Link global, think local: Information about new search engine maps

information from Seattle24x7 and SearchWrite

Web watchers may recall that Google Local was first introduced in 2004. The service sought to capitalize on the fact that every day millions of people were performing searches that involved a specific location, like “boston bakeries” or “atlanta architects”. Google Local was spawned to offer relevant neighborhood business listings, maps and directions. Google Maps was introduced in 2005. Later, Bing Local and Bing Maps from Microsoft joined Yahoo Local, ASK (which had previously launched City Pages), AOL and MapQuest, among others, sprung up to dot the rapidly emerging Geo-Local landscape.

In April of last year, Google Local changed its name to Google Places. It launched an impressive 50 million business places listings around the world last year. As incredible as it sounds, only 4 million businesses had actually “claimed their listing” at that time. As of November, 2010, Google Places is now a part Place Search. When a geographic search term is used in the query, Google's local search results appear -- not in a separate box or sidebar, but front and center!

Google points out that more than 20% of all searches contain at least one local, geographic component. iCrossing has shown how 43% of search engine users are looking for a local merchant to complete a purchase offline.It is clear that local listings have a decisive role to play in helping others to "discover" your company. What should you do about it, if you haven't already?

Localize Your Business in 5 Key Steps

1. As the first order of business you should claim your local business listing with Google, Yahoo and Bing and begin to "optimize" your Place pages. Choose more than one category if more apply, add your description, hours, products, licenses, associations, languages, and more.

2. Next, add local tags and terms, along with relevant keyword phrases, to your Web pages. Your physical address, zip and phone belong on every single page of your site.

3. Your next task is to generate numerous backlinks to your site through local search links and social media listings using relevant anchor text, preferably anchor text that contains the local term within it. Like “Green Sustainable (your product or service).” Multiple citations in local directories. are the key because this verifies and validates the accuracy of the location and the listing data for the directories. Being listed in 40 or more local, map, mobile, yellow page, and city guide directories, compared to 3 or 4, makes the decisive difference for high ranking.

4. Under the new system , you should also promote and encourage Customer reviews. People showing interest in your business is important.

5. Lastly, you should adapt relevant content that promotes your products, services and geographical area, including photos and video, all "localized" for your market area(s).

Although the above list sounds short and sweet it actually can consume many weeks and months. Because Google Places listings now show up in regular search results (for search queries that involve a specific location), all of the rules of search engine optimization apply to getting ranked. Like any other search result, getting your Google Places listing to show up in Google Place Search results is the result of a mathematical algorithm (which is a combination of factors to determine which search result most effectively answers a searcher’s query.)
 

SearchWrite is an authorized channel partner of the largest local data networks in the U.S. and can distribute your business profile information as a “trusted feed” to the top 20 local engines, top 10 mobile map sites, top seven local map sites, top five phone assistance services, Top 100 local feeds, and simultaneously open accounts with the Top seven blog and Twitter social sites.

Apart from this offer, SearchWrite also assists with other social and local media placements including Google AdWords. One call does it all for all of your local search needs. Call SearchWrite in Seattle at (206) 842-5420, or send email to larry@searchwrite.com.