We recently posted about the Google Local Business Center and how it can help your small business get found through a location-based search. Why is that important? A comScore survey found that 20% of all searches on Google are related to location.

Google has rolled out changes to this service as well as sponsored “tags” to keep your business listed in the Google 7 Pack. What you once knew as the “Google Local Business Center” is now referred to as “Google Places.” Additionally, those who are currently listed in Google Places can take advantage of a new feature called Tags.

Google rolled out the new advertising stream – similar to AdWords – for local businesses. This feature is geared for local businesses throughout the U.S. who wants to beef up their listings on Google and Google Maps.

If you’re running a local business and you have placed listings on Google, you can enhance your listing with a yellow “tag” emphasizing specific information about your business such as a coupon, video, website, menu, reservations, photos and even custom messages.

Getting this yellow tag to appear on your Google listings is not free though. You would have to pay a flat monthly fee of $25. The tags will not affect your listings’ rank and Google will clearly indicated which parts of the search results are sponsored when you’re local business is displayed. Check out an example of how local business tags are displayed in the sample below.

It’s just another effort by Google to create a very simple advertising vehicle for local businesses.

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