Google's Related Searches - Optimizing Possible?

[mtwelves]

Does anyone know how Google determines what suggestions show up at the bottom of SERPs? I've been working with a client to boost his local ranking, but every time we do a branded search for his business his competitors keep popping up in the "Searches related to ______" section.

[ColeLusby]

I'd be interested to know this as well. As far as local SEO, see my other posts on your other question.

Thanks and look forward to seeing responses

[TomRayner]

Hi there

The Google Related Searches section and the Google suggested searches (the search terms suggested when you start to type in the toolbar) are both intrinsicly linked and are generated in the same way.

There are two great resources on how this works and where they come from.  The first is a Whiteboard Friday from a not-so-bearded-Rand.  The second is a great article by Rishi Lakhani on how it works and how one would go about "influencing it".  Heavy on theory, but a great read.

I hope these help.

[mtwelves]

Thanks, Tom! That's what I suspected, but it's nice to have some confirmation.

[paints-n-design]

a year ago i had a realated search to "webdesign" with the brand name. So when you searched for Webdesign then you got the brand name in the Searches Related section.
That happend because nearly every site had Webdesign in the title-tag, and the most links to the pages had the title as anchor - so they had webdesign in the anchor text. (The brand name never appeared in suggest when u typed in webdesign) 
When u search for the brand the competitors popping up to. As well as Webdesign. The competitors never moved away, it just poped up more related search querries. So it is not usefull to spent the time on that topic. (possible but not so usefull in that case)
I think that popping competitors are not so bad, if you are the better one But tell that a client..