Google+ Needs Tight Local Networks To Succeed

SearchEngineLand just published Google Plus Connections Are The New Link, some thoughts of mine on how local search co’s and SMBs may try to leverage Google Search Plus Your World to improve local SEO. After rereading it, it seems clear that as more and more organic results are deemed to have “local intent”, the only way that Google Plus content stays relevant is for users to have tight local networks. If that doesn’t happen, Google’s own quality algorithm should purge these results from the SERPs, because they will have low click-through/relevance, either because they are from people I don’t know or because they are from people I know but who are not local. If Google can’t get this kind of local content density, that Twitter firehose is going to be looking a lot more necessary.

Here’s my SERP for “Chinese Restaurants” included in the post. Not really helping me find that moo goo gai pan.