(and why Local = Social now)
If you have a business with a local consumer base you are probably already concerned with local search—and if you’re not, then you should be! Up until the last few months Google Places business pages were one of the “must haves” for local search. Then Google started to quietly

phase them out and the familiar reviews with the yellow stars started getting harder to find.

Enter Google+ business Local pages.

Now a business concerned with local search must:
1. Have a Gmail account
2. Get a Google+ account
3. Build a Google+ business Page (like Facebook)
4. Then you can get back to the business of generating good reviews—but they will look different.

Last fall Google bought Zagat, the restaurant review company. They have decided to use Zagat’s 30 point rating system for all businesses. In addition to restaurants they are now phasing in ratings for everything from car mechanics to gyms, detests to hair stylists.

In other words, local search now requires businesses to get social!

To your business success!