Google has recently updated its Place pages by removing third party online reviews. There are a variety of reasons for this, but one significant reason is likely due to an ongoing anti trust suit filed against Google. One of the issues was that Google places used reviews from Yelp, Tripadvisor, and other review sites which helped Google provide more value for the places product. But the bigger issue was when Google then started showing Google Places higher up in the rankings over these same sites they were pulling content from. In addition, the recent explosion in review generation on google directly is a contributing factor (“we don’t need your stinkin’ reviews!”). Not anymore anyway.    

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BIA/Kelsey consulting group reported that the daily deal market is expected to grow to near $3.93 billion by 2015. There is constant speculation about the real effectiveness of these programs. Some business owners believe that it doesn’t help businesses in the long run because only the coupon cutters use them and never return to pay full price. While the other 50% of businesses seem to like the deals, getting effective returns, and believe it is a vital part of their social media strategy

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It’s the question everyone seems to be asking: how does Google choose the reviews that are displayed prominently on Google Places and Google Maps? For example, when searching for “San Diego Restaurants” on Google Places, each Place on page 1 is displayed with a single review as a summary of the business:

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Google’s New Review Filter shows a need for monitoring online reviews.  The new Google Places page is generating quite the buzz across the net as it has created new opportunities for businesses to reach local markets.  Consequently, analyzing how Google Places compiles, filters, and displays customer reviews is a crucial step to managing a business’s online reputation and developing a strong online presence on local search.

So what do Google Places’ latest changes mean for online reputation management?

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If you hadn’t heard about or noticed Google’s most recent changes to their organic search results page, then you’re likely just starting to learn about Local Search Optimization.  Here at chatmeter, we wanted to write specifically about the potential effects it has on SMB owners.  The most predominate change that has come with the new design has an enormous impact on local searches.  When Google believes the user is looking for services provided at the local level, they are now displaying a lot more local business results at the top along with their Place page information (address, reviews, etc) displacing many of the directory results (such as Superpages, MerchantCircle, Yellowpages.com, etc).   The previous “7-pack” has been abandoned.   Sometimes organic results and place page results are intermingled and other times, as you see in this graphic, nearly the whole first page is place page results pushing the organic website results to the bottom of the page. Old Layout                                                          New Layout Above is an example of the comparison between Google’s old and new layout formation.  As you can see, the Local results are now taking up most of the initial page, which allows consumers a quicker approach to finding what they are searching for. The information presented shows the  address, phone number, customer reviews and 1 click access to the Google Place Page

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According to a new study, 7 out of 10 potential customers are more likely to buy from a local business when it makes information accessible through a social media site. This yearly study, which is called “Local Search Usage Study: Bridging The Gaps, From Search to Sales,” is a combined effort of TMP Directional Marketing and comScore. The study surveys 4,000 consumers online and contains data obtained by observing one million of those who allowed their online searches to be monitored anonymously.

Continue reading “Is the Online Information about Your Business Correct?” »