If you’re a regular Google user, you would have noticed that something changed about searches in November 2010. Enter a search for “hairdressers South Yarra” for example, and you will notice that the results returned will not only display a list of the most popular links, but also a floating map of theSouth Yarra area with flagged markers on the location of all hairdressing salons in closest proximity to the centre of the suburb. This is a feature of Google’s new local search option, and one that should now be taken into account with any seo activities. If you are a local business owner with a website, it is essential that you understand the power of Google local searches and how you can use this knowledge in a seo campaign to ultimately benefit your business.
Like most website owners, you are most probably operating seo tactics to push your Google search listing as high as possible, especially for local searchers who are likely to be potential customers, which is where appearing in Google local search results can be a great advantage. To give your business the best chance of being picked up in local searches, you’ll need to be aware that Google’s local search service is linked to two other applications – Google Maps and Google Places – drawing data from both to present a comprehensive overview of localized services.
Google introduced their local search option in response to the observation that Google users tend to pick narrower search margins so as not to be bombarded by too much irrelevant information. For example, if you live inSouth Yarra, it is more likely that you will type in “hairdressers South Yarra ” than the more general “hairdressers Melbourne”, or even wider “hairdressers Australia” to ensure that the results you receive are closer to home. In order to provide the most relevant search results, Google has altered their search algorithm, giving extra weight to local businesses that have successfully combined online seo activities with offline marketing in their immediate environment. One of the interesting things about Google’s local search is that it will even display businesses that don’t have a website, so long as they have a listing on Google Places, which emphasises the importance of a Google Place listing in any seo strategy.
Luckily, the tactics used to boost the ranking of your website in Google local searches are not all that different to the seo principles used to raise your listing in a general search. If your website contains content with the appropriate keyword density then your website will definitely rank highly in general as well as local searches. However, to enhance your ranking in Google local searches, you should consider adding the city or suburb of your business location to your key word phrases. You should also ensure that your address is placed in various locations across your website, so that it ispicked up by the Google spiders. Finally, you should make sure that your location suburb or city is placed in the headings, subheadings and title tags of your website content which will greatly increase the chances of your site appearing when a local search is conducted and is also a useful strategy for general seo success.
A last tip for giving your website the best chance of hitting the top in local searches is of course to make sure that your business is listed correctly onGoogle Maps and Google Places. Enhance your Google Place listing by adding as much information as possible and including media content such as photos and videos which are terrific seo tools and tend to attract a greater amount of Google’s attention.
Author Bio
John has been working as freelance writer for Infinite IT Solutions, a Melbourne web design company specialising in web designing, web development, online marketing and seo services
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