Need Help with Google Result page

[henrikjt]

Please refer to attached image: Does anyone know if the google local results are paid advertisement: look at the red arrows.

Did the creator of susanchong.com write the yellow highlighed text? Is that what a meta tag is or what is that called?

Thx

 

[suz]

I'm pretty sure you can combine paid listings with the free business listing. Not sure about the details though.

 

[fromthe5]

https://www.google.com/local/add

 

[smalley.john]

Google recently started monetizing google maps and local searches along with youtube. I wouldn't be surprised if they are sponsored results. But in this case they look like genuine results.

 

[seoexpert]

Doesn't look like a paid ad to me. Looks like the free ones.

 

[menardsskti]

I think thats is paid advertisement.
the yellow highlighed is keywords you are looking

 

[PixelPusher]

Those are not paid listings. I am not sure about the yellow highlighting, maybe that is a setting within your browser. I can get the same page with FireFox and IE, but not with the highlighting.

META tags are used to tell the SE what your positive/negative keywords are and also to provide a description that will be displayed in the results of a search query. (META can also be used for other items like copyright, author, etc. but the two important ones are keywords and description)
For exmaple, the second listing, "Westbay..." their META description will be "Coldwell Banker Commercial Westbay Real Estate Group. offers the unique mix..."