Yesterday Google rolled out a new user interface of its SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages). What you will quickly notice is the colorful Search Options column left of the results. Some of the options were made available a year ago and more were added in October, 2009. The difference between then and now is that before you had to open the search options column, which was minimized by default. Many Google users did not notice they had those options. The new  colorful Search Options column changes that.

What is the impact? Well, searchers will easily be able to filter their search results in several different ways. Searchers should be able to see more relevant results by refining their search using one or more of the options in Google’s Search Options Column. For our website clients, it means your potential customers or visitors will be using more specific criteria to find your product or service. One of the options I believe will be used frequently is the “sites with images” filters. Quality photos on your website are more important than ever. I also believe “related searches” will be used frequently

There is much more that I could write about Google’s new user interface, but search guru Danny Sullivan wrote a great blog post detailing the features, so I am just going to send you to search engine land so you may read about it.

Here is Google’s official announcement. I’ll be following up with a post about the options I believe will impact our website clients the most..

Google says, “One out five Google searches is related to location.” Considering that a very high number of SERPs (search engine result pages) will display a map with a list of locations next to it, it behooves every business to take control of their renamed “Google Places” page.

On these pages and in countless recommendations to clients, we have, for years, stressed the importance of using the Google Maps Local Business Center (remember, we talked about using coupons, and Click-to-Call phone numbers) to take control of and optimize what Google displays next to a map when Google users do a search related to location (aka “geographically qualified search”) for your business or a product or service you may sell. As of April 20, 2010, the poorly-named Local Business Center is now named “Google Places.”

As usual for Google, the newly named Google Places comes with several new features. Unfortunately and as usual for Google, the search users and clients they serve in rural, lower-populated areas, cannot take advantage all of the new features. I understand the business decisions by Google to concentrate where they get the most return by targeting large population areas with the most potential customers. That said, I sometimes wonder if some of the people at Google don’t overlook that many areas with small populations and what they have to offer are destinations for those in metropolitan areas. I digress.

Some of the newest Google Places features:

Service areas: You can now show which geographic areas you serve. And if you run a business without a storefront or office location, you can now make your address private.

Others include:

• A new, simple way to advertise: For just $25 per month, businesses in select cities can make their listings stand out on Google.com and Google Maps with Tags. (Select cities are the keywords here, so this won’t be available to many.)
• Business photo shoots: In addition to uploading their own photos, businesses in select cities can now request a free photo shoot of the interior of their business. (Again, select cities are the keywords here.)
• Customized QR codes
• Favorite Places:

You may read all about it here in Google Pages announcement.

The bottomline is that you should, as before, enhance your listing with the map when it is displayed in Google’s SERPs. Now it is easier and you can do much more with your new Google Places page.

If you haven’t taken advantage of this, all it costs is a little time, and you will get start getting more self-qualified traffic from searches related to location. Sign up today!

As is the case here, most of the time what we post in this blog isn’t breaking news, nor anyone’s trade secret. It is usually just stuff that makes sense and works. Well this does both.

Many times, when people using their mobile devices search for local businesses, they are looking for phone numbers, not just addresses. Well, don’t disappoint them, When they are looking for a restaurant or a business, serve up a phone number where they can “Click-to-Call.” Don’t lose that opportunity to talk with them!

Google says, “you can make it even easier for potential customers to reach you by adding a location-specific business phone number in ads that appear on mobile devices with full internet browsers. Users can click the number to call you just as easily as clicking to visit your website. And, since ads can be served based on user location, a potential customer will see — and can click to call — the phone number of your store location that’s nearest to them, not one that’s across town.”

You may display the phone number from your Google Maps Local Business (If you have been reading this blog, you know we feel you should have a Google Maps Local Business listing.) listing by linking to that account. Additionally, you may manually enter a display phone number in your AdWords account.

Customers will not only be able to click (or push) on the number to call, you will be able to track the calls in your AdWords account. Please remember these will only show on mobile devices with full internet browsers, not all cell phones.

Jump over to the Google Inside AdWords to read how to track your callers, and more details about Click-to-Call.

According to Google, “Advertisers who participated in the beta trial have seen improved click-through rates. Plus, many advertisers received more visits to their websites in addition to incremental phone calls.”

If you are thinking this would be great for ads other than local ad delivery, well Google thinks so as well. A few days ago they rolled out their “Enhanced click-to-call phone numbers.” To display your national business phone number on mobile devices with full browsers, follow the two steps listed in this Inside AdWords post.

Just a few clicks on your part, will have self-qualified, potential customers clicking to call you!