From last month, Google changed the way it displays local searches. If you are searching for a place to eat or a business in your local area, this should mean it will be easier to find what you are looking for.
But what does this change mean for search results for your business?
On 27th October 2010, Google said: “We’re introducing Place Search, a new kind of local search result that organizes the world’s information around places. We’ve clustered search results around specific locations so you can more easily make comparisons and decide where to go.”
When Google recognises that you are searching for local information, it serves up the search results differently.
Say you are looking for “Florist, Peterborough“. (Although in many instances Google can work out from your IP address where you are located, so you may not have to include the town name in your search to bring up local results.)
The search results display pay-per-click items at the top and right-hand side as usual, though most of these may be paid for local search terms. Now there is also a local places map at the top of the right-hand column. Companies which have created a Google places page for themselves will be listed with a red map pin. The same map pin also appears against their organic search results.
See Designer Flowers by Lizz (pin B).
Another new feature is a “Places” link in the top of the left-hand column. If a searcher clicks on this, then a separate list of local results is served up. You will see that having a Google local places page can help your company ranking in these results.
Look at Flowers by Lizz in this listing – they have moved higher up the results, from 4th position on page 1 to 2nd.
What this means is that if your business does not have a Google Places page, now is the time to get one! There are many things which affect your ranking in Google search results, but in local searches, one significant feature is having that all-important Google place.
What are you waiting for? Start your Google Places page now here.
If you need help with search engine optimisation, or setting up a Google Places page, contact Chadwick Design here.
If you make use of Google Ad Words, you might be less than thrilled with these changes since the local map appears above the ads in the right-hand column, pushing your listing down.
