave you a review. Some businesses have had problems with their reviews getting lost in the transition between Google Places to Google+ Local, an issue that Google has acknowledged in the forums. However, there doesn’t seem to be a resolution to the problem at the moment, so focus on getting new reviews. Let your customers know that their feedback is important and valued. Don’t be afraid to make a direct request that specifies what you would like instead of hinting around. Most people aren’t going to be offended by, “I’m so glad to hear that you’re satisfied with the service you received! We would love it if you took the time to write a review on our Google+ Local page that explains what you needed and how we were able to meet that need.”

4.Don’t ignore your reviews. The point of the page is to be social, to develop a following, to discuss and interact. Negative reviews are going to happen. The way you respond to them is the opportunity to define the business. Reach out and try to resolve the problems. Best case scenario is you convert a disgruntled customer into a loyal fan, but if nothing else you are showing all the other potential customers that you genuinely care enough to respond thoughtfully to complaints.

5.Find the Posts’ section sweet spot, somewhere between abandoned looking and spam city. The Posts section is where the action is at, and theoretically where the interacting happens. Don’t let this section sit untouched-the time stamp showing that your last post was four months ago, but try to avoid the mistake at the other end of the spectrum too. Posting link after link to content you’ve posted elsewhere or posts simply promoting yourself is spammy. A conversation should go both ways, so keep throwing “conversation starters” out there.

It might take some people time to get used to the new look and way of managing the page, but the good news is that this transition has the potential to transform local search and how local businesses can get to the first page on Google. The discussion online amongst the SEO experts about the switch has been mixed-some love it, some hate it. Wherever you fall on that continuum, hopefully you’ve gotten a few ideas for the new business profile.

SANTA MONICA, CA – The Master Google team is proud to announce another Top of Google Places announcement. The foam insulation company Retrofoam of Arizona has reached #1 on Google Places for “Phoenix Insulation.” Having an active SEO strategy is a vital part of the equation in the formula for business success, according to Retrofoam of Arizona Co-Owner Paul Kariniemi.

“SEO is something I always want to have. We also do radio and TV advertising [and other forms of advertising], and I will always have SEO running in the background,” Kariniemi said.

After all, it takes an active campaign effort to get results. Citing the sometimes maddening truth that there is no way to know exactly which part of your SEO efforts will take you to the top and exactly how long it will take, Kariniemi shared his humorous equation for Internet success:

A strong Internet presence is 1+1=3.

This joke is a great example of why it is so important to understand that Kariniemi’s success didn’t happen overnight. As with past clients, SEO results  took time, and were a part of an intricate plan by Master Google CEO Ali Husayni and the Master Google team. Still, the results happened relatively quickly, and Kariniemi’s comments echoed those of Doug Cooper, the VP of marketing for CariniAir.com, when their site hit #1 on Google Places.

“In a matter of about one to one-and-a-half months, Master Google helped us reach the top spot in the Google Places listing for the air conditioning keywords, while still retaining our #2 spot for heating,” Cooper said.

Reaching the top spot in Google Places is a good example as to why it is important to consider the full SEO picture to evaluate the return on investment, according to Husayni.

“We can precisely measure the increase in site traffic within the time the client signs up for SEO,” Husayni said. “The bottom line is higher ranks on Google result in more targeted traffic, which translates to more sales.”

Husayni continues to enjoy seeing these tangible results for each one of his clients. He advised Kariniemi to continue to work on his Google Places reviews, as the number and quality of the reviews matters for SEO efforts, according to Husayni.

Comic Courtesy of Kayzoe.com.

To learn how to list your business on Google Places, watch this video for instructions. Once you’re listed, ask your returning customers to write a positive review for your business as Husayni advised Kariniemi to do. After all, the more your listing is rated, the higher your business will place in Google Places rankings. When done well, the combined efforts of an ambitious SEO team and the patience and trust of the client is what makes all the difference, according to Husayni.

