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Google Coupons Get More Personal

The stealthy local-coupons feature in Google Maps has gotten an upgrade. Mike Blumenthal reports that although it's still quite hard for users to find coupons during a routine local search (and just as difficult for business owners to submit them) those that do, now have the option to integrate coupons into their main search results.

Google Coupons is now part of the Google Co-op, a service that lets users and businesses customize, share and improve search info. If users sign up for the feature as a Subscribed Link, coupons from local businesses will show up above both the paid and natural results during relevant searches.

Some local search providers have taken a blatantly social media-based route when it comes to innovation, allowing users to create richly detailed reviews, recommendations, and even customize the maps for future use. Others have focused on seeding their listings with video results. In the past year Google has made slight inroads in each direction, but the search giant will gain a better grip on the local market if it continues to refine (and perhaps promote) Google Coupons.

Read the whole story at Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search »

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