Category Archives: Local Maps SEO

facebooklogoAlthough the main reason companies decide to get on social media networks like Facebook is to engage and interact with their customers, there are other reasons why businesses should maintain a social media presence. One of these reasons is for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. Boosting your SEO efforts will help your search engine rankings and make it easier for potential customers to find your business rather than your competitors. Here are 5 reasons why your business needs a Facebook page for SEO.

1. Google and Bing crawl and index Facebook pages and comments. This means when people search for keywords that you use on your page, your page will be more likely to show up high in the search results.

2. When people “like” your content on Facebook and share it with others, it makes your page seem more relevant to the search engines. This means you’re more likely to appear high in the rankings. People who “like” your page can also be considered new leads or contacts.

3. Your Facebook presence adds quality backlinks to your website. The more backlinks that lead to your website the higher your business will climb in the rankings.

4. With 800 million users, Facebook is likely a place where your target audience spends time. This means you must have a presence on the social network in order to connect directly with your customers and potential customers.

5. Facebook is easily accessed on mobile devices which gives your customers and potential customers access to your content and keeps your brand in front of their eyes no matter where they are.

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

As we all know, Google Places is constantly changing and updating. Over the past week, there has been plenty of buzz about the new makeover Google Places has undergone. After our Local Splash provisioning team has researched the new face of Google Places, here is an outline of the changes we’ve found.

The New Search Engine Results Pages:

NewLookPlaces2

• The red Google pins are now grey. If you hover your mouse over the grey pins turn red.
• The map is vertically larger and more pins are displayed.
• When you click on the red arrow a new panel to the right is displayed with more information. This information includes Place Page photos with more details and the business’s home page.

Great Marketing Opportunities

When a user already knows the name of the business they’re looking for, the results page looks like this:

NewLookPlacesBiz

• All of the important business information is above the fold on your page – this is prime marketing real estate.
• The Places Page and website are both displayed; if you click the right arrow it will go between both.
• Citations (listings and directories) are shown.

The new look of Google Places is great because it displays information without needing to actually click on the business’s Places Page. This is extremely beneficial for small businesses that may not have much of a marketing budget or online presence because Google Places is completely free. Claiming your Google Places listing allows you to establish your business online with little investment. Be sure to completely fill out your Google Places page information with plenty of details about your business (including photos, videos, etc.) to maximize your Google Places page’s value and boost your rankings.