Everybody likes a good book to read during the summer – at the beach, lakeside cottage or your backyard – reading is a great escape from everyday tasks and is quite relaxing. Whether it be fiction, non-fiction, a novel or short story, summer reading is something many of us look forward to. This summer I plan to read a book or two, but my priority is to keep up with my favorite blogs. If you are into Google+ Local, Google+ Your Business and Local Search Optimization as I am, here’s a list of excellent blogs that will keep you up-to-date, well informed and entertained.
Google and Your Business Blog
This is where you get information not only on Google+ Local, Google+ Your Business and Local search, but also other Google Products. I’ll usually skim through to see if there’s anything new on local search and the products I’m interested in. They recently started posting Google+ Help Desk hangouts on Air, which are interesting and informational. The Google+ Hangouts are a great way for you to meet some of the Google experts behind the scenes that really do want to help the local business owner be successful.
MIHMORANDUM
David Nihm hosts this blog and it’s all about Google+ Local and local search optimization. While you’re on his website, take a look at his Clients page with Local Search Engine Optimization Client Case Studies + Testimonials. David’s 2012 Local Search Ranking Factors came out recently – this is going to be my first read of the summer. David is co-founder of GetListed.org and helps organize and participates in GetListed.org Local University.
Understanding Google Places & Local Search – Developing Knowledge about Local Search
Hosted by Mike Blumenthal – this blog “ROCKS”. The main focus is on G+ Local and local search. Mike has the local business owner’s best interest in mind. When something major happens; he is the first one on the scene – you know that you are getting up-to-date accurate information. He interacts with the people who make comments on his blog and gives credit to people that bring an idea or topic to his attention. The comments by the way are great – Mike is interactive in answering questions and speaking to the comments. Many of the people that help in the Google and Your business forum make comments on his blog. You start to get to know who the real experts are in this evolving industry. Mike is a top contributor in the Google and Your Business Forum and a part of the faculty at GetListed.org Local University.
Local Visibility Systems
Phil Rozek hosts this blog and website. His blog posts are so entertaining – descriptive and funny – while including valuable information. He lives, breathes and conquers Google+ Local. He also has some free resources that include The 7-Step Guide to getting Visible to More Customers in the Local Search Results and the Definitive List of Local Citations that we downloaded and edited for our use. He’s a great guy and easy to communicate with. A must read summer blog!
Catalyst eMarketing
Linda Buquet hosts this blog and is a Top Contributor in the Google and Your Business Forum. We first met Linda online in the Forum when elSue had a big Google Places client issue. She took control, got Google involved and our issue was resolved. Ever since then, I know if I post an issue in the Google and Your Business forum, Linda or one of the top contributors will reach out to help. Linda is now on LinkedIn and participates in some of their local search groups.
NGS Marketing
The host, Nyagoslav Zhekov, is seen just about any place on the web that has to do with Google+ Local and local search. He is a Top Contributor in the Google and Your Business Forum. His studies and writings on citation building is worth reading – the first of a series on his blog is Local Citation Building Study Part 1: Niche-Relevant Local Citation Sources. There is plenty of great reads not only on is blog, but his website. Nyagoslav is a wealth of information and interacts on other blogs pertaining to Google+ Local and Local Search with his informational comments.
Google+ Your Business Page
Although this is not a blog, I’m adding this to summer reading since Google+ Business pages are now starting to merge with Google+ Local. It is another way to keep on top of Google+ Your Business updates, see what Google people have to say and another place where they post Google+ Helpdesk Hangout’s weekly. There’s a lot you can learn from those that post and comment on this page.
Wrap-up
That sums up my favorite Blogs for summer time reading – In reality I read these Blogs year round. A common thred among all of these blogs is that the hosts participate in Google and Your Business forum and each others blogs. If you want to stay on top of Google+ Local, Google+ Your Business and local search they are the “go to” reads. Reading what the experts have to say will help us as a business to accomplish our main goal – to help local businesses grow their online presensence and appear on the first page of the local search engine results. We would like to hear what your favorite blogs pertaining to Local Search so that we can add them to our summer reading list.
