Google recently launched video reviews for Maps, where Local Guides can post 30-second clips or record 10 seconds of footage directly from the Google Maps app to share the atmosphere, details or personal reviews of a local business. This marks a very large step forward in local search.

Users interacting with maps or local search are accustomed to seeing photos, which help them view a business and its products or services — and ultimately help them make decisions about purchasing.  With the addition of video, users will get a chance to see a business “in motion”, which can expand and provide a much deeper understanding of the local business.

The ability to capture and highlight selling points of a local business has now become easier. Take a restaurant, for example: with a single click, a user can capture the setting and mood, take shots of the food that was served or even add a personal note on their experience. Just as regular reviews did, video reviews will take service and local search to the next level.

There are guidelines for adding effective videos to Google Maps and not everything is allowed, but the value should be quickly evident. Marketers in all industries should be working through strategies on how to produce this content and measure its effectiveness.

Kyle Harris is the Product Manager at DAC and is based out of New York. For more insights on working with an agency partner to maximize your local search presence on Google, please get in touch!