Just a bit about search engine optimization.

Google recently launched Google Place Search, completely integrating Google Place pages with organic results for any search terms that Google interprets as local, like [New York pizza]. This new results format provides far more details at a glance to users, and provides new opportunities for enterprise owners – as well as new challenges.

What Has Changed?

Prior to Google Place Search, there was a definite difference between organic search results, sponsored search results, and Places results. Paid ads were placed at the top and right-hand side of the page. Below the paid results came the “7-Pack,” a map accompanied by seven Google Places company results. Scroll beyond the 7-Pack and you would come across the organic search results.

Google Place Search and Google Boost have blurred these distinctions, giving a substantial benefit to companies with a Google Place account. One of the initial changes the user may possibly note is that the map has relocated from the principal search results section to the right-hand side of the page. As the user scrolls down, the map remains visible at the top correct corner. Sponsored search results will still appear at the top of the page, but enterprise owners can now use Boost to generate a sponsored result that pulls from the info on their Place page. Boost users will stand out from the other Place results with a different colored map pin.

The most considerable change to come along with Google Place Search is the complete integration of Places with organic results. The 7-Pack has been demolished; instead, Place results are included among the organic search listings. In the past, a organization with a well-ranked web site could simply surface multiple times on the results page: once within the 7-Pack, and again inside the organic results. Google has now combined the results to eradicate duplicates. A organization with great organic rankings will continue to show up near the top of the list, but details from its Google Place page, like photos or customer reviews, will now be included within the result listing.

What Does This Mean For Business Owners?

Since Google is now which includes Place pages directly inside the organic search results, a enterprise competing for the top search result might find itself competing against companies that don’t actually have a web site at all. The Google Place Search algorithm includes Place pages in the search results based on reviews and perceived relevancy. So, if a business does not have a web site but does have a Place page with plenty of useful content and lots of favorable customer reviews, it could rank more highly than a organization with a good site but no reviews or information on its Place page.

Google Place Search has made it far more critical than ever for enterprise owners to claim their Google Place page and listings at review web sites including Yelp, Kudzu, and Citysearch. Google places substantial importance on customer reviews. To reap the benefits of these developments, organizations need to strive to obtain as numerous positive reviews as possible through customer follow-up and reply quickly to any unfavorable reviews by means of a reputation management plan with the help of an Atlanta SEO Company.

The web search industry is continuously changing to react to user needs. An Atlanta SEO Company can aid you navigate these new changes and ensure that the winds of change are pushing you onward, not holding you back.