Improve Local Search Rankings in Google
any SEOs and digital marketers have faced the frustration that comes from devoting their time and resources to raise their rankings, only to find that their coveted number one listing has been trumped by Google’s local listing.
Now imagine the horror of finding your competitor, who’s secured the top slot in Google’s Map, actually sitting in the first listing of your search!
This doesn’t have to happen to you. Local search engine optimization is becoming more and more important among online marketers and digital marketing agencies. Also, there are increasingly more and more techniques in place by which any business can have a shot at being at the top of the Google Places heap–and often secure the number one position in the eyes of your customers.
Step One: Get Listed.
There are many ways to do this. The most direct way is through Google itself. It is not difficult to simply reach out to Google, Yahoo, or Bing and inform them you exist! Other ways, which are helpful, too, include gaining listings from other local listings sites, like Yelp and CitySearch. These sites, in addition to offering you the opportunity for more business, also feed their data to search engines, and can help to reinforce your listings with the search engines.
Step Two: Point Your Listing in the Right Direction.
Once you have your listing(s) squared away, then it becomes time to make that listing work for your business. That means working with your listing to make sure that it does not only describe who you are and what you do, but covers the keywords that your customers are searching for.
The best way to do that is to work with what you have, and optimize the title, keywords, description, services, and any other customizable fields. That way, you’ll be able to put your listing in front of the searches you wish to target. Unlike “traditional” SEO efforts, local optimizations move very quickly and effectively, so this effort alone has been known to blast a page to the top of Google’s local listings.
Another concern to note: Google doesn’t display a map on all of its pages! That said, make sure to strategically optimize for keywords which are actually going to display a map, and have some tangible component. After all, it doesn’t do you any good to be the top listing, when no one will ever see the listing!
Step Three: “CitationBuilding” Your Local Listing.
So, you’ve got your listing…well, listed, and you’ve got it optimized for your keywords. Just as with a more traditional SEO campaign, you’ve finished your on-site optimization, and are ready to do some off-site linkbuilding. Only, in this case you’ll be building “citations,” instances of your business’s address or contact information. It doesn’t even matter if you create a link! Just make sure that you’re creating keyword-optimized instances of “citations,” and your Google Places standings will begin to rise.
Some places to look for citations are, once again, directories like Yelp of CitySearch, along with more locally-focused sites, like a chamber of commerce, or “hyperlocal” blogs in your area.
You don’t have to be part of a digital marketing agency, or even an SEO expert to capture Google’s, or Yahoo’s or Bing’s number one listings. Even small, localized businesses, with the right strategy and technique, can move to the top of the heap with a strong local listing.
Related posts:
- Google Buzz Search Engine
- Download WinSCP 4.2.7 2010 – Safely copy files between local and remote computers
- Improve iPhone Battery Life
- Download Google Chrome 2010
- Make Free Calls Using Google Voice & Gizmo5
0 Comments
You can be the first one to leave a comment.