How Google organic search results differ in Local Searches?

[rajeevEDU]

We all know Google displays nearby results by locating our ip address. My question is how does these results differ?

For eg

1. If someone from Newyork search for "chinese Restaurant in Newyork"

2. Someone from California search for "chinese Restaurant in Newyork"

3. Someone from California changes his location to Newyork and search for "chinese Restaurant in Newyork"

What are the factors the Google SERP looks into to display the result in local terms?

[sachin-sv]

Hi Rajeev,

Here is my opinion on your queries-

Google generally display the local results in search when it feels that a search would benefit from producing local-based results. For example, if someone in NewYork searches on Google for “Chinese Restaurant” they will find search results for many NY Chinese restaurants. If another person living in California makes the same search, the search results will represent California Chinese restaurants. A searcher does not need to specify “NY” or “CA” in their search phrase in order to find local Chinese restaurants. They will get local search results automatically. Google uses your location to tailor their results. This is done based on Google’s information about your current location, which generally is actually pretty accurate.

However, if the person in CA search for the phrase "chinese Restaurant in Newyork" then he will show you listed Chinese restaurants in NY.

If you change your location settings to NY (when you are in California) then google will display you the restaurants listed in NY even when you have not specified your location in search term (in this case NY).

For the factors you can read-

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2321848/4-Local-Search-Tactics-That-Will-Matter-More-in-2014

http://moz.com/blog/top-20-local-search-ranking-factors-an-illustrated-guide

You may find this moz post helpful- 40 Important Local Search Questions Answered

http://moz.com/blog/40-important-local-search-questions-answered

[rajeevEDU]

Thanks Sachin for your reply. So google gives the weightage to the location based keyword used in the search query. Now a website have online resource/product/service. Webmaster doesn't want to promote for particular city but needs customer from multi-location but he have only single page about the product(No city based keywords used). How does he/she want to compete with the local websites which have NAP, Google places, title, url all of a particular city etc within the searched query location? I don't want to use ccTLD. I want the same TLD and what should I do? Add pages for city specific?

[sachin-sv]

Hi Rajeev,

Here is my viewpoint: (I am assuming that you have a single domain but physical address on multiple cities and want local visibility)

• You can use a sub-domain or directories URL structure to store your geo-specific city pages.

• Whatever you choose, you can add city specific pages (focusing some local keywords) and do local link building.

• Create unique geo-specific content to the page designated for each city

• Do SEO for each city page and its content.

• Create Google+ Local pages for each location.

- submit your business addresses in local directories and link that with city specific domain or directory.

Hope this will help.

Thanks

[rajeevEDU]

Say if we don't have the physical address for all cities, in that case? As I mentioned its an online product/service, he/she would have the Main head office address but not for all location. As Google gives more importance to the city based keywords how to compete with local websites? It can't have a page just with city keyword and content(no physical address) and do some seo. Does Google treat it has genuine? And also having subdomain i agree with you for multiple countries but what to do for a particular single country and their local cities?

[sachin-sv]

Hey Rajeev,

In this case local businesses (with physical stores) will take extra edge when people searched locally with location as a keyword.

Here are some of the suggestions which you may find helpful:

Say, you are running an e-commerce store which is having only one Head Office in a specific city but selling products to many cities in a country.

Now, you can create city specific directory pages where you can create the local content. You can update real time inventory for that particular location. Ask your current customers to review your products or services on that location specific page only. Try to get some good links on location specific pages from local directories. It will help you to create authority locally.

I hope this will help.

[MiriamEllis]

Hi RajeevEDU,

Your business model matches with Business Model IV as laid out in this blog post:

http://moz.com/blog/local-landing-pages-guide

You might like to take a gander at that to consider your options. Hope you find that to be a good read!

[rajeevEDU]

Thanks Sachin for your answer and also thank you MiriamElis for your link. It was useful. I had read other blogs which you have written on local SEO previously which was very helpful for my business.

[MiriamEllis]

Thanks, Rajeev. That's really nice to hear!