Depending on the competitiveness of your market, local search ranking for your website can be difficult to achieve. If you have arrived at the altar of local search engine optimisation rather late and your competitors are already ahead of you, then you have really got an uphill battle. What is extraordinary, is that many companies who have done very well in getting their web site ranked; have got a complete blindspot about Google Places. How many times have you found a map result when you have been looking for the answer to a particular query; clicked on it and seen those tell-tale, skyblue words “Business owner?”
Local Search Engine Optimisation Is Important in Google Places
A well optimised Google places listing is a valuable asset when location is an important part of your marketing mix. As a shopowner or service provider who needs footfall at his front door, you need to be very sure that a prospective customer or returning client knows where to find you with the typing of the search query. It does not matter whether that person is a new tech smart phone owner, trendy tablet toter, or a newly converted silver surfer about to take her first online shopping trip; if they don’t find you quickly you can bet the competition will be jumping up and down in their face and catching their attention! Google Places is one of those trusted information sources for the simple reason that it has been (theoretically) updated by the owner: the one person who should care about the information that is showing.
Rules Is Rules in Google Places
As usual with anything that is likely to be used for online marketing, Google is very picky and very strong set of rules have emerged to control how listings in Google Places are ranked. Carelessly flinging the first words that come into your head onto the input form can harm more than help. As with all search, and awareness of keywords and relevance is crucial as well as Google’s own posting guidelines for Places. For a pain-free introduction to the wonderful world of getting to the first page with Google Places, please download my almost plain English guide to getting yourself found on Google Places. It is followed up by a very gentle introduction to the current top 10 factors for getting your places listing ranked as well as a few no-no’s to avoid like the plague and which are guaranteed, to sink your ship if you ever try them.
Recent Comments