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.
Most of the time the local results take up the entire first half of the page requiring the searcher to scroll to see the first organic ranking. As a search engine optimization specialist I know that the majority of the clicks are going to these local listings.
So the question is fairly plain to see. Is there a way to push a business higher in the Google local listings? Lets see if I can help with this question.
As with organic rankings Google has a patented algorithm for deciding the local rankings. There is no way of knowing exactly what that algorithm is, so as with traditional SEO we can only use tested strategies to try and get better local rankings. I will tell you some of the tips that have been successful thus far in testing. None of these tips will have a negative effect on your rankings, so they are worth doing.
Getting your information correctly categorized on the major data providers is the first and most important step in getting higher placement in Google local listings. InfoUsa, Acxiom and Localeze are the most important. Make sure you update this information with them so that they all match. Make it as easy as possible for Google to understand what your business does.
Next you should update and create accounts with as many of the local directories as possible. Merchant Circle, Yellowpages.com, and CitySearch are examples of these directories.
Lastly you should always get customers to leave good reviews of your business on Google local. This does not seem to always make a difference but there is some evidence it has an impact in some cases.
