Previously Google Places, Google+ Local is now Google’s online review and recommendations aggregator, already racking up more than 100,000 participating businesses. Google+ Local links form location pins in Google Maps and has teamed up with Zagat ratings to provide overviews and reviews for businesses. This new makeup has made Google+ Local a much richer environment for businesses to interact with customers. If your business hasn’t claimed its Google+ Local page yet, it’s time to get on it.
Google+ Local is Google’s way of integrating Google Places with its social media, Google+. You’re going to find a Google+ Local page to be a much better tool than your Facebook page- it’s searched for by consumers and can be a useful channel for acquiring potential customers.
Zagat’s curated reviews model allows customers to recommend businesses and replaces old Google reviews. Adding to your Google+ Local, whether by you or customers, adds results into Google’s search engines- so search engine results are becoming more social. Though Zagat reviews obviously cater to restaurants with their 30-point rating scale, businesses like hotels and car washes are now being integrated into the rating system via Google+ Local.
If your business has already claimed its Google Places listing, all of this information will roll over into Google+ Local. If your business thrives on customer recommendations, making sure to keep your Google+ page updated and linked with your Google+ Local page is crucial.
If you’re looking to optimize your business’s social media, Fahrenheit Marketing offers full service web development and social media marketing. Contact us today for a free consultation- we’d love to get your business noticed.