It’s now apparent that big changes are coming to Google+ and Google+ Local, and there’s been a lot of speculation and discussion about what these changes might mean for small businesses.
First, here’s a rundown of changes that Google has recently announced:
- Google announced it’s shutting down unused or unverified Google+ pages.
- Google will no longer require its users to use a Google+ profile to access YouTube and some other Google properties.
But this doesn’t mean Google is turning away from local search and Maps results, including user reviews . In fact, you need a strong local presence on Google in order to show up for local searches. Here’s what these changes means for local businesses.
Google Is Shutting Down Unused Google+ Local Pages
Google has begun shutting down local business pages that have not been verified or that haven’t been associated with Google+ accounts as Google pushes Google My Business as the place to manage your business on the site. Launched last year, Google My Business is a centralized way for you to manage business information like location and contact details, images of your business, and reviews, so you can optimize your presence across Search, Maps, and Google+
Should You Still Look To Gain Google Reviews?
YES. The fact is that Google Reviews are still shown to web searchers, and the number of reviews star ratings still show in the general search results. These reviews are your customers real experiences with you and potential future clients will look to these first before making a buying decision about your business.
Take a look at what the search results look like for local insurance companies in Palmetto, Florida:
The top ranking company has a shining 5 star rating with 10 Google reviews, and when the search results are displayed, you can’t miss it! There’s always been debate on the correlation between Google reviews and your search ranking improvements, but despite that argument, you can’t help but notice the company with the positive user rankings and glowing reviews.
Dr. Eduard Burt, a chiropractor in California recently posted that “I own several chiropractic offices in San Francisco Bay Area. I would honestly say that 70% of my new patients come from my Google Local Page which has about 70 reviews and the other 30% comes from Yelp which has 23 active and 24 filtered reviews. Many local businesses underestimate the power of these site reviews. People stopped asking their neighbors, friends and relatives. Now they ask their smart phone and get all of the answers online. Google Local works better because most smart phones have Google as a default search engine and first 3 search results will show up with Google Local Listings. ” — We couldn’t agree more, Doctor.
Google My Business is going through a big transition, but it’s business as usual for your business, and positive Google reviews will attract more buyers and clients to your website for better conversions.
Cheers!
It’s now apparent that big changes are coming to Google+ and Google+ Local, and there’s been a lot of speculation and discussion about what these changes might mean for small businesses.
First, here’s a rundown of changes that Google has recently announced:
- Google announced it’s shutting down unused or unverified Google+ pages.
- Google will no longer require its users to use a Google+ profile to access YouTube and some other Google properties.
But this doesn’t mean Google is turning away from local search and Maps results, including user reviews . In fact, you need a strong local presence on Google in order to show up for local searches. Here’s what these changes means for local businesses.
Google Is Shutting Down Unused Google+ Local Pages
Google has begun shutting down local business pages that have not been verified or that haven’t been associated with Google+ accounts as Google pushes Google My Business as the place to manage your business on the site. Launched last year, Google My Business is a centralized way for you to manage business information like location and contact details, images of your business, and reviews, so you can optimize your presence across Search, Maps, and Google+
Should You Still Look To Gain Google Reviews?
YES. The fact is that Google Reviews are still shown to web searchers, and the number of reviews star ratings still show in the general search results. These reviews are your customers real experiences with you and potential future clients will look to these first before making a buying decision about your business.
Take a look at what the search results look like for local insurance companies in Palmetto, Florida:
The top ranking company has a shining 5 star rating with 10 Google reviews, and when the search results are displayed, you can’t miss it! There’s always been debate on the correlation between Google reviews and your search ranking improvements, but despite that argument, you can’t help but notice the company with the positive user rankings and glowing reviews.
Dr. Eduard Burt, a chiropractor in California recently posted that “I own several chiropractic offices in San Francisco Bay Area. I would honestly say that 70% of my new patients come from my Google Local Page which has about 70 reviews and the other 30% comes from Yelp which has 23 active and 24 filtered reviews. Many local businesses underestimate the power of these site reviews. People stopped asking their neighbors, friends and relatives. Now they ask their smart phone and get all of the answers online. Google Local works better because most smart phones have Google as a default search engine and first 3 search results will show up with Google Local Listings. ” — We couldn’t agree more, Doctor.
Google My Business is going through a big transition, but it’s business as usual for your business, and positive Google reviews will attract more buyers and clients to your website for better conversions.
Cheers!