Everyone’s buzzing about the new social media launch from Google dubbed “Google Buzz.” While millions of people are checking out the great new features it brings and new worlds of communication it has literally just opened up, all of us in the search engine optimization profession are asking, “How Will it Affect Local SEO?”
Let me first point out a few all but obvious strategic advantages Google Buzz has over its competition:
* Google is darn near synonymous with search, what I am saying is they control the gateway!
* Google Maps is by far the most used maps application on smart phones
* All Gmail accounts were automatically enrolled in Buzz
* Oh Yeah… and all new smart phone users that use Android automatically set up a Gmail account
I know you are thinking, they are devious geniuses… and I would have to agree!
With that said I don’t see Google Buzz taking over Facebook or Twitter in the near future in the social media realm but from a Local SEO perspective Google Buzz in the very near future will provide more Local SEO benefit than Facebook or Twitter will. I will clarify the prior statement in just a second, but first I want to share some of my experiences so far to help you get an idea on how Google Buzz may impact your company’s brand and online presence in the near future (yesterday).
I have been “buzzin” since they launched Google Buzz. First jumping into it from Gmail I was seemingly unimpressed. It wasn’t until I jumped on from my mobile phone through the updated Google Maps application that my brain started reeling! You can set a layer in your Google Maps application that allows you to see all of the other people who are “buzzin” in your local area. Though this does bring up many privacy issues (that we are not going to discuss right now, but you can choose not to share publicly), it is really cool!
When you search for businesses in Google Maps and you go to their mobile place page there is now a button that says “Buzz about this place”. You can Buzz about a business you like, you don’t like, etc. This is an area where Google is leagues a head of Facebook or Twitter as people who are using Google Maps to search for local businesses will be able to see what other people are saying about this business, much like a review.
So how is this all going to affect local SEO? Good Question!
First let’s discuss what is already in place and then let’s speculate about possible next steps by Google. Deal? OK, so we already established that Google Buzz is built into Google Maps Mobile edition, that people can buzz about businesses and that other people can see theses posts on their mobile Google Map, so it is pretty obvious that we want as much positive buzz as possible, right? Makes sense. Also, if someone posts negative buzz about your business, you may want to reply to their post to help bring them back in and salvage whatever went wrong, this also will tell other people that see this Buzz that you are concerned about your customers and that this is most likely an isolated incident. Yes, if you thought you were avoiding social media, your not anymore!
Now, let’s speculate what a few next steps for Google might be. I was writing an article on the future of search and what is interesting to me is that what I was speculating would come about in the next 3 years is partially here with the launch of Google Buzz and much more will follow in 2010. But, back to our speculation… It seems obvious to me that standard Google Place Pages will soon incorporate the “Buzz about this business” feature (Feel free to share your thoughts below if you agree or disagree). I believe they will also have a section on the Google Place Page which says something akin to “What’s the Buzz about this Business” and lists public Buzzes about the business (Again think of these as reviews). I would also think that Google would want to add a layer in their desktop Google Maps which allows Buzz users to add that same layer.
My last speculation! I promise!
I have been participating in one of Google’s lab studies with Social Media & search, but haven’t been super impressed by it and actually stopped participating a little while ago. The premise was that search results would incorporate information from your friends on social networks in the search results, so your friends posts from Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, etc. What is all but obvious to me now, is that they were running that lab test to determine how to best serve Google Buzz results along with “the other” social media platforms in search results most effectively. So, I believe in the very near future we will start seeing this lab released as a full blow feature or at least one that can be selected to show local social information on what you are searching.
23 Comments on "Google Buzz – How Will it Affect Local SEO?"
Very good point with the local SEO affects of google buzz, what do you think about non local SEO affect of google buzz?
Great article, thanks.
I agree Kevin, there is a whole lot more to come from Buzz and I for one am looking forward to finding out about it.
A useful and informative article as usual.
Google Buzz is really useful to increase your web traffic.I have already integrated a Google Buzz Widget to my website.
thanks, really its intersting
thanks 4 the great info bt at the moment i have not figured how 2 use buzz yet but with this article i see great potential in buzz.
It’s a rip off of hotmail’s little myspac3e clone thingy.
except it posts all of your feeds to your friends and family. Kind of sucks if you posted stuff you really do not want your friends or family to see or read. to me it is a straight out intrusion of creative freedom. can’t be free if you worry about what family thinks. anonymity is great way to say what needs to be said. you know… like if you had a blog or something that you just vented your frustrations of, and now all the people you talk about, can read it….
Well, If your business is going to get buzzed it first needs to actually show up in Mobile Maps or Google Maps.
So basic Local SEO still applies. We have implemented David’s Mihm’s Local Search Ecosystem to hand submit listings to Local Directories and get as many citations as possible on a national basis. The next realm would be geo specific citations.
Your right.. everyone is buzzing.. The biggest topic when I press my buzz button is “How much is this going to effect Twitter. I hold 4 twitter account all on auto so if everyone is doing the same.. whats the point.. Now spending 2 hours a day in Buzz.. A1+ to google the devious geniuses.
Google Buzz is all new to me. I have Google Buzz but have not used it.
GREAT INFO;I’M BUZZIN TOO,AND I KEEP PEELING AWAY LAYERS TO DISCOVER [MORELAYERS] WHAT A POWERFUL TOOL THIS WILL BECOME.
YOU’RE GOOD
I’m justing understand twitter now, so the world changes so high, go buzz together!
Nice artikel ! .thx
Google buzz is a new powerful marketing tool. It is very tough in which direction it will go in the future. But it can be guessed that it is another successful product from google. Google Buzz will not replace Twitter or Facebook but obviously will be a competitor.
how can add more friends from buzz
Thank you everyone for the great comments! Come visit me on Google Buzz… My profile is google.com/profiles/kevin.getch
SEO is ever evolving and as social media sites evolve, so with search engine optimization and internet marketing. Driving traffic to a website is the name of the game, and is the necessary part of marketing – just like print and media advertising and promotion in ‘the old days’. Great article!
Thanks for the article on Google Buzz. Looks like I need to get more familiar with this soon.
Great post and i also expect buzz to start picking up..its early days anyway. How long did it take twitter to gain such popular appeal??
And how long did it take business’ to jump on the band wagon?
Daniel
I think buzz will be the future of pagerank and position ranking. It will be in the google algorithm and will eliminate any seo company trying to link build and cheat the system. google buzz + content + = pagerank and position
I wonder what you think of this a few months down the line? Would be interesting to see a follow up post… Personally I don’t think Buzz ever took off quite the way people expected / Google hoped. Though I’m hearing these rumours of a full blown social network to rival Facebook in the pipeline – thinking they’re already too late though!
Natasha
I’m not sure that buzz has taken off the way that Google intended – there is just too much noise.
I use Google Buzz, I never knew why, until now, LOL
I was told to do it by a SEO Guy, and I listened to him.