If you are an SEO specialist working with small businesses, or you own a small business, then you know how important having high ranking in Google can be. If it is a competitive industry like plumbing then it can be absolutely critical to rank high in the local listings.
For many searches the Google local results take up the entire page above the fold. This forces the user to scroll just to see that first organic ranking. Most of the clicks are gotten before that scrolling ever occurs. As a search engine optimization specialist I am very aware that my customers need to be ranked well in Google local listings.
The question then obviously becomes, “Is there a way to help businesses rise in the rankings for local search?” The answer is yes and no.
You see Google in its infinite wisdom uses a secret algorithm for local search just as it does for organic search. So there is no way to actually know the exact way to help businesses get better rankings in local search. . But just like with traditional SEO there are some things that will definitely improve the odds of getting those higher positions. None of these things will hurt your rankings, that’s for sure, so they are a must do.
First you need to update all of your information in the major data providers. The trick is to make sure all of the information matches as best you can. The easier it is for Google and other search engines to verify your details, the more relevant your business is and can lead to higher rankings. Here are the three major data providers that you must have your information in: Acxiom, InfoUsa, and Localeze.
The next step is to put the same information into as many of the local directories as possible. Some of these include Yelp, Yellowpages.com, City Voter and many more. Again these links to your site tell Google that you are locally relevant.
User ratings seem to have some positive impact in some cases. It definitely doesn’t hurt and give the searcher a warm feeling also. Get a few of your best customers to leave some comments on Google local for your business and you will reap the rewards.
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