Google Maps turned into powerful tool for local businesses and companies. It generates not only traffic but quality leads and many business owners already noticed that more consumers find them browsing Google maps. Every day more people use cell phones with Google Maps application, notebooks, and gadgets which allow not only to get directions but to find local businesses as well. More iPhone applications appear which allow finding what around you and where to shop. Google Maps presence can increase amount of leads or work and conversion funnel helping to convert existing leads into sales.

 In example above you can see car dealer from Massachusetts which got 158 visitors from Google Maps to their site. Call tracking showed that 17 phone calls came after people saw listing on the maps. 7 walk-in customers said that they were using Google Maps.  Leads improved dramatically after dealership owners reviewed Google Maps listing and made adjustments in Google Business Center by adding photos, more information about business, and detailed description.
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Last week Jeremy Shoemaker made a post SEO’s Need To Adapt Or Die explaining that SEO’s need to blame themselves and not recession. Jeremy also pointed that SEO is not important as it used to be because everyone knows how to make site appear on top of Google and many technology companies create SEO friendly products which can help.

I’ll agree with Jeremy that SEO’s need to change to stay in business but I am defiantly not agree about technology companies. Of course many content management platforms are trying to create software which is SEO friendly but there are still a lot of work needs to be done by human being who can review product and make adjustments. Wordpress, for example, there are still a lot of fixes needs to be allied by professional SEO. Most content management providers create custom product for everyone, but every website and idea is unique and it is work of SEO specialist to improve new shopping blog, photo blog, blog social site, or business news for search engines.
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Many experts was trying to explain of what the Google Algorithm formula might look like. Some of them came with very close ideas but it was still just thoughts, guesses, theory with lack of evidence.

 Search Engine Optimization can not become exact science because Google (as well as other search engines) keeps it’s formula / algorithm in a secret. We decided to challenge ourself and explain Google Algorithm and what to look at optimizing a website. Our work based on observations, research, reading, discussions, experience, and rankings of a websites we can track.
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