Google Business Center is Now Google Places

photo credit: abraham.williams

I’m sure you are all excited about this name change…well maybe excited is a little strong…ok most of you don’t care at all!

But what you should care about and take notice of is the statistics ( Yea I know statistics are boring but try and stay awake anyway ) included in the announcement.

According to Google 20% of all searches are related to location.  So in March of this year that means that 3 billion searches were made with the intention of getting information about something, perhaps a product or service, in the searchers  immediate area.  3 billion…that’s a bunch!!

The numbers below are a cut and paste from Google Places.

Google and Local Businesses, by the numbers:

• ”More than 4 million business listings on Google claimed by business owners (using the Local Business Center, now Google Places)
  • Nearly 2 million listings have been claimed in the United States
• 20% of searches on Google are related to location
• There are 50 million Place Pages
  • These cover all types of places, ranging from businesses like tailors, restaurants, and optometrists to locations like dog parks, transit stations, and baseball fields.
• Place Pages are viewed millions of times each day
• We have mailed out Favorite Places window decals to around 200,000 businesses around the United States”

So what do all these numbers mean to you as a business person.   They mean more business and that means more money!!  Which in kinda why we are in business in the first place.

If you aren’t listed in Google Places then you are losing out on an opportunity to grow your business.

Do you have any questions about Google Places?  If you do please contact The Blog Builder Guy and I’ll do my best to help you out.