“SEO takes the following three things: expertise, hard work, and patience. On average, our clients see the best results within six months to a year after we start a project. When we see results, it proves to us the fact that what we do actually works,” Husayni said.

Having an SEO company on your side that you can trust has been a refreshing experience for Kariniemi, who shared: “With all the used car sales types out there pushing SEO on business owners, I must say it’s been refreshing to deal with true SEO professionals who deliver real, quantifiable results.”

Contact Us to see if your site qualifies, and we look forward to continuing to work with Kariniemi and our other clients.

NASHVILLE, TN – Google Maps and Google Places may seem like the same product with two different names, but that isn’t the case. In a recent post, we outlined the success of Master Google’s client, CariniAir.com. With the help of our SEO services, Carini Air shot to the top spot of Google Places, and they’ve seen a 50% increase in qualified leads as a result. While CariniAir.com reigns supreme on Google Places, they aren’t #1 on Google Maps. Let’s delve into why and how these two differ.

Google Maps

If you’ve searched the Internet for directions in the past few years, chances are you’ve used Google Maps. This extensive free mapping service gives us directions and even offers a super helpful Street View, which plops us down virtually in front of basically any address. If someone searches “restaurants” in Google Maps, depending on how zoomed in the map is, they might find 30+ restaurants. Having a great ranking in Google Places will help your business make it to the first, larger map people view in Google Maps.

Google Places

Courtesy of ObserversRoom.DesignObserve

Google Places is a web listing (think Yellow Pages) that includes photos, reviews, a map, and other information about a business. Google introduced Google Places on April 20, 2010 as a revamping of their previous service called Place Pages.

Starting in 2011, Google started using Google Places listings instead of Google Maps on its main search page. These listings share the pin as well as the location on the map with Google Maps, however, the big difference is that they’re basically a combination of previous Google Maps and the organic results, thus having  the site’s title as well as the description under each listing.

Google Places allows business owners and patrons to upload photos, which is especially popular for restaurants. Patrons can also leave reviews, which can help prospective customers decide whether or not they’ll choose your business over another. Businesses can easily share hours of operation, add relevant categories (or search terms), and offer customers special coupons and promotions. If you have a specific service area, you can enter this information, too, so that your business’s information will be geographically-focused.

Get Listed

Even if you haven’t listed your business on Google Places, your information may still be visible. This is because through crawling, Google sets up unverified business listings on Places. If your business has a listing, you can search your business on Google Places. On the business listing, you’ll see information on the left about the business, and on the right side of the page you’ll see a small map. (Clicking the map will take you to a larger map and a smaller listing on the left side, i.e., Google Maps). Above the map, you’ll see a few links: one titled “Edit this Place” and the other titled “Business Owner”. To verify your business’s listing, you can click the “Business Owner” link and update your company’s information. Once you’ve done that, your listing will be labeled as “Owner-Verified”.

If you don’t know how to list your business on Google Places, watch this video by Master Google’s CEO Ali Husayni to see how easy it is. Once you’re listed, ask your returning customers to write a positive review for your business. The more your listing is rated, the higher your business will be in Google Places rankings.

Having reviews on other rival websites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor can certainly be helpful, but this Wall Street Journal article reiterates the importance of a Google Places listing in search engine results, as writer Amir Efrati explains.

“Links to the pages often appear near the top of the search results page when people search for information on local businesses, in part because they aren’t subject to the same Google algorithm that ranks other websites in search results. Google Places links often are ranked above links to Yelp, TripAdvisor and UrbanSpoon and Citysearch, which are owned by IAC,” Efrati says.

SEO is Still the Top Dog

Google Places expert Randy Kirk operates the blog Google Places Help, which provides free tips to business owners who want to optimize their Google Places listing. In a recent blog post about the importance of SEO content in Google Places rankings, Kirk writes that paying attention to every aspect of it is a must.

“No matter how closely you watch the changing world of how to rank on Google Places, it is a major mistake to take your eye off the main prize, and that is being highly ranked on the everything search for keywords you care about,” Kirk says.

