Google Local Business becomes Google Places with new features

You will be allowed only one; however the system will allow you to rotate which one you display, possibly costing extra fees to do so.

In summary, the new feature doesn’t sound like much, however, in a competitive business, having a small advantage over another with one of the above featured links will not only allow the visitor to gather more information on your company but also provide your listing with extra eye candy and most likely improve your click-through rates.

Google Local Business Centre has now become Google Places. The rebranding also comes with a number of new additions including the introduction of a sponsored feature to business listings.

• photos
• website
• menu
• reservations
• coupons
• videos
• directions

This SEO news has been brought to you by Just Search; Experts in internet marketing and PPC

Chris Hutchison
Web Developer / Designer

For those of you that are new to Google Places, it’s a free service in which Google caters to the small business world by allowing local listings to show up in regular Google search listings. These listings also populate Google Earth and Maps, with an additional business information page tied to them with opening hours and business pictures including Street View photos (if available) and other information.

The new feature extends this information even further by allowing a sponsored ‘link’ style box to be drawn below the local listings. This box then contains one of the following, which Google plans to charge roughly $25 a month for: