Google’s officially gained a new “plus box” feature that lets you see maps for local businesses right within the search results pages.

New Google UI feature: Plus Box from Matt Cutts gives more details on how it works and how local webmaster can make it happen for their listings.

Depending on the search query and your location, you may see a little plus sign and address information under a search result. When clicked, it opens up more details from Google Maps. The details include business information, a map, the address, driving directions and a phone number.

The feature was first spotted on Threadwatch last month. When I came across it, I found it very helpful.

So as a webmaster, how do you increase the chances your site shows this plus sign? Matt Cutts explains you need a local listing in Google. Here are help documents with more information about that:

• Sometimes an address appears below some search results. Why?

• What browsers does the Plus Box support?
• My business address and phone number are incorrect or missing in the Google search results Plus Box. How can I change this?

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Maps & Local | Google: SEO | Google: User Interface

About The Author: Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here. For more background information on Barry, see his full bio over here. See more articles by Barry Schwartz

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