Google recently improved its Local search service for businesses by giving you the opportunity to upload up to ten photographs of your store front, logo, products, and employees. This helps you to stand out from your competition, making it more likely that searchers will click on your Local link.

If you haven’t discovered Google Local yet, it’s an important way to promote your business and expand its web presence. You can set up an account by visiting http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter. Once your account is set up, you can enter a few sentences about your company, and have your business listed in multiple pre-defined categories that visitors may be searching for.

Local search is an integral part of Google Maps when you type in a location along with your search phrase. For example, go to http://maps.google.com and search for “web site design Fort Collins”. You’ll get a listing of web design agencies including my company, CodeGeek.net. Local search is fun – try “free wi fi Fort Collins” or “Italian Fort Collins”.

In many cases Local search is activated during regular Google searches too, when you include a location in the search phrase. You can tell you are being served Local search results by the heading “Local business results for [your search phrase]” above the first few listings.

Google Local, along with numerous other local search products including offerings from Yahoo!, MSN, and more, are there to provide targeted results when searchers are seeking services in a particular geographic area. As the web evolves, we are going to see more and more information based on location. Keep an eye on the larger field of geocoding and where it’s heading. Local search is truly just the first wave, so be sure to get on board today.

In addition to providing you space for ten images, Google Local allows you create coupons for your services that appear as a tab in the bubble above your business location in Google Maps. Your customers are using Google more and phone books less every day. Why turn down free advertising?

Finally, your customers can also post reviews of your business in your Google Local listing. Encourage your happy patrons to write a sentence or two about you and post it. We all know that word of mouth is the best advertising there is. This is the web based version!

Your web presence is more than just your web site. Stay on the leading edge by getting local.