Google seems to have made a small step this week toward what appears to be an emerging business model for local search marketing. This comes as a much anticipated development as it has been several years with very little significant changes to its local search product, Google Maps–formerly Google Local.

The jury is still out on whether or not it has the same effectiveness of the keyword rich, truly organic local search of Maps. We have heard that there is a create an ad button in the LBC admin next to the edit listing link. Problem is that it forces businesses to use prefab categories instead of allowing them to create their own Keyword based categories. We sincerely hope they rethink that "feature" and continue to suggest instead of dictate categories.

We look forward to hearing from our San Francisco and San Diego clients to see if their stats turn out better results than our optimized, verified listings for them. Is this going to be another SEM management opportunity or is it too tedious even for those of us who specialize in local search and have the system streamlined with our teams?

Here is the video explaining the service from Google. Look out big business, mom and pop are biting at your heels with this.

If you think local search isn't an important element of your marketing mix, think again.

As the media and just about everyone else clamors around social networking, SEO and SEM, there is a largely ignored yet powerful marketing tool at our fingertips: Local Search. IACO Media creates strategies and manages listings for its clients and has proven evidence that local search is a marketing asset with measurable ROI.

As a new service and as part of IACO Media's Social Network Marketing program we offer a clever and convenient service to our customers that can instantly increase customer relations, traffic to your site, brand building and many more advantages.