Local search is a key concern for most businesses and brands.
In this article we will do a quick overview of the top 7 factors that can help strengthen your local search ranking.
7 Tips to Help Get You To The Top of Local Search
- Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP)
- Pick The Proper Categories in Google Places and Other Indicies
- List Your Business on A Number of Sites
- Verify Your Google Places Page
- Get Inbound Links
- Page Rank
- Use One Phone Number
Make sure that the name, address (physical address preferably if you have one) and phone number for your listing is shown on your website in a format that search engines can read (i.e. make sure it is NOT an image)
Your small business ranking depends on whether or not you properly categorize what your business does. For example, if you are a doctor, list yourself as a doctor, not in the hospital section.
The number of times your company’s NAP information is listed on other sites plays an important role in your local ranking. Make sure when completing these other profiles that you use your NAP in the same format, but perform slight changes to the wording related to the description of your business to avoid too much content duplication.
This is the easiest one on the list. Make sure that you take the time to claim ownership of your Google Places page. Once you’ve claimed ownership add the pertinent data and complete the profile in its entirety.
The internet is a popularity contest. The more websites that link to you, the better. This is the most difficult items to tackle on the list, and many internet marketers focus solely on nurturing relationships to obtain high quality links.
Find out your website’s Google Page Rank, and research your company’s general ranking on Google. These factors also play a role in local search. Learn the basics of SEO, and/or hire an SEO company to help you achieve higher rankings.
Make sure that the phone number being used on your Google Places page (and other sites) is the same as the phone number being used on your website.
