What Google+ Local Means for Your Printing Company
Social media developers are all about shaking things up. Had Google’s homepage for Search remained its boxy, unsexy self, it would’ve left room for some other early browser like Yahoo or AskJeeves to take over.
Updates and changes keep us on our toes. Like the great African safari (or any other wild animal kingdom), we must adapt to survive. And guess what? Google just threw out another update. And while our instinct is to scrunch our nose at change and dig our heels into the ground, we challenge you, this time, to embrace it. Change, while we hate to admit it, is good.
Check out the following scoop on Google+ Local, and get to changin’.
The Seemingly Harmless Update
In case you missed it, last week Google released a new way to search and review local businesses. Finally integrating its purchase of Zagat, Google+ Local combines the forces of Google Maps with Google Search, creating a one-stop shop for reviews and recommendations on everything from window washers and ballet studios to sushi places and (you guessed it) printers.
A 30-point rating system, similar to Zagat’s existing one, allows viewers to see an in-depth evaluation based on overall quality and decor, service and cost. Additionally, if someone within your circles on Google+ has reviewed something you’re searching for, those reviews will appear front and center—giving you recommendations from people you can trust. Google+ Local can be used within Google+ using the new “Local” tab, or in combination with Google Maps or Google Search, meaning you don’t have to have a Google+ profile in order to use the update.
As you can tell from the inclusion of a decor rating and the in depth use of Zagat, Google+ Local was mainly created to rank eateries—but that doesn’t mean that as a printing company you’ve escaped. Keep reading.
The Pickle
You now ignore Google+ at your own peril. I underestimated Google+’s potential as much as the next person (sorry, Google). But by linking Google Search and Google Maps (which average 4,717,000,000 searches per day) to your company’s Google+ page, it’s time to jump aboard the Google+ boat or face the shark infested waters on your own.
So, you decided to avoid big ol’ Jaws? Good choice. What now? Now, it’s time to create an engaging, dynamic Google+ page for your business so that when people (as we all know they do) search for your business on Google (because what else would they use, Bing?), they are dazzled by your content, enticed by your services and eager to work with your company.
It’s time to get your creative juices flowing. Do some research on personalizing and bedazzling your Google+ page (hint: you can’t actually bedazzle it, sorry) to make a smashing impression on anyone who seeks out your printing company on Google.
Other than what’s mentioned above, in what ways do you think this update will encourage more use of Google+? Any that we missed?
Photos: Google Blog, Local Splash
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