Having a focused SEO plan, plus listing your business on Google Places, can increase the likelihood that your customers will find you. Contact Us to see if we can provide these services for your website.

Graphic Courtesy of TechTricksWorld.com.

SANTA MONICA, CA – The Master Google team is happy to announce the recent accomplishments of CariniAir.com. Doug Cooper, the VP of Marketing for CariniAir.com, has been working with Master Google for a relatively short period of time, and has already seen big results, both with the number of qualified leads and with his company’s Google rankings. Like most new clients to Master Google’s SEO services, Cooper was at first hesitant to hire a new Search Engine Optimization Company when he started in the middle of last year, but has seen a big spike in the number of qualified leads as a result.

“We get maybe 30 percent of our business from referrals, the other 70 percent is from Google Search Engine marketing. We’ve increased the number of qualified leads with Master Google about 50%,” Cooper says. “I wish we’d started a year ago, I am sure we’d be number one in everything.”

A simple Google search also reveals further success for Cooper, who readily shares his excitement about the recent accomplishments with Master Google.

“Master Google helped us reach the top spot in the Google Places listing for the air conditioning keywords, while still retaining our #2 spot for heating. We are very excited about becoming #1 in the Google Places listings, and expect this to result in another 100% – 200% increase in Google sales leads during the upcoming air conditioning season,” Cooper says.

But it’s important to note that these numbers didn’t appear right away. The SEO results took time, and were the product of hard work, as both Cooper and Master Google CEO Ali Husayni explain. Still, the results happened relatively quickly, as Cooper emphasizes.

“In a matter of about one to one-and-a-half months, Master Google helped us reach the top spot in the Google Places listing for the air conditioning keywords, while still retaining our #2 spot for heating,” Cooper says.

Husayni enjoys seeing these tangible results for his clients.

“When we see results like CariniAir.com, it proves to us the fact that what we do actually works. What’s needed is patience and perseverance,” Husayni says.

See Doug Cooper’s interview in our testimonials section. Contact Us to see if your site qualifies, and we look forward to continuing to work with Cooper and our other clients.

IMPORTANT RANKINGS UPDATE: As of Jan. 19, 2012, CariniAir.com took the #1 spot on Google Maps.

Cooper is thrilled about what this means for CariniAir.com.

“Finally achieving the top spot on Google Maps for our most important keywords is a dream come true. Everyone at Carini Heating and Air is very excited and grateful to Master Google for their continued hard work and persistence,” Cooper says.

SANTA MONICA, CA — We’ve said it once, and it’s worth repeating: Google Places, along with organic SEO, is the most important factor for small businesses looking to attract a customer base. In Google Places is Where You Need to Be, SEO Expert Ali Husayni explains its importance in helping customers find you. The article included the following pieces of advice for Google Places: positive reviews under your Google Places listing, adding a +1 button to your site’s pages, and running a campaign to improve your website’s link popularity. Husayni encouragingly points out that, as shown in a Master Google survey, clients that appeared on Google Places showed an increase of $45,000-to $274,000 in their annual revenue compared to those who didn’t. These businesses spent a small fraction of their budget to achieve these results, making it a great choice.

Now there are a couple of new suggestions of ways to keep you ahead of your competition (and rise your ranking) in Google Places: by keeping your content consistent and completing missing information.

Image courtesy of Onbile.com.

Keeping Your Content Consistent:

Keeping each of your online profiles consistent can be tough, but be sure to update all of your content, on every platform, every time. Failure to do so can hurt your SEO efforts big time, according to a recent article by Ashley Zeckman of TopRankBlog.com.

“It is important that your Google Place profile contains the same information as any other profiles your company may have online. Google Place pages create another opportunity to build trust and consistency as part of your marketing strategy. Be sure to audit your other profiles and answer each question as consistently as you can,” Zeckman says.

