Often when we search the web we want to go back and find the same result only to find that it has disappeared. I read somewhere that 80% of our purchases are local within a 20 mile radius of our homes. I’m working on a few Local Search Optimization projects and I often “consult” or research other local search engine optimization specialists just to make sure I’m on the right track.

In doing a search for a well known business in SEO and local I wanted to see how they them selves ranked in Google Places. I mistyped the keywords so this is probably why they did not show up. However what was more interesting were the results that showed up after I clicked on “Rate Places to Improve my Recommendations.

What I got was a grid like listing of several places listings that I could: save for later, star, save as “not interested.” So now I am compiling a database for Google of the places I like and don’t like. I am compiling this database for myself as well so next time I want to go to a different city I can check the places I want to go back to or visit for the first time while I’m there with the easy access of Google.

Living, traveling, planning entertaining and working might just have gotten a little bit easier with Google.