How Google+ Updates and Mobile Phones Are Influencing Local Search

It was  around two years ago, Google introduced Blended Place Search, merging its traditional organic algorithm with its index of Local businesses from Google Places. Since then there have been a host of changes, that have made Local Search even more important and accessible than it had been in the past especially with Google’s most recent changes to Google + Local. Not surprisingly, other search engine companies have followed close at hand, Microsoft’s Bing with Bing Local and Yahoo with Yahoo’s Local Listing.

According to Search Engine Land, in their article regarding Local Search they quoted that Google had shared with them that

“More than 20 percent of searches on Google are related to location.” The key words in that sentence are “more than.”

By making local results (and Place Pages) more prominent than even they were before, users will likely respond with more local queries and rely on Google more heavily for local information. The overall volume and percentage of queries on Google seeking local information may in turn increase.”

Since then, internet users search for local businesses and the pertinent and informative results that come up with that search have made local SEO more important than before.  The following image should give you an idea of what the Google Search – Place pages looks like.