Google is trying an experiment in simplifying how local businesses can use Adwords in San Diego and San Francisco. The big difference is instead of doing a key word auction they get a flat rate for their advertising on Google. The other big feature is that Google is also making available linking a phone # [...]

Yesterday Google announced a new service called Place Pages. This is an evolution of Google’s efforts for creating Business Listing for all businesses with a physical address. One of the changes is that unlike the local business listing where information is collected by Google’s search engine, anyone can edit the info until the business owner [...]

I continue to find new value in Google’s Local Business Listing. I work with several restaurants and it is clear that restaurants are on the forefront of leveraging Web 2.0 technologies. The most recent data point is that two restaurants (Miles away from freeway off ramps) I support are finding drivers with web based GPS [...]
