Maybe it’s because my city, Austin, was one of the lucky cities chosen to be part of the Google places campaign to get local business attractions noticed on a larger scale … but I have to say: I love what is happening with Google places.

If you don’t know already, you should know that the purpose is to help businesses get found by local customers. It’s a great marketing tool for small businesses and it’s beneficial to users who are looking for the kind of places they like to go. It’s especially useful if you’re visiting a city and are looking for where to eat, shop, drink, listen to music, and then lay down at night. In an earlier blog, I explained how rating & reviewing your favorite local spots makes this whole thing work.

Additonally, finding out what you like will help Google gather more information about your personal tastes (providing fodder for targeted advertising) and it helps return results that are more relevant and human than what their algorithms say. The rating product was originally named Hotpot, but since that’s being integrated into Google places, the name is going away. I like the name but if it’s choice between that & making things more streamlined, adios Hotpot! It took a while for the name to grow on me, anyway. I’m not attached.

At any rate, I like that user input is helping drive this thing and I like keeping up with the Google places blog, where we get a glimpse into the responsibilities of employees and how they’re interacting with locals in the designated campaign cities. Recently, they covered Doggie Day Out here in Austin, mentioned some of the other events happening that weekend & cool spots to visit as well as invited readers to rate & review the places they’d experienced that weekend.

San Diego is next to be added to the Google places list of the most awesome cities in the world!