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5-‐31-‐12 Dear Members, We are so excited Google FINALLY did away with the outdated Google Places Page and replaced it with the oh, so sexy Google+ Local Page! Over 80 million businesses worldwide were just thrown into Google’s social revolution – Welcome! While we have anticipated this conversion for some time, we realize that this news may seem surprising to others. To help you understand Google+ Local, how it affects your business, and why this is the best thing that could have happened to Google Places, we created this handy Maps Marketing Blueprint guide to address anything and everything Google+ Local. Enjoy! Warm Regards, David Sprague Real Strategic, CEO
What Happened To Google Places?
As of yesterday morning, nearly 80 million Google Place pages worldwide automatically converted into 80 million Google+ Local pages. Meaning, all Google Places pages have now become Google+ Local pages.
What Is A Google+ Local Page?
Vanessagene, the Google Places Forum Manager, explains what a Google+ Local page is: “It has all the social features available to Google+ users -‐-‐ Hangouts, sharing to circles, video uploads, etc. A local Google+ page is just a new look to the Google Places listing, minus the social features. Those social features are coming soon, as I mention in my original post above.” Read More Here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-‐topic/business/need-‐advice/SWzIsqkVyCk
What Really Changed? Here’s a brief overview of what was changed:
● There is a new “Local” tab in Google+, making it another area for users to search for a local destination
● Google+ Local pages will be seen in Google search, Maps, and mobile ● Google+ Local now enables business to be much more Social, allowing
businesses to use all the same social tools found in and Google+ Profile. This includes posts, videos, photos and the ability to find and filter business based on the reviews and recommendations from family/ friends in your circles.
● Zagat reviews content (which Google bought last September) is now free and has replaced Google Star Ratings with Zagats 30-‐point rating scale.
● Reviews are now going to be added through Google+ users account. Meaning, the ability to post anonymous reviews has been removed. Vanessagene, Google Places Community Manager, confirmed that “reviewers need to be logged into Google+ to leave a review. The review will be public and attributed to their Google+ name.” So far, we have not had problems adding any reviews via the new Google+ Profiles. Note: Old reviews are being brought over to the new Google+ Local Pages, so no worries!
What Stayed The Same?
On all accounts, this update seems to be nothing more than a rebranding. Just like we saw last week with Google Docs rebranded to Google Drive and enhanced with
additional templates and fonts. Google+ Local is the new name for Google Places and has been enhanced with Social!
● The algorithm is still the same. After doing a compare and contrast, the results we have come up with show that the algorithm that is used to determine ranking is still THE SAME.
● The interface is still the same. To update your new Google+ Local Pages you will still create, claim, delete, and edit listing using the old Google Places dashboard. We can probably expect that the dashboard will get a facelift in the future, but Google has confirmed that the dashboard interface, for the time being, will remain the same.
○ Via the Dashboard Google+ Local business can update: ■Citation information ■Categories ■Business Description ■The map marker ■Photos, videos, additional details, and all the information you are
used to entering in for optimization ● Rankings Stayed The Same -‐ If you have not already done a compare and
contrast between Google+ Local and Google Maps then put your mind at ease -‐ they appear to rank businesses exactly the same. As stated above, the algorithm has not changed – meaning, DO NOT STOP Maps Marketing Blueprint optimization. To rank your listing on the first page of Google correct optimization is required.
Ranking Examples:
Dentist New York - http://screencast.com/t/JdNe3G4ul
Plumber Atlanta - http://screencast.com/t/SWrd3DttJ19
Spa Aspen CO - http://screencast.com/t/HiV2oIezC5t
Why This Is A Great Thing! Here are the Top 5 reasons why the conversion from Google Places to Google+ Local Is Great For You, Your Customers, And Your Business.
1. Enhanced Layout ● Boring static Google Places pages have been replaced with dynamic
Google+ Local pages. Google+ Local follows more of a magazine layout that is a more visually engaging platform.
2. Control ● While businesses will still edit and update listings via the dashboard, the
conversion does give businesses more visual control over their branding with the use of images, albums, videos, and posts.
3. Social ● Of course the major plus (pun intended) is the eventual inclusion of Social
Networking into the Google+ Local Pages. This allows business owners to post content, develop followers, and message customers in ways we have only seen on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
4. Reviews ● Zagat scores let reviewers elaborate on their consumer experience. Zagat
scores contain separate scores for food, service, and atmosphere and
don’t limit reviewers to factor all those considerations into a mere five-‐star rating scale.
● The Zagat 30-‐point scale will also prevent reviews from converging at 3.5 stars.
● Google+ Local will be creating a class of reviewer known as a “Top Reviewer”
5. SEO
● You may or may not know that the old Google Places pages were blocked from showing in the search results. However, the new Google+ Local pages will now be indexed! With inbound links galore, Google’s propensity to rank its own products higher in the SERPs, and the built-‐in optimization of the businesses name and categories, there is a very good chance that the http://plus.google.com pages will soon be outranking many un-‐optimized small business websites.
What You Can Expect In the Future These are a few things we anticipate will be happening in the future:
● Total Integration Of Google+ Business Pages And Google+ Local ● Back-‐End Management Infrastructure Update ● Allow Multiple User Management of Google+ Local Pages ● Algorithm Update To Include Social Ranking Factors -‐ Factors will most likely
include Google+ mentions, +1′s, Google+ shares, number of comments per post, number of posts, number of people that have you in circle, relevancy of content shared, etc.
