Google LOCAL Business Center - Changes Name, Adds NEW Features

If you are interested in LOCAL SEO, here's some important new info that just hit the wires.

The Google Local Business Center is now called Google Places, as the company aims to rebrand the product around the Place Pages it introduced last fall.

There are new features and there is a new help center and support forum dedicated to Google Places for the many businesses that are having nightmares getting their listings changed, verified or optimized.

Here's all the info from the Google blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/introducing-google-places.html

They didn't list the link to the new help forum, so I need to go find it. I just saw it somewhere.

If you've ever tried to get help with your LBC then you know that support is virtually not available from Google on this product. By starting the new forum and archiving all the old complaints, it give "Places" a cleaner looking new home for all the new businesses that will flock here trying to figure out how to set up their Place page.

I'll be back after I find where I saw the link to the new support forum.

What do you think of all the new changes and features???

Anyone have questions about how to get listed on Google local or how to optimize your local rankings on Google maps?

 

Thanks for sharing.. Do we need to make new listings? Also what SEO can we do in Places?

 

No need to make new listings. Just new name and new features.

However you are unfortunately in an industry that is really tough in Google local. There has been a ton of spam, fraud and hijacked listings in Google local for the locksmith category. In many cities I don't even think they show that category on the Google home page any more.

"Also what SEO can we do in Places?"

Yes Places can def be optimized but it's a science and very different than traditional SEO. To explain how to do it would require me to write a book in this post. There are so many different elements involved. I know how to get companies on the 1st page, but wouldn't take on a client in the locksmith business in case it would put me in Google's bad graces.

I could possibly train you on what you need to do to get on the 1st page yourself. I just did that for a window tinting company in Florida that wanted to learn how to do it themselves. Right now it looks like you have some major problems that could get you banned. You also have a fractured listing which is doing you more harm than good.

Or if you have more specific questions I can try to answer. But how to do SEO on Places is too big of a question.
It's like asking a contractor "how do I build a house?" ;-)

 

Thank you for your Advise.. Not sure which listing is fractured, but will see if I can check into it. Also someone else had worked on my listings at once, but things did not go to good.. We tried a lot of things to be able to combat the scammers just to get a listing on the page, but that does not work to good.. Any advise would be greatly appreciated...

 

Linda.

I would love a little help if you can.. .. Let me know..

 

Hi accessted,

It looks as the though the other person that helped you with your local listing may have messed you up.

My carpal is acting up so can't type a big long explanation. But I'm happy to help if you email me for a phone appt.
Email is at bottom of my Catalyst site or fill out the contact us form.

Be sure to put Charlotte Locksmith as the subject and give me the link to your site so I don't have to come back here to look it up.

Thanks, Linda

 

FYI all,

Google just posted about all their new support options for local PLACES listings.
Be aware though that the support is currently very weak and if you have trouble with your listing it can be very hard to get things corrected.

But still good to know where to go to TRY to get help.
Learn more about Google Places, all in one place

Hopefully support will ramp up soon.

 

Hi accessted,

Wanted to let you know I did get your email. Doing some research on your issues and will try to call you tomorrow.

 

Hi again, accessted.

It was great talking with you by phone to try to help you get your local ranking problems sorted out.
Look forward to seeing you on top.

 

Linda, quick question. I have a bounce house business and I rank high in my local listing if someone says "bounce house Brighton, MI." If someone calls it "inflatable brighton, mi" I'm not on there, but competition is. I made a new location and used a different name so I can rank for those keywords. Any idea why mine would not be on there, but competition is?

 

Thank you Linda

Anyone needing top placement on Google Local listings should hire Linda. She really knows her stuff and is very professional...

 

I do GLB "SEO" every day and it hasn't affected any of my listings and the set up is almost the same so don't worry. I think if you use the new features, it might help you achieve the 7 box more easily, but some experimentation is needed to verify that. One thing that I have noticed though is that the new radius feature (the big circle) is better set for the lowest number of miles possible. I set it from 20 to 15 miles and my listing went up a couple of places that same day.

J

 

Thanks so much accessted - happy to help!

FYI I just took a chiropractor from #44 on Google Places to #1 in 4 days. WooHoo! He's pretty happy.

Jumpness - you can't have a 2nd location. It's against Google Places terms of service and that's not how you rank for the other keywords.
Use custom categories and your description to rank for the other keywords.

You need to merge those 2 listings so you don't get in trouble. Plus having 2 listing just waters down the effectiveness of each.
PLUS your listing needs to be the same as your REAL business name, so that 2nd listing broke another rule too.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

Hey Teddy, thanks so much for the referral. We'll take good care of your friend so he doesn't need to fight with Google any more.