Getting listed in Google’s local search results is a great way to get your company increased exposure with a large local audience of potential consumers. Many business owners know how to set up a Google Local listing but very few know how to properly format their listing in order increase it’s prominence on Google maps and in search engine results. By the time you are done reading this, you will know how to properly set up & optimize your Google Local account.
What is a google local business center account?
Google’s Local Business Center is a directory of Businesses that are organized by location and keyword relevancy in Google Maps and in Google search results. Often times, you will see Google’s local business results above organic results in search engine results pages for search terms that include a geographic location (example: Santa Monica Dodge). The image below shows Google local business results on top of organic search results for the term ‘Santa Monica Dodge’.
You can see how important having a local business result can be – after all, even after getting ranked #1 organically, you can still get pushed down several result spots by a large local business listing. It is very important to get listed in these results.
How to set up a local business account:
Go to the Google Local Business Center and add your company to their system. Follow the simple set up instructions and include as much information as possible on your company (store hours, pictures, videos, descriptions, multiple phone numbers, etc) – this will provide search engines with more info on your company to rank you with.
Google Local Business SEO:
There are a number of factors that come into play when Google decides to rank your business in the local search results – these include (but are not limited to):
Using the target city in your business address:
The most successful local business SEO campaigns are actually located in the city that they are attempting to optimize for. This is not to say that you need to move your business, or lie about your location, just that it is a very important (if not the most important) factor in getting ranked in local search results. You can get ranked in the local search results for a city if you are in a city nearby (especially if Google Local has a small number of competing businesses for that city).
Getting citations or business mentions from highly accredited outside sources:
Perhaps the most important aspect (that is within your control) of getting ranked highly in local search results is outside citations. Getting listed with local directories and IYPs (Internet Yellow Pages) can be the boost you need to get to the top of local search results. These outside sources serve as votes of legitimacy for your business – make sure to include the same city, address and keywords you used in Google Local Business Center in each IYP or directory listing in order to get the maximum benefit.
Some of the most popular IYPs to get listed on:
Superpages
Citysearch
Yelp
Yahoo Local
InsiderPages
YellowPages.com
BizJournals
AreaConnect
MagicYellow
Switchboard
MerchantCircle
GetFave
Yellowbot
Yellowpages.Lycos.com
Kudzu
Discoverourtown
Loqal.com
Local.Ingenio.com
YellowUSA.com
IAF.net
Selecting the right categories for your business (when setting up your account)
Claiming/verifying your business ownership:
This is a such simple task to perform, yet is forgotten by many business owners – claim your local business listing! Simply find your business on Google Maps, and click on Edit (you may have to click on ‘More’ to find this). Next, look for a line that says: “Are you the owner? Claim your business” and click on the link to claim your business.
Next, Google will ask you if you want to edit your business information (update business name, contact info, payment types, hours, categories, etc), suspend the listing. If you are ready to go, simply click the box checking that you want to edit your business information, confirm the information listed there and click ‘Submit’. Google will send you a postcard with a pin number on it within 2-3 weeks; you can also verify your listing using the phone number you provided when you set up.
Good luck and remember, if you need help, LUCID Public Relations is only a phone call away!
103 Responses to “SEO Tip: Google Local Business Center”
About the author
Dan Sevigny is the Director of Internet Marketing at LUCID Public Relations and handles the internet marketing & search engine optimization initiatives for all of LUCID's clients.
To become an SEO client of LUCID Public Relations call Dan at (310) 859-4600 extension 3 or email him at dan@lucidpublicrelations.com
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You covered the main seo tips for google local, however I wonder about the importance of hacing a complete profile vs a partial one. For instance, how important is having reviews, user contet, and media in the profile?
Hey Dan,
That questions was (at least) partially addressed here:
“Follow the simple set up instructions and include as much information as possible on your company (store hours, pictures, videos, descriptions, multiple phone numbers, etc) – this will provide search engines with more info on your company to rank you with.”
The important of filling out all the info thoroughly and accurately is undeniable – a large amount of USEFUL information on your company that Google has, the more you will rank for in search results and the more consumers you will see come in to your site through that avenue.
Dan Sevigny
Director of Internet Marketing
LUCID Public Relations
Hi LUCID,
Your article addresses the core issues around Google’s Local Business Listing. For a change the Internet will become a good local marketing tool for the local business to reach the local consumer through web searches and mobile searches.
What I am most concerned about are small and local businesses having to contend with multiple websites when it comes to their local listing. You listed more under your heading of “IYP”. What I’m really talking about are “time resources”.
Afterall, there are over 60 websites in 4 different categories specifically geared towards local listings. How can a local or small business have the time resources to cover this space.
Even if you made a conscious decision to not manage all 60, there are well more than Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask. The space goes to Local.com (they went public), Yelp, Merchant Circle, and many others.
Consumers will be the ones deciding which of these local listing websites they will go and post their experience through consumer reviews. This adds to the burden that no one single local listing website will do the trick.
Something we recently read about are companies that are offering a low cost service to update then manage these listings for companies.
It is a changing world and the local business will benefit. There will be some adjustment to this space needed.
Good information from your post and hopefully varying opinions help give perspective.