As with any major change, the shift from Google Places to Google+ Local has raised many questions about what is happening and what the implications will be. Below is a distillation of answers to the…
Today Google unleashed another resounding shot across the bow of players in the social and local space: Google+ Local. This move will effectively make Google Place Pages a memory, replacing those pages with a new…
This week I attended Local University WNY in Ellicottville, NY. Throughout the week I will be recapping that event through a series of blogs. The event takes place throughout the country, hosted by SEO and…
Recently, I stumbled upon a change in Google Places, when looking for an ATM within the mall. Below is a screenshot of the Places page. The strange piece of content here is the snippet from…
It seems that changes in Google Places occur daily. Since changes are quick, it is imperative to filter what really matters and what will be the impact. Here is a CliffsNotes version of a few…
There’s been a lot of buzz leading up to the launch of Schema.org. The first thing that makes Schema.org a big deal is that it is agreed upon and standardized. The second thing that makes…
The announcement of Google Offers will make a splash. No big deal. But what are the implications? Here are some factors to consider: 1. Conversion Tracking For many local businesses the hardest part about search marketing is…
The long awaited Bing Business Portal is finally live, here are some initial observations: There are a plethora of new features including: New Layout Roles Integrated Product Listings Social Integration (add your Facebook and Twitter…
While the actual ranking factors in Google’s algorithm are widely opaque, through research we can draw conclusions that drive the strategy of our industry. Constant research is essential. I have set out to look at ‘traditional…
In light of the recent exposure of inbound marketing, I thought that maybe it was time to sip the Kool-Aid. I have never thought deeply about inbound and outbound marketing. I understand the principles, but…
With Google’s change to the search engine results page, and Facebook’s integration (link to post about facebook places) of local deals via Facebook Places, it is clear that local content is stealing the show. What…
Google is customizing your local search experience. It’s easy to anecdotally speak to the fact that Google is taking a much more aggressive approach to location-based services. From peripheral products, like Google Buzz and Google Latitude to…