Duplicate Listings and Local Search

lI have discussed in the past my disdain for the local search algorithm that Google has yet to master. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with the algorithm itself that can lead to any number of headaches for business owners and online marketing companies managing local search campaigns for their clients. And while there are a number of things that can be done to prevent these issues, unfortunately, a lot of the time they are out of our control; rather, we simply have to roll with punches and make do with what we are given. I am going to explain why.

Google Tags Eliminated for Google Places Profiles

Two weeks ago, I discussed Google Tags advertising, an option that the search engine had rolled out recently that allowed businesses to increase their Google Places profile visibility in the map results. Well, merely ten days after writing that post, Google had officially eliminated Tags after a fairly short campaign. There hasn't been a whole lot of feedback from Google as to what caused them to remove the option for Places profile owners (no surprise here), however, I believe that there is enough information regarding local search to make an inference.

Google Tags Advertising

Most recently I have discussed the emphasis Google has put on Google Places, what businesses will benefit most from having a well optimized Places profile, and how the increased visibility of the map results in the organic results pages affects ranking positions. As the organic landscape continues to morph, it is essential that businesses trying to broaden their online presence understand and keep up with the supplemental features Google rolls out that can be incorporated in to a Places profile. One of the more recent features is Google Tags, and I want to address exactly what Tags are, what benefits may be realized from taking advantage of them, and finally, some of the potential drawbacks of using Tags.

Citation Building for Google Places Profiles

Over the weekend, I discussed the recent changes that have been implemented to Google's local algorithm and some of the issues that have arisen from those changes. Another topic that is coming to the forefront of the SEO community's consciousness relating to local search is citation building, and how that impacts a company's Places Profile rankings in the map results. It is important to address why citation building plays such a large role in local search.

Google Places Algorithm Changes

Google Places has become increasingly important from a search engine optimization perspective over the past 6 months or so. The Places algorithm changes that have occurred have been significant, and unfortunately not without flaw. Within this time frame, map results have been integrated in to the organic search results pages (SERPs), as opposed to being displayed on the side of the SERPs as they once were.