Local businesses are asking…where did Google Places go?

Local SEO PLace
where did google places go?

It seems as though every week, we wake up, and some other part of SEO needs our attention, doesn’t it? For business owners, it can get a little bit tiring trying to keep up with all of the changes Google is constantly making. If you’re a business owner, you may have found yourself wondering,where did Google Places go?

Just like the great cities of the past that disappeared without a trace from the “old world”, a necessary part of SEO for many businesses has vanished into thin air.  Google Places has been a dependable resource for many business owners, and probably for you, as well. When your patrons would have a great experience in your restaurant, club, or retail store, they would venture over to Google Places and they would write a wonderful review of your establishment. However, like everything else online (and in the world in general) Google is always in the business of tweaking their services for the purpose of making the Internet a better place. Their most recent venture is to do that by add some more features to Google +.

Google Places is still there, it’s just called Google + Local now. That means it comes under the umbrella of Google +, so having a presence there is now a necessity. Why the change? Experts cite a few reasons:

  • To allow for a more seamless web experience
  • To encouraging +1 by users as a way to understand what people are searching for
  • To incorporate social signals more fully into SEO

The fact is, running your business is enough work in, and of, itself. Keeping up with the changes Google is constantly putting into place can drive even the most Internet-savvy business owner just a little bit crazy.

At Business Local Listings, we have the tools to help you stay on top of all of the changes that are continuously coming down the pipeline. Maybe someday all of Google’s great tools will be filtered through Google +. We don’t know about that yet, but what we do know is that our experienced navigators will be there if it does happen. If you’d like to tap in to some of that experience, contact us today!