What does all this mean? It means your prospective customers are searching for your products and services online and then using online maps to locate your business. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft drive over 96% of all searches, with Google commanding over 71% of that alone.
Ever notice how if you do a search on Google for say "seattle dentists", a little map with business listings appears at the top of the page? This is the Google Maps feature that has been "blended" onto their standard search results page and rechristened as Google Local. Why is this important? It means you need to have your business showing up there as it will put you at the top of the page above your competitors without too much effort.
Sometimes there is a map with 10 listings, sometimes with 3 listings and sometimes only with one listing. These are affectionately referred to in the industry as the Google Local 10-Pack, 3-Pack, and OneBox respectively. How one gets listed and ranked well there is the topic of this article.
Without further ado, here are the most important factors for ranking in Google Local at the top of a Google search results page. These factors are listed in approximate order of importance, and are of course subject to change.
1. Claiming your business listing in Google Local Business Center (LBC). If you have a street address, chances are Google already has you listed. Google uses various data sources to pull the information about your business - often this information is old and inaccurate. Claiming your own business listing is a 2-step process:
1) Sign in with your Google Account and clean up the information as needed;
2) Verify to Google that you are the business owner - either by phone immediately afterward or waiting for a postcard to arrive in the mail.
2. Distance your business is from the geographical center of the city. So for a search on "seattle dentist", the listings are somewhat in order of the distance from the centroid of Seattle. A year ago, this was the predominate ranking factor, now other factors can trump this factor.
3. Number of Web Pages shown for your listing. These are listings and links from other websites that point to your site.
TIP: particularly important are links from other businesses that are local and from sites that feature listings or reviews of local businesses.
4. Keywords used in your business title listing. Let's say the name of your business is AA Dental Care. In your business listing however, you want to use the words "seattle dentist" because that is what people search on to find, well dentists in the Seattle area. So in this case, your business title could be "AA Dental Care: Your Seattle Dentist". Get the idea?
5. Business categorization. Google gives you the option of listing your business in several categories. It is important that you list your business in as many relevant categories as possible.
TIP: If your business category is not listed, Google lets you create your own. This is powerful as it allows you to associate your business with a more relevant category.
6. Number of Reviews shown for your listing. Reviews can come from Google, Yelp, InsiderPages, AngiesList, CitySearch and others. Reviews are important not only from a ranking standpoint but also from a sales standpoint. People are more likely to contact you if they see you have reviews, which implies you are popular.
NOTE: The best sites to get reviews from and inventicizing people to give you reviews will be the subject of another article - stay tuned!
7. Ratings. Ratings are assigned to reviews typically on a 1-star to 5-star scale. There is ongoing debate as to how much ratings play into the local ranking algorithm but having good ratings unquestionably will increase interest. The eye is naturally drawn to listings with lots of stars.
8. Photos and videos shown for your listing. Google allows you to upload photos, logos and videos for your business and will also attempt to find the like on other websites. This is not a big factor but it does make your business appear more interesting.
TIP: Also post your photos on Flickr and your videos on YouTube. Not only are these two sites monsters in terms of potential traffic but Google will count them as links back to your site!
9. A website. A website is not mandatory for being listed in Google Local but a small ranking boost is given if you have a website, particularly one that is optimized for normal Google search. You should be slapped silly anyway if you don't have a website yet.
When you are done with Google, rinse and repeat for Yahoo Local and Live (Microsoft) Local. These services are all free, all they take is a bit of time to do right - be sure and fill out every item and option available to you for your listing.
The rewards can be great in terms of online visibility, traffic to your website, phones ringing, and new customers!
Learn more about the author, Dan Sisson.
Thanks for the great article, Dan!
Getting your small business attention on line is my business focus - local small business who either don't have the time and/or the techie know how to get this done quick and efficiently. Let me do the foot work for you! Or perhaps you would you like someone to walk you through it - It would be my pleasure! Thanks for putting it all together so efficiently and effectively. Your article is excellent advice!
Terry
Dan, thanks. What is the source of the statistics you cite at the beginning of your article?
I'd like to use them and would need a source for attribution.
Joe
Hi Joe,
The stats came from various speakers at the SMX Local & Mobile conference in San Francisco recently. In a few cases, the source was given, in others they were not. I will do a little digging on this.
If anyone has a direct number to the folks at Google that take care of this, please let me know. They have the wrong address listed for me, but I can't get the change in because their phone verification system is broken. And they won't change my address until they can verify with me by phone (mail verification won't work because I can't receive mail at the address I need to change it to).
Thanks!
Dan This is sooo helpful. Whilst my market is dispersed (meeting planners who hire speaker may live anywhere), using your tips I can pick up opportunities to speak at local corporations or when national conferences are coming to (near to me) S.F.
Idea: offer a biznik-based telebriefing (for free or fee) another fan Kare
Look at how Target is using satellite maps to help customers find their stores. They're painting a 250 logo on their roof!
click here
As part of my web design service, I enter client info into Google, Yahoo, and MSN Local. I wrote a newsletter article about how to do it a while ago. If you're interested, here's the link.
January - Issue 1
Get listed on Local Search engines for Free
You are correct that distance from the geographical center of the city is used to determine rank - particularly annoying to those businesses in outlying areas.
However, I have noticed that one thing that can boost your rank significantly is getting reviews. I wrote a second article about asking people to give you reviews which is here:
February - Issue 2
Enhance your reputation on "Local" search engines
I am no marketing genius, but when something is so easy and free to boot, you'd have to be just, plum lazy not to take advantage of these free services.
If you are interested in subscribing to my newsletter, it comes out about once a month.
Susan
It is not that uncommon for Google to list old or inaccurate info for your business. The top sources they pull data from are: Acxiom, InfoUSA and SuperPages. You can change the information for the latter two but not in Acxiom. Be aware that Google will and does sometimes overwrite whatever info you have listed in your Google Local Business Center listing with these 3 sources. So please make sure your info is correct in InfoUSA and Superpages...and all the other IYPs (Internet Yellow Page sites). I should probably write an article or tip listing the top IYPs that matter...
I just found out that my links don't work. Here they are again.
January - Issue 1
Get listed on Local Search engines for Free
February - Issue 2
Enhance your reputation on "Local" search engines
I checked them this time. They work. :)
Wow! Great stuff, and presented concisely. Thanks, Susan, too, for posting your links. I will definitely be spiffing up my business in Google maps.
Chad (a few commenters above here)
Your comments inspired me to search for more re "roof shouts" as I did here (linking to you and to biznik), with a "what if" scenario for owners of local brick 'n mortar businesses - and/or for a town:
Sky High Branding for Your Town http://www.movingfrommetowe.com/2008/08/14/sky-high-branding-for-your-town/
Thanks for the reply Dan. I don't have listings on either of those sites but I just opened one on InfoUSA and I plan to open one on Super Pages when their website is back up (it's down right now).
Google has the wrong address for me because I moved. And like I said, they won't change it to my new address because I can't accept mail at the new address (all my mail still goes to the old address and I pick it up there), and they only confirm address changes by mail right now. I give all my clients my new address, but many of them just delete it and use Google at the last minute to find me instead. Needless to say, I have a lot of unhappy clients because they showed up at the old address that Google gave them. So I'm just doing my best and asking all my clients NOT to use Google to find us.
Chock full of great ideas...now to get busy and continue the improvement. Thanks, Dan.
It's good to see that you included the main ranking factors in local search. I like to call the 3 C's.
Cheers!
Thank you Dan!
Great article, will try some of your suggestions.
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