Google places

[dynamic08]

Is there away to get to the top of google places? Can it be manipulated?

[TimKelsey]

Hi Adam,

I would suggest you read through David Mihm's Local Search Ranking Factors. It's almost a year old now, but there is still a lot of insight that can be gained from it.

As with organic search results, local rankings are influenced by a huge number of factors. There are some basic steps like selecting the right categories and claiming your listing that play a very important role, but things like the authority of your homepage, the number of matching listings on other directories (like Yelp, CitySearch, etc.) and the number and quality of reviews on your Places page can all have an impact on results as well.

Tim

[dynamic08]

To add the client has a few shops in different cities can we use this to our advantage?

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Adam,

I second Tim's suggestion of thoroughly reading David Mihm's 2011 Local Search Ranking Factors report. Some things have changed in the past year since the report was published, but the basic information remains the same.

I like to approach Local SEO from a mindset of healthy, thorough promotion rather than manipulation. This will stand you in good stead for the long haul. If you are a beginner at this, I can offer some rule-of-thumb tips to get you started off on the right foot.

1. In order to qualify for inclusion in Google Places, you need a business name, a unique local area code phone number (not a toll free or redirected number) and a dedicated street address (not a shared address, not a P.O. box, not a virtual address. These three elements are commonly referred to as your NAP (name, address, phone number).

2. The number one rule in Local is not to violate any part of the Google Places Quality Guidelines. See:

http://support.google.com/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107528

Learn the guidelines by heart and revisit them often to check for Google's not infrequent updates.

3. Be absolutely consistent in your publication of your NAP. Make sure it is identical on your website, your Place Page, other local business listings and any reference to you anywhere on the web. Inconsistent NAP can lead to duplicate and merged Google Place Pages, which are a giant pain in the neck. At the outset of any Local SEO campaign search for existent listings and make sure the data is accurate. If it isn't, try to get it fixed.

4. Your website is your top Local Search ranking factor. It needs to be beautifully structured and properly optimized for Local Search. Put your major effort into creating the best site you can.

5. Get listed in the major local indexes including Google Places.

6. Once you've gotten your business listed, work on citation building and review encouragement. These things help you to rank, too.

7. Depending on the competitiveness of your industry and locale, you may also need to engage in some linkbuilding to help with your rankings.

8. What I have found to be one of the major areas of time/money investment for most local businesses is in quality, creative copywriting. Because of the power of your website, its words are of great value. Initial and ongoing copywriting will need to be part of most Local SEO strategies.

Your probably already guessed this, Adam, but basically, Local SEO involves a lot of creativity and hard work. There are no tricks or shortcuts. Just genuine effort. With the right mindset, you can outrank your competitors and serve your customers well.

Hope this helps!

[TimKelsey]

Miriam, you always give the most awesomest Local SEO responses!

One thing we've also had some success with is signing up with the major listing aggregators like Localeze. This is especially helpful if you have multiple locations as it gives you a way to easily manage your NAP information.

Here's some more good info from David Mihm about listing distribution - http://www.davidmihm.com/blog/seo-industry/local-search-ecosystem-2012/

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Tim, That's awfully nice of you to say. Thank you! And yes, Localeze is a big help in the right situation. Good suggestion! Take care, Miriam