Just as we’re all getting used to the Google Panda/Farmer update (so good they named it twice), a new service from Google appears on the horizon in the shape of Google Boost.
Boost has been rolled out in the USA and has been tested over there for last few months, so we can expect it to be launched here by the end of the year.
It has been ‘under the radar’ a little, especially compared with the much-debated Panda/Farmer update and that is because it is more of an "additional extra" than a fundamental overhaul of the Google algorithm that Panda/Farmer was. That’s not to say it won’t be important.
What is Google Boost? It’s a cross between Google Adwords PPC and Google Places. You can pay to have an advert to appear within the usual Adwords listings, but the ad has your location information, phone number and your review information (see screenshot below).
(Screenshot is from testing)
The advert is setup from the Google Places interface, you simply write the advert and set a budget. The placement of the advert is automated, much like your Places listing. You will notice from the screenshot that the Boost advert takes up more room than the Adwords advert or the Places listing, so you can dominate the page.