Google Places SEO – improve your local business ranking – an update
In this post I look at the changes that have been happening in relation to Google Places over the past year, and what you can do to improve your ranking.
This is a long post, so if you just want to click to the 6 primary factors affecting local search ranking then click here!
In July last year, I posted a blog to help small business’ makes sense of how to rank their Google Places page higher. I based recommendations on the results of the excellent, but incredibly detailed, Local Search Ranking Factors published by David Mihm.
David has updated the results for 2011, and references the major changes that we have seen with the Google Places page over the last year.
Based on the results of this latest study, this post aims to cut through the detail and summarise the steps you can take to improve your Google Places ranking.
First things first though, if you do not currently have a local business listing, find out how to claim your listing or set up your Google Place page here.
example of Google Places "7-pack"
Now onto the good stuff …
Things have changed! Previously for a local search, you would see a map with a simple list of sites alongside – maybe 1, maybe 3, and maybe 7 (see example in my post from last year).
Now, you may still see a simple list of local results but you may also see a more blended list showing lots more information. In both cases, the map is now over on the right hand side above the adwords, and it moves down the page as you scroll.
General opinion from the experts as to when either format will be shown varies a lot – it probably has something to do with the popularity of the search and how many potential answers there are.
example of a Google Places blended result
But over the last couple of months I’ve seen the same search showing different types of results, and sometimes no Google Places results at all!
So what can you do about this? And do you need to worry as to which type of return your Listing will show up in?
My advice to you is don’t worry about what type of return it is! There seems to be no hard and fast rules and Google seems to be experimenting at the moment.
In fact, it goes back to one of the basic rules of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), at the end of the day write for your CUSTOMERS and not Google. If you focus on the key factors affecting Google Places, you should be able to improve your ranking regardless as to the type of search return you see.
The Google Places local search Ranking Factors
The ultimate guide to Local Search ranking factors presented by David Mihm lists over 70 individual factors. In order to make it simple, I have grouped some together and list below the 6 major areas you should review. As to their relative priority, well that’s firmly up for debate, but if you cover all 6 areas, you should be well on the way to getting ranked well.
- Your business – NAP
- Your Business Information
- Association of categories
- Citations
- Reviews
- Your website
Your Business – NAP
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone Number. This is critical and essentially refers to the various versions of your NAP that may appear out there on the web. You need to aim for consistency. Especially between your Google Places page and your website. But also on other sites on which your business information might appear such as directory listings (eg Yell, Access, FreeIndex, Yahoo etc).
Your Business Information
Your Google Places page also allows you to add in a lot of other information about your business – provide as much information as you can in order that Google has the best chance to understand what it is your business does.
Also consider your priority keywords (ie the words your potential customers would use to find the types of services you sell). Include these where it makes sense (ie in your description), but don’t over stuff and don’t overtly include in your business name unless it is legitimately part of your business name.
And don’t forget images and videos if you have them. Google may already be showing some images that they have found for you, but you are able to add 10 images of your own, and 5 videos.
Association of categories
Google allows you to associate your business with 5 categories – use all 5 catgeories! You can either select categories that Google already lists, or you can create new categories that better reflect the services (and priority keywords) that you sell
Citations
These are places out on the web, where Google can corroborate your business name and location (eg directories). These citations used to be listed in your Google Places page, but more recently they are not seen very much.
However, the experts still believe these are important in helping Google understand your business and are able to validate you are who you say you are.
Make sure you get your business listed across as many international and local directories/portals as possible. Examples include Yelp, city search, accessplace and qype. But make sure you get consistency in your NAP across them all!
Reviews
Google used to pull in reviews from all sorts of different sites (for example Trip Advisor for hotels). More recently, Google is now only showing reviews that have been submitted through your Google Places page. As such, encourage your happy customers to post positive reviews to your Google Places page.
Your Website
As the Google Places local results are changing and evolving, it is becoming apparent that local searches are blending with natural results.On many occasions local results are infact being displayed in a very similar way to natural search results.
It is considered therefore that your website is playing an increasingly important role in impacting the performance of your Google Places page.
Apart from ensuring that your address appears on each page of your site (eg in the footer), you should also focus on incorporating your priority keywords into the relevant places on your site – through standard SEO type tactics.
Last but not least, Google Places now allow you to add a “twitter-styled” notification. You are only allowed one at a time, so this is not where you will go to post a lot of updates, but it can be useful if you want to promote a specific offer, or event for example.
So there you have it.
If you do not have a Google Places page, get one Pronto! And if you do have one, now is a good time to review it to make sure it is as up to date as possible. Google Places and local results are becoming more and more important and are starting to take over local searches (at least at the moment, and for some searches).
If you have any comments or ideas then please do let us know how you have got on.
Happy Google Place –ing!
