Google Local Business listings are a vital component in the search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy of many small business owners looking to promote their company online.
Google has announced this week that it is renaming the Google Local Business Centre to “Google Places”.
With this name change Google has included a whole host of new features for small business owners looking to optimise their website for prime position in the local business results.
- Tags: Business owners can now use tags to add further emphasis to their listings in Google Places. This currently only applies to select cities.
- Request internal photo shoot: Rather than having to take their own photos and upload these to Google Maps, businesses in select areas can now request a free photo shoot. These photos will then be used in Google Places.
- Expanding service areas: Business owners can now list the various areas they serve. This is likely to benefit companies who serve multiple regions and it may also be a tactic by Google to stop firms submitting more than one listing from the same address. Areas in which a particular business serves will be placed on the Google Places page for that business.
All of these changes will provide a tangible benefit to companies looking to promote their service or business through Google Places.
The main ranking factors behind Google Local Business listings remain the same however, in particular, ensuring that your listings are verified and that your business address is listed on a suitable number of relevant external websites.