As Google makes its foray into social with Google+, the other areas of company expansion haven’t been disregarded. Refinements to the Google algorithm continue, new features are being tested and launched, and a major local service – Google Offers – is expanding into two additional cities. While the initial rollout happened in Portland, Oregon, those who live in (or are visiting) New York City or San Francisco will be able to take advantage of regional offers.

What Is Google Offers?

For those unfamiliar with the service, Google Offers is the company response to Groupon; both are daily deal services that pitch directly to local merchants, accept payments from customers, and then give local businesses the majority cut of the sales. These daily deals tend toward the extreme, often ranging from 50 to 90 percent off the normal price.

Google’s rendition came within a few months of Groupon turning down Google’s offer of purchase, but rather than just duplicating that which they could not buy, Google has created a new framework in the hopes of getting a competitive edge. Google’s service offers better terms for merchants, the ability to save deals, and the option to integrate Offers with Google Places pages and AdWords.

The Expansion of Offers

Google made it known from the beginning that they would roll out to major metropolitan areas over the course of 2011, and after Portland, NYC and the Bay Area were next on their list. Areas where you can expect to see Offers in the near future include Austin, Boston, Denver, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Anyone living in those areas can visit Offers.Google.com, subscribe for email notifications of new deals, save long-term coupons, and see the deal of the day. Business owners, meanwhile, can find out more about local advertisement through Offers here.