| Everyone's buzzing about the new social media launch | | | | Question! |
| from Google dubbed "Google Buzz." While millions of | | | | First let's discuss what is already in place and then let's |
| people are checking out the great new features it | | | | speculate about possible next steps by Google. Deal? |
| brings and new worlds of communication it has literally | | | | OK, so we already established that Google Buzz is |
| just opened up, all of us in the search engine | | | | built into Google Maps Mobile edition, that people can |
| optimization profession are asking, "How Will it Affect | | | | buzz about businesses and that other people can see |
| Local SEO?" | | | | theses posts on their mobile Google Map, so it is pretty |
| Let me first point out a few all but obvious strategic | | | | obvious that we want as much positive buzz as |
| advantages Google Buzz has over its competition: | | | | possible, right? Makes sense. Also, if someone posts |
| - Google is darn near synonymous with search, what I | | | | negative buzz about your business, you may want to |
| am saying is they control the gateway! | | | | reply to their post to help bring them back in and |
| - Google Maps is by far the most used maps | | | | salvage whatever went wrong, this also will tell other |
| application on smart phones | | | | people that see this Buzz that you are concerned |
| - All Gmail accounts were automatically enrolled in | | | | about your customers and that this is most likely an |
| Buzz | | | | isolated incident. Yes, if you thought you were avoiding |
| - Oh Yeah... and all new smart phone users that use | | | | social media, your not anymore! |
| Android automatically set up a Gmail account | | | | Now, let's speculate what a few next steps for |
| I know you are thinking, they are devious geniuses... | | | | Google might be. I was writing an article on the future |
| and I would have to agree! | | | | of search and what is interesting to me is that what I |
| With that said I don't see Google Buzz taking over | | | | was speculating would come about in the next 3 |
| Facebook or Twitter in the near future in the social | | | | years is partially here with the launch of Google Buzz |
| media realm but from a Local SEO perspective | | | | and much more will follow in 2010. But, back to our |
| Google Buzz in the very near future will provide more | | | | speculation... It seems obvious to me that standard |
| Local SEO benefit than Facebook or Twitter will. I will | | | | Google Place Pages will soon incorporate the "Buzz |
| clarify the prior statement in just a second, but first I | | | | about this business" feature (Feel free to share your |
| want to share some of my experiences so far to help | | | | thoughts below if you agree or disagree). I believe they |
| you get an idea on how Google Buzz may impact | | | | will also have a section on the Google Place Page |
| your company's brand and online presence in the near | | | | which says something akin to "What's the Buzz about |
| future (yesterday). | | | | this Business" and lists public Buzzes about the |
| I have been "buzzin" since they launched Google Buzz | | | | business (Again think of these as reviews). I would also |
| yesterday. First jumping into it from Gmail I was | | | | think that Google would want to add a layer in their |
| seemingly unimpressed. It wasn't until I jumped on from | | | | desktop Google Maps which allows Buzz users to add |
| my mobile phone through the updated Google Maps | | | | that same layer. |
| application that my brain started reeling! You can set a | | | | My last speculation! I promise! |
| layer in your Google Maps application that allows you | | | | I have been participating in one of Google's lab studies |
| to see all of the other people who are "buzzin" in your | | | | with Social Media & search, but haven't been |
| local area. Though this does bring up many privacy | | | | super impressed by it and actually stopped participating |
| issues (that we are not going to discuss right now, but | | | | a little while ago. The premise was that search results |
| you can choose not to share publicly), it is really cool! | | | | would incorporate information from your friends on |
| When you search for businesses in Google Maps and | | | | social networks in the search results, so your friends |
| you go to their mobile place page there is now a | | | | posts from Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, etc. What is |
| button that says "Buzz about this place". You can | | | | all but obvious to me now, is that they were running |
| Buzz about a business you like, you don't like, etc. This | | | | that lab test to determine how to best serve Google |
| is an area where Google is leagues a head of | | | | Buzz results along with "the other" social media |
| Facebook or Twitter as people who are using Google | | | | platforms in search results most effectively. So, I |
| Maps to search for local businesses will be able to see | | | | believe in the very near future we will start seeing this |
| what other people are saying about this business, | | | | lab released as a full blow feature or at least one that |
| much like a review. | | | | can be selected to show local social information on |
| | | | what you are searching. |
| So how is this all going to affect local SEO? Good | | | | |