Google’s New City Pages

What You Need to Know About Google’s New City Pages

Yet another new thing on the horizon from Google! Google’s new City Pages appeared recently in the US so us here in the UK are most likely oblivious to what happened.

What are Google City Pages?

City Pages or City Portals are more or less business directories and at the moment, just for a few chosen cities that have been selected by Google. It’s important for us in the United Kingdom though as it won’t be long before this is rolled out here. These city pages are built from Google’s Place page information so it will be even more important for businesses to have claimed and properly updated their Google Places page. The concept behind City Pages is to allow web visitors to focus on a particular City Page and then quickly find what they want within that information.

City Pages include:

• A directory or listing of local businesses, collecting all the information from Google Places pages.
• A community page that gives region-specific announcements and information.
• A control panel for business owners that will allow offer resources and local advertising.
• In the future, it will provide the Google Offers service.

The interesting thing about this is that Google City pages will put Google in direct competition with sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. Plus, other review sites. So how this will affect search results is anyone’s guess at the moment but it does seem like an information battle is on the horizon.

What will the Google City pages look like?

I’ve managed to grab a shot of Portland city page to give you a preview of what our UK city pages might look like.

Example of a Google City Page

These pages will be mobile friendly as well as visually appealing. They will list business alphabetically be default but there is a feature to sort by Ratings as well. This means that the more good reviews your business has, the better you’ll be placed on these pages.

You can then choose a category such as Cafes, Hotels, Restaurants, Shopping, etc. Plus subcategories, so if you’re looking for a restaurant but only want seafood, then you’ll be able to filter those results. Even categories such as family friendly or bar scene to really narrow down and find exactly what you’re looking for. Or should I say what your customers are looking for.

Links to Your Google Places Page Not Your Website

The listings on the City Pages will go to a business’ Place page and not the business’ website. So it will be vital for your business to have a well maintained Places page plus your customer reviews prominently displayed.

What does this mean for your Business?

Knowing what Google have planned is an excellent opportunity for any business to make sure they are ready for the changes. Optimising your website and your Places page, for blended search results, is probably the most important thing you can be doing now in order for your business to be ready for the changes that are bound to arrive here soon. Being the first off the mark may mean a huge boost to your bottom line as customers are always eager to try new technology and you could be sitting there waiting and ready for them to arrive through your door.

Things You Can be Doing Now

1. Ensure your business looks good. I mean on the street as your photo will be taken and you want to be sure that it looks inviting. You can see from the images above just what I mean.
2. Think about getting a professional photo shoot done. Never underestimate the power of a great photo to sell your products and services.
3. Make sure you have claimed your Places page for your business and if you have, ensure that it is 100% complete.
4. Get your customers to review your business on your Places page, the more reviews you have the better you will rank in the search engines.
5. Make sure your website is ready for new visitors and that it’s fully optimised for Local Search and Organic Search Engine rankings.

Final Note:

Remember, if you would like to talk over any of the issues in this article or how your business can be found online more easily, then get in touch on 01348 874 539.