Google Places and Tags - Did you know about it?

by 17 replies
22
I just found this interesting information from ClickZ.

Google Tags, Paid Search Meets SEO | ClickZ

It will definitely have some impact on my PPC for local search phrases. It puts a bit of colour in the Offline opportunities

Has anyone else had experiences with using the tags?
#offline marketing #google #google places #google tags #places #tags
  • Peter,

    I have been using the tags for a few clients now, and they do help your PPC-listing stand out more. I'm actually surprised more in my area are not taking advantage of the tags.

    I believe the tags thing is actually just the beginning of the end for "optimizing" Places listings. I foresee them giving special positioning to the people willing to pump more $$$ into the Places location. Google can cut a lot of us out of the picture directly. "Hi Mr Biz Owner, for only $500 a month your business will be shown in our "featured local listings" section. Would you like to swipe your card before finalizing your Places listing?"

    I hope I'm wrong though lol.

    - Jim
  • Yeah I worry about that too (local directory turning into a bidding war). I've been using the tag feature on a few of my bigger clients. I don't like how it says sponsored though. It does seem to help bring more traffic in though.

    Matt
    • [1] reply
    • Hi Peter

      Yes tags are at a pretty good price right now BUT it's unlikely that the Big G will only "settle" for a mere pittance each month.

      Just look at the way Adwords/Adsense has evolved over the past couple of years and boosted the coffers of The Big G - obviously a "have your cake and eat it too approach".

      Like all things they touch the price WILL go up.

      Regards

      Bronwyn and Keith
  • yes, but the tags have no bearing on where your listing falls in Google Places. You still gotta optimize your listing. You can't pay to have your listing appear in the "A" spot, you gotta get it there on your own.
  • Thanks, I'll have to look into this. I'll have to look at the pricing model etc. What has your experience been on the cost side of it?
    • [1] reply
    • I would seriously think twice before adding Tags right now.

      I believe Tags to still be too buggy to be ready for market. Many users reports losing reviews after adding Tags, losing stats after adding Tags and all types of other problems start after they add tags.

      I have a pretty big Google Places business and and I can tell you from experience that once you start building up this business with lots of clients, the myriad of Google bugs will eat up your time and cripple you.

      I have clients who added Tags and had their Places split in two, dividing up all their trust points and dropping their rankings. One client had over 100 legit reviews and was top ranked for everything. His listing split in 1/2 and the bogus dupe stole 87 of his reviews.

      I've had to stop accepting new clients because I have so many tech problems I can't do anything else right now.

      So if you are considering Tags for yourself, just understand the pros and cons. If you are considering Tags for clients then be warned that I don't think they are ready for prime time.
      • [ 5 ] Thanks
      • [2] replies
  • Thank you for the warning Linda, I along with others here really do appreciate it. I believe that us Places SEO'ers are truly changing the way that Google handles local searches at this point.

    As you mentioned, they are now CONSTANTLY making updates and tweaks to their Places algorithm/technical aspects. It is kind of odd that most of these major bugs/issues/changes/updates are really picking up now that several "Google Places Optimization" courses have hit the main streets of the internet. I have bought several of these WSO's, and they are VERY POWERFUL stuff. The problem I see, is that they are TOO POWERFUL, and that's why Google is essentially flipping their lid on the whole Places thing.

    Sure, Google wants you and your clients to have SOME optimization "options", and it comes down to the old "they need us as much as we need them" deal, but how do you see that continuing in the "Places" areas? It only makes sense that those with the most $$$ will probably have the access to the best resources for this sort of thing: us Goolgle Places SEO CONSULTANTS. And now that the cat is officially out of the bag, and there are CLEARLY ways to heavily influence the listings, they are rethinking their options at this point.

    As I mentioned above, why couldn't Google just cut SEO'ers outta the Places picture directly? They would have a much much harder/impossible time doing this with basic SEO, PPC, etc. But MAPS/PLACES is really "new" and completely "under their control" if they so choose at this point I'd imagine.

    - Jim
    • [1] reply
    • Jim,

      I really don't think the reasons for major bugs has anything to do with courses being released.

      In the grand scheme of things the number of people optimizing their listings as a result of these courses is negligible.

      Riz

      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Thanks Linda. Some food for thought. I've used Google Places before for clients and also would it buggy from time to time.
  • Tags work well. My client uses them for coupons and gets extra clicks to his website. He has also seen a lot more foot traffic from google places.

    Google Places coupon tags works really well and IMO are better than some services like bogopod.com
  • Riz,

    I'd like to agree with you and think I am just being a bit paranoid, but I wouldn't be so sure that these WSO courses have not impacted the Places area. I agree though, in the grand scheme it is probably slight stuff.

    I have just noticed that a few of the MAJOR tips (that previously no one was talking about) in these courses, well now a few of my Places listings are having trouble "recognizing" some of these types of "citations" mentioned. These "citations" are EASILY automated as well, which can really ramp up their overall effects in the grand scheme of things. Like I said though, I'm paranoid in general.

    Linda, it seems you have a lot of experience in the Places arena. Do you foresee them going to a "featured/pay to play" model anytime soon? How about cutting us SEO'ers outta the Places picture? Ex: We might still be able to help the businesses that don't want to pay a flat "monthly fee" for "the featured local listings", but the guys in the "featured" section will obviously scoop up the majority of the clicks. Or do you see it just coniniuing to be buggy/and evolve into an area that us SEO'ers can truly and reliably work in. The name of the SEO game is "change", but Places is changing so much that I just don't see a clear END RESULT, and I'd like to hear what other warriors think that END RESULT will look like.

    - Jim
    • [1] reply
    • Hey Jim, great Qs.

      Wish I had a crystal ball but I don't. All I know is that since G just moved Marissa Mayer over to head up Places, they must have big plans for local.

      However due to the chronic, long standing lack of support for Google local as a small business listing service, I'm not so sure their focus is going to be on local the way we think of local. (As SEO or helping small businesses). I wonder if possibly more of their emphasis on local will be mobile-oriented and check-in oriented, like 4square and others.
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