In a bazaar turn of events, Google has made some significant changes to the algorithm used for Google Places — the business map listings. Changing the name of the platform to Google Places was a big step, now things are getting even better.

In the past couple months, I’ve noticed Google Places slowly transition from displaying manually entered business information to pulling meta data from business websites. For years marketers tried to manipulate the map listings by stuffing keywords in the business name, however those days are far gone.

Today, my research indicates a hybrid algorithm that pulls information from the old and relies on the new. For example, a client of ours is a Los Angeles criminal defense law firm and they had changed their firm name a couple of months ago. When searching for “Los Angeles criminal lawyer” in Google, their map listing appears with meta information from their website, but when you search for the exact name of the firm the old, manually input business listing appears. Very interesting.

Given the increased importance of meta information, namely titles and descriptions, it’s imperative for all businesses to optimize their on-site SEO. This is truly a pivotal moment where local marketing via map listings meets SEO, and companies must adopt the change with open arms if they want to succeed in the wild world of new age marketing.

Aaron Schoenberger
@TheSchoenberger
The Brainchild Group

Aaron Schoenberger is Founder of The Brainchild Group — a world-renowned Internet marketing agency that specializes in Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). He’s known for his work with celebrities, top restaurants, automotive manufacturers, professional athletes, educational institutions, luxury brands and Fortune 500 companies.