How This Effects Your Business
Your Plan To Do List:
● If you haven’t already, check your Google+ Listing and make sure it’s visually appealing. The Google+ Local Pages follow more of a magazine layout so ensure that you are displaying photos that tell the story of your business.
● Link your Google+ Local page to your website so that it is in a static place. Note: like your websites citation information.
● Continue your traditional SEO campaigns and Maps Marketing Blueprint Optimization since NOTHING has changed.
● Get started on a small amount of Google+ activity immediately ● Have your clients message customers with a @gmail.com email address . Tell
them that you now have a Google+ Page and would love a review and a follow on Google+.
● Continue utilizing the social networking tools in Google+ Local. Work out a Google+ social networking strategy and integrate it into your overall marketing strategy for the business. Much in the same way you do for Facebook or Twitter.
● Within Maps Marketing Blueprint or Local Marketing Genius, check the “Latest News and Updates Tab“ for upcoming webinars. BE ON THOSE TRIAINING WEBINARS so you have the latest information from us on everything Google+ Local.
Do NOT:
• Go out and buy the latest WSO on Google+ Local. If it sounds too good to be true than it probably is – “3 Ways To Make Thousands Of Dollars With Google+ Local While You Sleep” for only $7 BUY NOW! All joking aside, this is prime time for hacks and scammers to come out with some bogus courses that you will just waste your money on. So resist the urge, WSO addicts! You know who you are.
Do NOT:
• Read and BEILEIVE every article that enters the Blogosphere. If you are still going to devote inordinate amounts of time to the Google+ Local subject, then I suggest you only check out reputable bloggers in the “Local” niche. Note: I listed below—under additional resources—some of the best bloggers to follow.
Real Strategicʼs Plan Our goal at Real Strategic is to bring business owners and online marketers the tools and resources they need to grow their business in the ever-‐increasing Local, Social, and Mobile world. We WILL be updating the following Local Marketing Genius products to ensure that they work in conjunction with the new Google+ Local Page layout.
• Maps Marketing Analyzer • Local Ranking Report • Reputation Kahuna
We will NOT be updating Maps Marketing Blueprint because -‐ after reading this whole guide…. it should be clear -‐ the strategies used in Maps Marketing Blueprint are VITAL to ranking in Google. Sprinkle in some +1’s, add some circles, get added into circles, and your Google+ Local page should be good to go!
Google Resources
Googles Comments On The Google+ Local Conversion
● Google’s VP of Product Management, Marissa Mayer chatted with "CBS This Morning" co-‐hosts Gayle King and Charlie Rose on the day Google launched Google + Local and said it is in effect, “a location-‐based social media search engine available on desktops and mobile devices” and that the new offering, she says, is designed to combine "this amazing local/mobile/social moment," Read More Here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-‐505363_162-‐57443472/google-‐local-‐next-‐step-‐in-‐search-‐engines/
● Google says this in its Google and Your Business post:
○ If you are a business owner, you should continue to manage your information in Google Places for Business. You’ll still be able to verify your basic listing data, make updates, and respond to reviews. For those who use AdWords Express, your ads will operate as normal as they’ll automatically redirect people to the destination you selected, or your current listing.
Google: Official Blog Announcement http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/localnow-‐with-‐dash-‐of-‐zagat-‐and.html Google+ Local: Learn more here https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-‐topic/business/need-‐advice/SWzIsqkVyCk Google+ Local Help Files http://support.google.com/plus/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2531255&topic=2489960&ctx=topic Google Map Maker http://google.com/mapmaker
Expert Bloggers Commenting On Google+
So Long Google+ & Google Places, Hello Local Google+ Pages http://www.simpartners.com/so-‐long-‐google-‐google-‐places-‐hello-‐local-‐google-‐plus-‐pages/ By Steve King Google Places Pages Are No More – But What has Changed? By Mike Blumenthal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2012/05/30/google-‐places-‐pages-‐are-‐no-‐more-‐but-‐what-‐has-‐changed/ Google+ Local Reviews By Mike Blumenthal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2012/05/30/google-‐local-‐reviews/ Rankings on Google+ Local: Some Observations By David Mihm http://www.davidmihm.com/blog/google/local-‐plus-‐rankings + Pulling from Map Maker By: David Mihm http://www.davidmihm.com/blog/google/plus-‐data-‐mapmaker/ So Long Google+ & Google Places, Hello Local Google+ Page – From SIM Partners By Steve King http://www.simpartners.com/so-‐long-‐google-‐google-‐places-‐hello-‐local-‐google-‐plus-‐pages/ Google+ URLs Can Rank Very Well From Small Business Search Marketing by Matt McGee http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-‐urls-‐can-‐rank-‐very-‐well/5843/ Google Places Is Over, Company Makes Google+ The Center Of Gravity For Local Search By: Greg Sterling’s http://searchengineland.com/google-‐places-‐is-‐over-‐company-‐makes-‐google-‐the-‐center-‐of-‐gravity-‐for-‐local-‐search-‐122770 Google+ Local Tips, Tricks, Ranking, Live Video from Google and Farewell Places Pages By: Linda Buquet http://marketing-‐blog.catalystemarketing.com/google-‐plus-‐local-‐tips.html
Additional Resources
Maps Marketing Blueprint Scoop.It By: Maps Marketing Blueprint Google+ Local Is Giving Local Businesses Like Yours Massive Online Exposure. Stay Up-‐To-‐Date On The Latest Google Places News And Information Here http://www.scoop.it/t/google-‐places-‐local-‐marketing