By Google's own admission, they make between 500-600 changes to the algorithm every year, so being aware of all of them and how they affect your site can be a full time job. If you're frustrated trying to keep up with all the changes that take place within the Google Local search space, then take heart, you're not alone!

If your head starts spinning at the mere mention of things like Pigeon, the Local Carousel, and MobileGeddon, then we have good news for you.

We've assembled a list of 7 local SEO best practices you can use when it comes to optimizing your pages for local SEO. Most won't require a huge technical effort, but can yield significantly better results for you if you get them done!

7 Easy to do Local SEO Best Practices

1 – Don't stop link building

But do it naturally! Make sure you are creating awesome content that is getting shared as widely as possible, and watch the links flow in. These are the best types of links you can acquire.

Did you know that Google warned us about link building?

Google's webmaster trends analyst, John Mueller, recommends you do not focus on link building and if you do, it may lead to more harm for your web site than anything good. ~ Search Engine Land

Watch this video, particularly at the 55 minute and 40 second mark, to better understand the statement.

Related: See How to Build Better backlinks in 2015!

2 – Be sure to GEO-target your pages

The Pigeon update was all about preferring local content over global when possible. Make it possible on your pages with local geo-modifiers.

Do you know what is geo-targeting? Learn more about geo-targeting from a post by Kissmetrics: Increase Conversions with Geo Targeting.

3 – Keep getting citations

These still matter, but it's again more about quality and accuracy than it is about the number. Strive for the best you can find.

4 – Solicit customer reviews

This is the highest form of social proof available, and studies are showing that the overwhelming majority (90%) consult product reviews before purchasing. Ask your present customers; they'll usually be more than happy to comply.

Related: Managing Unfavorable Reviews in a Favorable Way

5 – Use Google My Business

Google's local business tool suite is an remarkable tool you'll want to be fully invested in. There are so many ways this helps your business, but one of the main ones is being able to easily manage reviews.

Personally, we're using Google My Business. Please check out our BWM Google+ page.

6 – Use local images

Make sure you are using your own local images and that they are geo-tagged for your locations. This is a local ranking signal for Google, and will help you in a variety of ways with Google. Simply name your images properly and you're good to go.

7 – Be social

Yet another Google search signal, giving your audience the opportunity to share your content by including social media icons on your pages and content is a no-brainer. Give your content a chance to be seen outside your walls!

It may seem to you, as it does to many, that whenever we turn our heads around there's a brand-new local initiative from Google. Now it's called Google My Business, and prior before I get snarkier, allow me to say that it looks as though this one is very helpful.

Google My Business appears like it's extremely beneficial and an authentic help to your local company. The mission to bring everything under one roofing is a very long time coming, however seems to be worth the wait.

Basically Google+ is now the platform, and all else focuses on this.

5 Ways Google My Business Will Work for Your Local Business

1. GMB enables you to easily update your info from one location – Once you assert your listing on Google My Business, you'll be able to update anything you want concerning your company or online presence. You likewise have the ability to include pictures as well as virtual tours if you want, thus making it easy for individuals to get a real understanding of your location.

2. Get in touch with your customers through Google+ – You can speak with fans and consumers straight through your company's Google+ page, sharing content, and information. You can even begin and perform a Hangout on air.

3. Handle customer reviews – This one is the most discussed function: the capability to see, respond and handle evaluations on Google from one centralized location. Be certain you have a plan for managing your client's evaluations, excellent or bad, and be certain any individual who will be publishing to this page understands exactly what you want to do.

4. Run your company on the go – Using the Android and iOS apps, you can access any part of the Google My Business platform anywhere you are as long as you have your internet connection.

5. Client Insights – Another cool feature. GMB reveals you a number of beneficial statistics, such as where your customers are driving from. This will certainly work when preparing brand-new campaigns. Another plus is that you can quickly integrate your Google Analytics account into GMB. This is likewise true for Google AdWords.

Photo Credit: Flickr/ RobertG NL

The latest offering from the folks at Google is straight appropriate to small and local business. Google My Business is a one-stop page for business to handle their presence on various Google products, from search, maps and Google+, Google Analytics, as well as Hangouts. This is Google's effort to take a few of Facebook's thunder, by permitting its users to publish and share news, events and images one time, and have them populate through the whole of their Google services.

Google states it's dealing with transitioning all business accounts that are on Google+ or Places for Business, and you ought to see this soon. There is likewise an Android app now, and the iPhone app will certainly follow soon.

So how will this one work?

It appears that the primary advantage to this new offering is that all of your Google services are now under one roofing system. That, and the reality that the ease of updating and occupying all your properties is much easier. When you log into Google My Business for the first time, you'll see that Google has actually taken the liberty of populating your account utilizing what you've put into the other Google properties. You have the opportunity to take care of or change what you need to easily.

Next up is the heart of the operation. On one simple screen you have access to the following:

• Google+ Shares.
• Google Insights.
• Customer Reviews.
• Google Analytics.
• Google Hangouts.

You can get to those functions from this screen and add content, handle review and even start a Hangout. The mobile version of Google My Business is smooth and extremely easy to browse.

Is this the final end of Google+?

It might be prematurely to tell what this indicates for Google+. At this point, simply think of this as a change of address. At this time there does not appear to be any loss of functions for Google+ and it might really benefit from the automated environment and much better organization this supplies.