Previously, if you searched for a city specific phrase, like "Accounting Firm San Diego", Google displayed the local map on top, then the local results followed by the organic results. Paid ads were and still are listed in the right column and directly beneath the search bar. But now the Places listings seem to have gained higher visibility in the top rankings, pushing down the pure organic results.

This is a great opportunity for local accounting firms. If you are an accountant based in San Ramon, California and a person types "San Ramon Accountant" in Google, you want to be at the top of the results page. Local accountants with Google Place Pages will be listed first and will be highlighted by the Google pin drop icon. Google has made it easier for people to find local businesses.

What exactly is a Google Place Page? A Google Place Page is a webpage tied to Google Maps that lists information, whether is a business, a neighborhood or a landmark. It can include a link to your official website, photos, directions to your office, and other details. Google has made these pages even more robust recently, and business owners can now advertise special offers and more. Click here to view an example of Emochila client Wagner & Co.'s Place Page. If you type "Accounting Firm San Diego" into Google you will notice that they are listed first in the search results.

How will these changes affect accountants? It is still too early to know exactly how this will play out, and SEO experts will continue to debate how this blend of organic and local will affect search rankings. But there a few things that we recommend accounting firms to do:

First, optimize your Google Place Page. You should claim your Google Place Page at http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter. It is really easy and takes 5 minutes to do so. Log in with your Gmail account. Enter in the details about your business including your website url. You will then need to verify that you are the business owner. Make sure your listing is complete and accurate. It is important to ensure that your business location is entered correctly on the map so users can find you easily. You can drag the map marker to your exact business location. You can include images and videos to help your listing stand out. This will help your ranking when Google crawls and indexes your website.

Secondly, don't underestimate Reviews and Testimonials. Google uses reviews and feedback to improve search results. On your new Google Place page, users can review your business and make you stand out further in the search results. Google is also surfacing reviews from 3rd parties including Yelp, CitySearch and InsiderPages. Encourage your own happy clients to review your business on your Google Page and these other websites.

Thirdly, continue to improve SEO. It is still very important to continue to optimize your website. You can do this by building links that go to your website, submitting your site to all the major search engines, and submitting your site to directories in order to gradually bring up your ranking. Launching a blog is also a great (and cost-effective) way to drive traffic to your website. If you post to your blog at least once a week and provide valuable content to your readers, this will keep people coming back to your website for fresh content.

Overall, these change seem to favor local businesses and represent an important opportunity for small and medium sized accounting firms. Remember, SEO takes time, but Google's investment in local search should help users find your business more easily in the long-term.