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

Search Trumps Social For Local Business Information
A recent survey shows that search engines are the top sources for information about local businesses online. Thirty-eight percent of people surveyed get their information from search engines where only 3% rely on social networks and Twitter.

Google+ Overhauls Photos, Stream Control and Notifications
Google recently added new features to Google+ as a result of popular user requests. Google also made improvements to the already existing features of the new social network.

Google and Bing Have “Won a Major Victory” Over Content Farms, Study Says
According to the newest issue of New Scientist magazine, search engines have “won a major victory” against content farms. According to the study, Google has been the most active in the fight against content farms, dating back to the initial launch of the Panda update in February 2011.

Bing, Yahoo Now Neck & Neck in US Search Market Share
According to a study by comScore, Bing and Yahoo are practically tied for the US search market share, Bing with 14.80% and Yahoo with 15.20%. Both are significantly behind Google, which currently holds 65.60% of the market share.

How the World Googled in 2011
Google recently released its annual Zeitgeist report which displays the most popular search terms of 2011. Google also compared the searches from this year to last year to show emerging trends and other information.

googleplusSince Google+ is a new social network, your company may be having trouble getting the hang of it. As your company integrates Google+ into its social media routine, here are 3 don’ts to keep in mind from Hubspot.

1. Don’t post inconsistently. When Google+ launched for businesses, many companies rushed to set up their page. Some companies posted a few times during the weeks that followed, then as time went on the posting started to die down. When you don’t post consistently, you hurt your chances of gaining a regular following. Try to get into a routine when posting on social networks to avoid this. Whether you post once a day, or once a week, your readers will know what to expect when they visit your page and won’t be disappointed.

2. Don’t forget to apply for Direct Connect. Google+ Direct Connect lets users quickly navigate to a Google+ page using Google Search. When people search +YourCompanyName they’ll be able to get to your Google+ page from the Google search engine. If you don’t apply for Direct Connect, it will hurt your company Google+ page’s search rankings.

3. Don’t forget to utilize Circles. Circles is one of the main features that sets Google+ apart from other social networks. Circles allows you to put people into groups so when it comes time to share you can direct your posts toward the groups that would be most interested. Don’t just make every post “Public,” put thought into your Circles and post only to those who will be most engaged by the information you are sharing at the moment.

Google+ is still a new social network and it will take time to get into the habit of posting on it as well as figuring out all the features it has to offer. Be patient and don’t abandon it; Google+ is here to stay and those who embrace it in the beginning stages will have the most success with it in the future.

Google recently partnered with some of the largest retailers, airports and transit stations in the U.S. and Japan to provide you with Google Indoor Maps. Now when you’re lost inside an airport, shopping mall or other confusing location, you’ll be able to use Google Maps to figure out where to go.

Google Maps “My Location” feature already shows your location as a blue dot so you can see yourself on the Map from your mobile smart phone to avoid walking or driving in the wrong direction on city streets. It also shows familiar landmarks and buildings nearby to give you a better understanding of where you are. However, Google Maps used to be able to get you to the right building, but once you went inside, you were on your own to find the right gate at the airport or the correct office in an unfamiliar building, until now.

Check out this video for a better understanding about how Google Indoor Maps works and read the official Google Blog for more information.

http://youtu.be/Gy-DI_bWElg