Google Places

Google Places is a very valuable asset for any business. Google Places can drive tons of traffic to your businesses website by being featured on Google Maps. However, just as easy as it can help your business, all it takes is one bad review to hurt your business.

What is a business owner supposed to do when they receive a bad review? In some cases, bad reviews may even come from a competitor trying to tarnish the rival business. What recourse is available when someone receives a bad review?

After listening to feedback from business owners, Google has now integrated the ability to respond to reviews. Now the next time somebody leaves a review that you take issue with, you can respond personally. If customers …

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Google has made huge efforts to make search more localized.  We recently discussed how Google added more relevant terms to their auto-suggestion tool, as well as Google’s new local search option.  In order to continue emphasizing local search, Google is rebranding their Google Local Business Center as Google Places. Google Places, the company says, is “just the beginning of what’s to come from our efforts to make Google more local.”

Googles Place Pages are pages for local business listings. Business owners can list their address, phone numbers, store hours, and images, while Google integrates a map and reviews on the page.  For example, here is the Google Place Page for one of my favorite restaurants Fogo De Chao.

New features have …

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