Localized SEO :: Google Local Search

January 23, 2010 · No CommentsComments Feed

The growth of the internet and search engines has been changing the way that people find and research local businesses. In a recent study by comScore, 2008 was the first year that more consumers turned to search engines over the phone book as the first source for consumer research and information. The implications for this dramatic shift in consumer behavior is leading to a severe decline in yellow pages advertising and the increasing emphasis on Local Search Engine Optimization (LSEO) to provide visibility online for local and regional companies and services. The resulting challenge for many companies operating on a local and regional basis is how to create presence and visibility online with a limited budget and understanding of this growing field of Local Search Engine Optimization (LSEO).

Understanding Google Local Results (Google Maps)

In addition to the growing use of GPS systems and new mapping technology, Google™ took the greatest step forward in local search by introducing “universal search” to their results in 2007. Now instead of just website listings, Google™ now displays Google™ Maps results, images, and video along with their geographic organic search results. For example, by searching for “bankruptcy lawyer New York City” in Google™, you will now see the top 10 map results followed by the organic results listed below. Google™ has now added these map results to the most commonly used geo-specific searches such as adding a city name to a search term as previously displayed. So what are the implications of this change for local search engine optimization? Huge! In essence, Google™ has now introduced map results in place of the four highest organic positions on Google that traditionally received the highest results and clicks. This area in eye tracking analysis (or heat map) is considered to be the primary location for the human eye to scan the results and now people are seeing maps results for local searches!

So how do companies get listed in Google maps results? They can be listed from a number of sources pulled by Google™ maps and/or submitted to Google™ maps manually by you or an SEO consultant. The great part about Google™ maps is you don’t even need to have a website to be listed in the results – but it will certainly help with customer research and conversion if you do. Another point to consider if are currently listed or submit to be listed is HOW you are listed in these results. Google™maps allows you to create and/or edit your listing and content - so don’t waste the opportunity to optimize your listing by including your keywords and phrases into your listing results. Again, SEO consultants can help you with this as well.

Along with a number of ever changing factors used to determine Google maps (local) results is where your company is listed in relation to the city center (or centroid). The closer your company is listed to the center of the city, the more likelihood you will display prominently in the results. This of course can lead to abuse but it is certainly to your advantage if you have a physical address close to the centroid if you wish to score well on these results.

It is not uncommon to see companies show up prominently in the map results and mistakenly think that because of this; their website is optimized well for the search engines. In most cases, this is simply not the case. Just because you might show-up prominently in Google™ Maps for a commonly searched term doesn’t mean you are also showing up in other searches as well. Moreover, around 40% of all searches are unique “long-tail” type searches that are far less in volume but much higher in quality and results. Most long-tail searches are referred to as “money” searches because they tend to be highly focused and come from people who are actually looking for something specific. So don’t be confused by the results provided in Google™ maps – yes they provide prominence with certain searches but they should not be considered a replacement for a good local search engine optimization strategy.

The Growth of Mobile Browsing

As of 2008, there are around 228 million mobile subscribers in the United States, a 6% growth year over year. What is more startling is the 45% growth over the same period of time in mobile browsing – or people who are searching the web from their mobile phones and PDA’s. A recent study by comScore also shows that 1 in 5 online business searchers with an internet-accessible cell phone have conducted a local search through their phone.  So if you are a local company, you need to ask yourself what the growing use of mobile browsing means for your business.

Many local companies have poor website design SEO and therefore do not show up optimally in mobile web-browsers. If you have a website now, take a moment to look at your website through a cell phone or PDA and see how it looks. Part of an optimal website design process is to understand the desired customer journey through your website. Once this is determined, you can now take that journey yourself through your cell phone or PDA and see how easy or hard this now becomes for your website users. Often times a local search through a PDA may be as simple as people trying to find your phone number, email, and/or physical address through these searches. So when in doubt, a minimal approach is to make sure that these journeys are easily accessible to mobile users and your website is not too choppy and unnavigable in these type of browsers.

Google Local Search Engine Optimization (LSEO) Strategies

Here are a few ways in which you can improve your local search engine optimization:

• As discussed above in “Understanding Google™ Maps,” it is a good idea to add and/or modify your Google™ Maps listing and make sure that your listing is fully optimized to include your SEO keywords and phrases.
• Create multiple listings for additional cities and locations where you do business. For example, if you provide services in multiple states and/or cities, it doesn’t hurt to setup mailing addresses (near each city center of course) so your services will be displayed in the maps results for each location.
• Create and/or modify your company name to include your most prominent SEO keywords. For example, if I am a bankruptcy lawyer in Dallas Texas, having or using a business name that includes any or all of the keywords “bankruptcy” “lawyer” “Dallas” and “Texas” will certainly index your business better then using something more traditional like “The Law office of Sam Schneider”.
• Since customer ratings are one criteria in Google™ Maps results, encourage customers to provide positive reviews for your company in local search results. For example, look at each Google™ Maps results for a business and notice the “More” link to the far-right of their listing. When you click on this link, you will notice a number of tabs below the listing, one of which is the “Reviews” tab. Ask your customers to write a positive review for your business and provide you with the highest rating possible.
• Add a geography section (or geo block) to your web pages that include all of the states, cities, counties and boroughs that you serve. Make sure to also include any additional ways in which people also search for these same areas by name such as DFW (Dallas Fort Worth), NYC (New York City), etc.
• Include your primary geographic area/s of service along with your primary SEO keywords so they come up on a regional basis. For example, you have far less web page competition on the search engines for “Omaha bankruptcy lawyer” than you do by targeting the term “bankruptcy lawyer” alone. Besides, this allows you to geo-target your searches to begin with while trying to avoid traffic from areas you will not serve. It is also important to include these geo keywords into other website design SEO areas of your website as well since many of these sections receive more prominence than others.