SEOMoz’s Rand Fishkin, is the only responder I’ve seen who’s released a video concerning the update. He discussed the changes with Mike King of @iPullRank. One of the most important takeaways from the video is how they believe timestamps, specifically in the XML sitemaps could see a boost in terms of importance. A trend you’ll notice as you read more reactions.…. more

The 2011 State of Digital Marketing Report surveyed over 500 U.S. online marketers in August and September. Approximately two-thirds of the respondents were B2B marketers. Both B2B and B2C marketers agreed SEO had the biggest impact on generating leads. In their responses, 57 percent of B2B marketers and 41 percent of B2C marketers said SEO was their primary source for generating leads.

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Here are my top tips to improve your Google Places page rankings:

1. Get Verified
The first step to get your Google Places listing on Google SERPs is to get it verified. This can be done through Phone SMS, Phone Call or through mail. Google will send you a pin code which you simply have to enter into your Google Places account.

2. Add keywords to your business description, but not too many
Throughout the setup process of the Google Places page you can describe your business in up to 200 characters. While you should use your most important keywords in this section, don’t just stuff keywords in. Write a useful, compelling description that will appeal to readers and Google.

3. Use the right categories to describe your business
With the categories you have to play by Google’s rules a little bit – you need to choose at least one or two categories that actually exist. Start typing and see what Google suggests to you, then you will still get the chance to invent three categories based what you actually do.

4. Make the most of the ‘Additional Details’ area
Not only is this a great way to get some more details of your business onto the page, it is also a great place to insert some of those keywords that will rank well. Most people just don’t seem to bother filling this in – stay one step in front of the competition!

5. Get list in other online business directories
Listings of your business in directories such as Local.com, Yellowpages.com, your local city’s chamber of commerce, or a directory affiliated with your profession can help boost your Place page’s ranking.

6. Space out the time when customers’ reviews are posted
Google will smell a rat if your reviews appear all at once. This might cause Google to push your Place page down in search results. So make sure your customer’s post their reviews in a steady stream.

7. Don’t forget to add videos and images
While this isn’t going to be a huge help to boost your ranking, geo-tagged photos and videos in particular may give you a bump. You can add up to 10 photos and up to five videos for free and these may make your Places page more appealing to searchers.

8. Monitor your Places page statistics.
By logging into your Places page account every so often you will be provided with a variety of statistics to help you better optimize your page. This includes the top search queries that caused users to see your listing and how many clicks occurred to your website over the past week or month.

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Highlighting the growing importance of local SEO and mobile marketing, a new study from mobile media company JiWire found that mobile consumers are becoming more comfortable sharing their location information to gain access to relevant content.

In a survey of more than 2,800 U.S. consumers, 53 percent of respondents indicated they would share their location to find local deals and offerings on their mobile devices.

This represents a significant shift from even a few months ago, when mobile companies like Apple and Google came under fire for their use of location-tracking tools. However, as internet-connected devices become more popular, consumers seem to be realizing the advantages of having access to local information at their fingertips – a trend that marketers would be well advised to note.

According to the report, price comparison is considered the most useful tool when it comes to mobile shopping, cited by 31 percent of respondents. Additionally, 29 percent of consumers said they use mobile devices to look for promotions and sales within a mile of their location.

Smaller businesses, in particular, are recognizing the potential of a strong mobile marketing campaign. As recently reported, a new study from Borrell Associates found that 83 percent of small companies have incorporated mobile into their marketing campaigns, as the strategy has proven to be an effective way to entice consumers and drive new business.