Google labs introduced their new Google Local Voice Search just recently.  You can call 1-800-GOOG-411  and give it your city.  Google then asks you what business you want or what category you want.  Once you say a business - it lists the top 10 search results for that category and will connect you directly to who you want.  So BYE BYE to phone books 

So let’s say you want pizza.  Let’s see who’s popular in my area…

• Dial 800-GOOG-411
• Give my city/state or zipcode
• Say “Pizza”
• Google repeats the top 10 pizza places in my ‘local search‘ area.
• If I select one - I can be automatically connected to them.

Absolutely awesome.  I can see myself using this a lot.  ANd best of all - IT IS FREE!  Just costs you minutes which are abundant these days.  Google is really ahead of the game with this one.

So now let’s think about what this means to search rankings?  As this type of phone search grows - how important are those ‘local rankings’ going to be?  I would think the fight for #1 will increase even more with this service out.  How sweet would it be to be listed #1 anytime someone calls for pizza, or whatever.

Good work Google.