There have been significant changes in how Google Place Pages are shown in the SERP’s (search engine results pages).

I am not here to confuse SMB’s (small and medium business) owners and marketers with the gory details. You can go to this very extensive and excellently presented post by Greg Stirling at Search Engine Land. It will be a lot to digest especially if you are relatively new to this space but it’s good to take in.

Here’e the basics that you have to know:

 

1. Google is changing how they present search results with over 20% of their searches having a local element
2. As a small business owner or marketer you need to embrace, learn and do something about your business’ Place Pages
3. You should learn about all of the ways you can optimize these listings but you need to tend to first things first by verifying / claiming your listing and gaining control over the content in it
4. You need to understand that this listing will help you in mobile search marketing even if you don’t think you need or have time for mobile marketing considerations
5. Google has invested some serious juice into this area of search which indicates that the future of search will be influenced by these Pages and that local is important whether you are a mom and pop or a multinational with local offices.

To ignore this trend you risk falling far behind the curve and your competitors.

You have been warned.