Okay. Google makes it hard enough for all of us…so why not make some more changes? Wanting to make sure Google+ doesn’t fade, they have change Google Places to Google+ Local.
I got this great email from https://www.facebook.com/jerome.knyszewski.. It has some great info.
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Google being the bully that it is, is trying to FORCE you, me and everyone into using Google Plus.
To do so they merged the G+ and Google Places. SO If you’ve set up a “Google Plus Page for Business,” great. That will probably come in handy down the road. If you haven’t, you should get busy, even this update has not made anyone “invisible”, it doesn’t mean you should get comfortable and neglect the G+ business profiles.
As if it wasn’t enough of a PAIN to get customers to leave reviews, now they gotta jump through hoops and loops.
Basically, they have to create a Google Plus page, log into it, search for your business in the “Local” tab in Google Plus, and finally write the review. yadi yada… YUK!
Ok without freaking out, it’s NOT much more complicated, but it certainly requires the customers to REALLY want to leave you a review!
I expect an offset of negative reviews versus positive (ticked off people don’t mind hoops and loops)
Eventually, at some point, you might have to ask your clients to “educate -read train-” their customers to leave “feedback” on top of reviews or aside of reviews reviews – like to “+1″ your website or to add your Google Plus Business page (if and when you have one) into their “Circles.” But who in this sane world would add a plumber or a carpet cleaner or a urologist to their “Circles”?
Anyhow, Big G is getting more and more NOT COOL lol
Here some great stuff to read if you are still enslaved to Google and to Google’s Geeks tyranny!
Essential:
- http://googleandyourbusiness.blogspot.com/
- http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-places-marries-google-gives-birth-to-new-google-local-pages/5828/
- http://blumenthals.com/blog/2012/05/30/google-places-pages-are-no-more-but-what-has-changed/
- https://support.google.com/local/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2623007
Additional Info:
- http://www.davidmihm.com/blog/google/plus-places-merge-here/
- http://searchengineland.com/google-places-is-over-company-makes-google-the-center-of-gravity-for-local-search-122770
To sum it up:
It basically the same as before, nothing crazy drastic worth freaking out about…. YET.
I’d recommend getting ahead of the changes and zoom to http://www.google.com/+/business/ and create a “Google+ Page for Business.”
LET ME REPEAT IT…
NO NEED TO PANIC
NO NEED TO RUSH
Just get that G+ biz profile done, keep it simple and so far you’ll be fine, if something wild shows up on the radar i’ll try to keep you guys posted.
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So what are you waiting for? Get to work.
