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The biggest news of the week has to do with Google completely eliminating Google Places for business. We are going to be covering that in the main segment of the show.
Shout Out Of The Week
I am introducing a new segment on the show where I do a spotlight a community member of The Local Method in the Shout Out Of The Week.
My first one goes to Dean Mostow. He has a great service for business owners that want to have peice of mind with off-site back up of their data. What I think is really neat about the system is, after a one-time set-up, it runs on autopilot and the business owners don’t have to worry about a thing. It’s automatic.
Lakehead Backup is a business here in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Since Dean is just launching, his prices are very competitive.
Check out his site: Lakehead Backup
BlogWorld & New Media Expo NYC 2012
At the time of this podcast I am just 3 days away from BlogWorld. On the podcast I talk about a service we used to get a killer deal on my accomadations in NYC. I also discuss some of the events I will be attending and what I am hoping to bring back to The Local Method community here. It’s going to be fantastic.
Note: On the podcast I mention the Virtual Ticket is around $99. That is the price as an upgrade for the attending members. If you are not attending the Virtual Ticket price is $399. I believe it is still valuable. If you do want 10% off then my friend Cliff Ravencraft’s code:gspn10
Additional Links Mentioned:
Pat Flynn’s Blog
Derek Halpern’s Blog
Another Great Reason To Attend Chamber Of Commerce Events
Every month the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce has an After Business Event at a member’s place of business. I enjoy attending every one I can.
This month I got real lucky because my name was drawn for the Spotlight. It’s a spread in the monthly newsletter where the Chamber Spotlights a business. In June it’s going to be me. Yay!
In my write up I decided to plug my podcast because I think it’s a good way to show potential clients what I am about and how I am different from the other marketing consultants. Here is something to think about: What makes your business different from your competitors out there? (Please don’t say – Price!).
If something interesting comes regarding the Spotlight you can be sure I will comment on it on a future podcast episode.
The Reason I Do This
Every once in awhile I stop and remind myself why I am spending my free time Podcasting and starting a business. The answer will always boil down to my family. It’s actually funny because my daughter has actually said you can help this business and that business as we ride in the car sometime. I see her being an entrepreneur in the future, I really do.
My Daughter Alexa and I went on a movie date just last week and had a terrific time. I talk about how cool it was to get some 1 on 1 time with her as we enjoyed The Hunger Games Together.
Click to see a picture at the theater here: Alexa at the Hunger Games
Google Axes Places – Big Changes For Local Search
I have talked a lot about Google Places during the first 17 episodes of the Podcast. That is about to come to an end. Just 3 days ago Google has totally removed Google Places from it’s world and merged it with Google Plus. From now on it’s going to be called: Google Plus Local
There is an excellent article at SearchEngineLand explaining the whole change. You can find it at: Google Places Gets Axed
Some Highlights
* The substitution of the new Google+ Local pages (as mentioned) for Google Places pages
* The appearance of a “Local” tab within Google+
* The integration and free availability of Zagat reviews (its entire archive across categories)
* The integration of Google+ Local pages across Google properties (search, Maps, mobile)
* Integration of a circles filter to find reviews/recommendations from friends/family/colleagues
Source: SearchEngineLand
I still have more to learn about this recent change and you can be sure I will keep you up-to-date. My feeling is Google Plus isn’t an option anymore. Google’s influence cannot be ignored if you are a business owner and want to be found online in your city. Even though people will groan at this latest update, it IS for the better.
House Keeping
There was a notification problem with the Market Leadership Audit (MLA). That is fixed now. The people who have requested an MLA are being contacted. Have you requested yours? What are you waiting for?
Remember to sign up for the newsletter on the right had side or below this post. You won’t want to miss some of the subscriber only training I have planned.
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018 The Local Method Podcast | Google Changes Local Search Again | More About BlogWorld | hathazi.co/M9fg6R #BWNYC
— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) June 3, 2012
