Why Google Places For Local SEO?

After years as a Global Search Engine, last year, Google went Local and Mobile in the UK. By mixing up the order of importance on their results pages, they levelled the playing field to allow smaller businesses to use these free listings to compete with their national counterparts for customers in their area. Whether they are searching on both PCs or smartphones.

The benefits of claiming your Google Places/Plus Local page are that you get greater visibility for your website and, therefore, additional traffic. However, if your listing is also correctly completed and optimised, it is an opportunity to rank higher than competitors who may have been around for a lot longer but not valued these free listings sufficiently to take the time to fill out their own fully.

The New Google Plus Local Business Pages

But, in the last few months, they have also gone Social with Google Plus – their equivalent of Facebook. And, because no one was using it, they have now made it compulsory for business owners to use a Google Plus account to operate the old Places pages. As a result, the whole thing is in transition, whilst they sort out the various processes that control this huge software merger.

Sadly, this also means that a lot of business who were once on the front page with their Google Places red balloon have now disappeared without trace. In many cases, we can help – especially those businesses who have received the dreaded ‘Do Not Support This Location’ error. This is exactly what happened to Nick from Bromley House Clearance. Fortunately, he gave us a call and within a few weeks, we had his listing back on the front page… and for more search terms than he had previously managed.

Just like its counterpart in the US, Google Places UK is all about citations and reviews – public recommendations and brand awareness… and how better to make customers use their social media platform than by forcing those people to use a Google Plus account if they want to leave a review or recommendation for a local business on their phone or home computer.

They have also given the business owner the opportunity to respond to reviews – both good and bad – and to deal with any reputation management that may be necessary on the Google Plus Local page.

Everyone who works in a business should now remember that, if someone is reviewing you using a social media account, they can also share that review with all their friends at the click of a button. Suddenly, the provision of great customer service became even more important. You just cannot afford to ‘have a bad day’.

Lollipop Local – We Direct Traffic!

To find out more about Google Places SEO for Local in the UK and completing them successfully,
Call 01702 476517 or 0121 249 1306