subject: Overview On Topping The Local Business Search [print this page] Local business search, I'm talking about Google Maps and things like that. It's probably only recently over the past couple of years that it's really popped up and started to play a really pivotal piece in the whole SEO game. This is mainly because the map appears right up at the top and it pushes all of the organic listings down.
I think the way things are going at the moment as well, everything is shifting to be more local. Everybody is looking for localized search and it is all the rage, especially with the way mobile phones are now picking up the internet and all that type of thing. It's important that we, any internet business coaching for that matter must get this right.
Google Places business used to be called Google Local but they recently changed it to Google Places. You want to correctly optimize your Google Places listing to make sure it comes up the top. Whenever someone puts in these geographic targets, suburbs and things like that with a particular industry, that's when you see the map pop up.
Because it's such a new addition to Google search, there's still not a huge amount known about it as to how exactly the algorithm works. There are a few things that we do know, and we want to claim our listing and get up the top. It pushes down the organic listing as well. Some details on this are in the SEO Method 2.0. You can see our SEO Method 2.0 review if you are interested.
Let's take for example ISO Consulting. These niches are, when you're dealing with local business, ISO consultants isn't going to be getting a huge number of traffic searches. Yet it's so highly targeted, the owner of this business said she probably hasn't been busier and she's getting enquiries for work that clearly must have come from the SEO work that we did because it's for services that she hasn't previously been targeting. That whole idea of when you're working in the local space, it's quite easy.
I think once we got her in Google Maps and did a little bit of off page optimization, in less than two weeks she already saw some fantastic results. The importance of getting your business listed in here if you have a physical location is paramount.
Google Places, they must have some sort of deal with the Yellow Pages because I think they pull a lot of data automatically from the Yellow Pages and you'll see listings appear in Google Maps that are pulled clearly from the Yellow Pages. There is no real owner verification, there is no real customization from it.
So if your business is appearing like that, it is important to know what to target. All of them are saying owner verified. Sometimes if you come in and the data has been pulled from Yellow Pages, you'll get an option to verify your listing. Usually if it says verifiers and owner, you click that link if your business or whatever is listed there. It'll take you through to the Google Places area where we get a chance to claim the listing and then we go through all the optimization to make sure it comes up correctly.