Other great ideas that Zeckman brings up to create consistency with your content across multiple platforms include:

• Linking: The problem here is often too many profiles for your business. Link them when possible.
• Branding: Be sure to reference your brand in the same way, every time.
• Imagery: Fight the urge to use different images in different places. Keep them the same.

Completing Missing Information:

When filling out profiles, there is often so much to fill out, that a business leaves an optional spot or two blank. Don’t or it might impact how easily you’re found online.

“Have you ever heard the expression ‘better off safe than sorry’? Take the same approach when setting up or editing your Google Places profile,” Zeckman advises.

No matter where your online profile is going to go, or how many of them you have, always fill out these bits of information: company name, email address, phone number, website, and address. Sometimes this can get time consuming, and not all businesses can fix everything at once. But regardless of which of these tips you take or leave, it is important to understand the continuing importance of staying current with Google Places, as Husayni explains.

“It won’t matter if you don’t know how to use Adwords, Analytics, or Google+,” Husayni says. “Being seen at the top of search results is equivalent to purchasing a large, eye-catching ad in your local Yellow Pages that everyone owned 10 years ago. If your ad was the first, your phone would not stop ringing.”

If you are not listed with Google Pages, please see the simple steps to getting listed with this video: to get on Google Places.

Many of my current clients lack sufficient number of positive Google Places reviews. If you do not have a Google Places listing, please read this post and watch this video first.

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Gmail, Adwords, Analytics, Google+, Places, Images and Videos are only a handful of services Google offers the business world. Small and yet successful businesses have long used these tools to further succeed in their ventures.

But Google also poses a big challenge for everyone who wants to gain business from them. It’s way too complicated.

Google adds new services way too often- sometimes faster than business owners can learn about them. Yet, many of its important features, such as its standard search, change drastically over time, making it difficult for companies to stay up to speed. Even JC Penny and Walmart couldn’t predict Google’s behavior and lost a great deal of business as a result.

One way to approach this obstacle is to identify which of these services is vital to your business and use it to your advantage.

Without a doubt,  Google Places (combined with organic SEO) is the most important for small businesses. Why? Because if your site is among the top five listings on Google Places, your customers will find you. It won’t matter if you don’t know how to use Adwords, Analytics, or Google+.

Being seen at the top of search results is equivalent to purchasing a large, eye-catching ad in your local Yellow Pages that everyone owned 10 years ago. If your ad was the first, your phone would not stop ringing.

If your business is listed high on Google Places, you will witness firsthand Google’s power to send customers your way. In a survey we performed, our clients that appeared on Google Places showed an increase of $45,000-to $274,000 in their annual revenue compared with when they didn’t show up on Google Places. On average, they spent just a small fraction of that money promoting their site. No other advertising method can beat that.

Now, the question is how to get on Google Places. Or, if you are already there, then how do you improve your rank to reach that number one spot?

If you are not listed, the first thing you ought to do is register your business with Google. The steps are simple and are explained in this video: how to get on Google Places.

If you are listed but you’re not at the top, then you need to improve your business’s reputation online. Here is the blueprint for accomplishing just that:

1- Get your customers to write positive reviews for you on your Google Places page. If they search for your business name along with the city you are listed under in Google Maps and then click on the letter associated with your business, a window will open at the top of your listing on the map that has a rating stars link. Clicking on the rating stars will get you to the reviews page. If you don’t have any reviews yet, then there will be a “write a review” link in this window.

2- Add the +1 button to your site’s pages and encourage your friends, family and customers to +1 your site. This will improve your site’s ranking on Google (for those who +1’ed your site’s page and those in their Google+ circles).

3- Improve your site’s link popularity. This means running a campaign that gets you natural, quality links from related Web sites. Since this is going to be the most important factor in helping you rank better on Google Places, I’ll explain it in greater depth in an upcoming article.

Keep your questions in mind and stay tuned.

In the past couple of months, you likely have noticed a significant change in the organic search results on Google. Now Google Places results are blended with organic search results. Read more…