More and more I see myself relying on Google Maps to get me to different places.  It is concerning just because I used to be so good at finding places and remembering how to get there just by using landmarks and my own “intuition” but as I have started to depend on Google that skill has dwindled more and more.  I am currently attempting to stop using it as much, but recently Google went about releasing a new interface on their Maps results that makes me want to forget about forgetting it (if that makes sense), and start using it more.

We already had mentioned that Google had changed their algorithm to show only 3 local results instead of 7 (which has been coined the Snack Pack), and that has caused a lot of frustration for local businesses who were getting a lot of traffic from those map results.  For those that are curious the speculation is that Google is trying to provide better results on mobile and transferring it over to desktop searches as well.

Below is a look at the new change which is cleaner and also implements images that are added to your listing, which can help to bring more engagement and interaction with potential customers.

And also here is the Individual business listing when you actually click on one of the locations that you are searching for:

As you can see it still is vital to have images and as much information as possible in your Google + listing as it will show a more complete and legitimate business to customers that are wanting to find whatever it is that you offer to sell.

If you are wanting to learn more about Google +, Local Business results or how you can gain more visibility in local search please feel free to give us a call and we can help you get ranked higher in search results and increase sales for your business! I promise it wont be scary!