How ‘Local’ Can Google Local Search Get?

For a while now we have been seeing little maps, phone numbers and addresses appear in Google’s search results.  Sometimes they would show up and sometimes they wouldn’t, leaving us to wonder just what Google was up to.  Well as it turns out they are on their way to taking over the world.  Okay maybe not, but they are in fact entering the world of localized search.

Posted on the Google Blog Monday,Google gave details on where and when local businesses and services would appear in the search results.  Every time a user searches for a place, business or other location specific information, Google will show a map, provide contact information and in some cases (mainly businesses) present reviews. 

It seems as if it was only a matter of time before we heard about this.  SEO’s have been helping sites optimize for specific locations for years and sites like CitySearch and AOL’s CityGuide have made their names and money from providing users with information on restaurants, bars and attractions in every major city across the United States. 

The only real question I have about this, is how accurate can the Google database be?  Are they gathering their information from the yellow pages?  Are they out trolling the streets taking notes?  Can Google really give results for every small town across the U.S?

I don’t know the answer to this yet but I did a try searching for the dry cleaners in my hometown.  (Quick background - my hometown of Avon, NY is extremely small and barely constitutes a suburb.  We have two stoplights, three banks, three gas stations and no Wal-marts.  We do however have a McDonald’s and a Dollar Store).  The surprising thing was, Google not only gave me the name and location of the one dry cleaner we have, but they offered me directions. 

Congrats to Google on this.  Just one more way to increase your search traffic and one more hurdle we in the search marketing industry have to jump.