Tag Archives: local search engine optimization

Google Offers recently went through some drastic changes. Here are some key differences between Google Offers now and before the update:

Business owners must clearly identify the amount of the discount (percentage or dollars off).

The offer can be limited to a single use (per user).

The offer can be limited to a certain quantity usage.

The discount is currently applied to all locations in a Google Places account (we speculate this could change).

Google Offers is no longer free to use. Currently there is a limited time free trial period, however business owners will be notified about pricing details before the trial period concludes.

Business owners can now track the total number of offers that have been saved and how many have been redeemed through their Google Places account.

Google Offers is now distributed through Google Maps for Android in addition to Google Offers and Wallet mobile apps – this means Offers are only visible from a mobile device in apps like Google Maps for Android and Google Places.

How It Works:

Creating, Editing and Managing Your New Offer:

Google Offers is a great way for you to reach potential customers who are currently near your business. Using Google Maps and Places on their mobile devices, people will be able to view your offer, purchase it and redeem it at your business location right away. Local Splash can manage your Google Offers for you, check out our services here.

Google, the global technology pioneer, is turning fiction into reality once again. This can be recently seen with “Autonomous Vehicles,” better known as driverless vehicles.

Since their announcement in 2010, Google has been hard at work perfecting this innovative automobile, a Toyota Prius which, according to Google, utilizes “video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to ‘see’ other traffic as well as detailed maps.” This generously goes beyond the currently marketed ‘self-park’ cars such as the Lexus LS 460.

CNN covered a demonstration of this new vehicle’s performance with its test participant being a blind man sitting at the wheel of the car. While the car performed a series of everyday navigations, the man jokingly displayed his arms in the air saying, “Look, Ma– no hands!” as the Prius drove itself down a highway and even into a Del Taco drive-through.

This automotive creation is not just for boasting rights. Google is striving to make the roads safe and cars more efficient in today’s society. According to Google’s official blog, the self-driving vehicle project will “try to help prevent traffic accidents, free up people’s time and reduce carbon emissions.”

With 1.2 million annual deaths due to road accidents, the safety of the citizens are at risk each day. Factoring out the human driver from this number could have the potential to significantly reduce this number, giving both passengers and pedestrians peace of mind.

Google is “optimistic about technology’s ability to advance society.” This would also include the benefit of more efficient and attainable car sharing with the concept of the “highway trains of tomorrow.” Just imagine all the productive ways you could spend your valuable time!

Even with Google still in its experimental stages, it can seem as though the futuristic ‘Jetson’s’ lifestyle is little more than a generation away. But for now, Google is steering us towards the future– literally.

See video coverage of the Google demonstration here.

Check out Google’s 2010 driverless car announcement here.

If your company wants to boost your search engine rankings, try video optimization. There is much more text on the Web than videos. This means if you have an optimized video it is more likely to show up on the first page of Google when potential customers are searching for keywords that pertain to your business. If you create a funny, entertaining or informational video that your potential customers share with friends, your video will become even more relevant and more likely to show up high in the search results. So how do you optimize your video for search engines? Follow these directions.

1. Save your video to your computer with a file name that includes your business name and a keyword (E.g., Dave’s Kung Fu Dojo Newport Beach, CA)

2. Open the Properties of the video by right clicking on the file

3. Select the Summary tab at the top of the Properties box

4. Add business name, categories and keywords to the image – these will be picked up by search engines (if you need visual help with steps 1-4, check out our photo optimization blog.)

5. If you don’t already have one, create a YouTube account and add the video to YouTube

6. Choose “Upload” to begin uploading your video. While it is uploading, you can fill in the information box (See image below)

7. Now share your fully-optimized video on your blog, company Facebook page, Google+ page, Twitter, Pinterest, and any other social media networks you belong to.

Title: Add Main business category, location, business name
Description: Add everything that was in the title, your phone number and the description you use in Google Places listing
Tags: Title, Google categories, city and state

Tag Archives: local search engine optimization

Google Offers Gets a Makeover

Google’s New Driverless Vehicle Could Help Make the Roads Safer

How to Optimize Videos for Search Engines