Week of November 7, 2011

Check out the top SEO, search engine and Internet marketing industry news stories from around the Web this week.

Google+ Pages Now Open for Businesses, Brands, Places & More
Google+ Pages are launching today and will be available to everyone within the next couple days. Now brands, businesses and places will be able to participate in the Google+ social network.

Search Engines Primary Source for Local Information
According to MDG Advertising, 74% of consumers use search engines when looking for information related to local businesses online. MDG predicts that local search will continue to grow as the years progress. In 2015, MDG speculates that 30% of all searches will have local intent.

Deal With It! Discounts Drive Brand Love on Social Media
A new survey conducted by Nielsen shows that the top reason for following or liking a brand, company or celebrity on a social networking site is to receive discounts and special offers.

Google Search Algorithm Change for Freshness to Impact 35% of Searches; Twitter Firehose Remains Off
Google just announced that it will be changing its algorithm in order to make search results “fresher.” This change will affect 35% of all searches.

Confirmed: Google Testing New “Sources” Display in Search Results
Google has confirmed that it’s testing a new content application in the search results called Sources. Learn more about this new content module here.