Ranking for Local Search Is More Important Than Ever

If you haven't noticed when searching for stuff on Google recently, Google has made a shift in how their search results are presented. For many queries, Google now assumes that you are searching for something in your area and thus seems to be giving local results a higher ranking in search results.

So now, instead of seeing what used to be called the "7 box" for local results next to a map above general results, we now see those local results mixed in with the general results. This is actually good news for local businesses who want to rank higher for searches where the user wasn't necessarily location-specific. It makes it a little bit easier to rank on the first page which means there is even more value in local search engine optimization.

Because of this shift, it is now more important than ever for a small business to invest in local SEO. However, there are many things that a small business owner can undertake themselves to keep the cost down.

The most important thing to do is to claim your search engine pages. Specifically, these are your pages on Google Places, Yahoo! Local, and Bing Local. These are the pages that the search engines tend to give the most weight to in determining your location and whether or not you are legitimate.

Next, you should claim or create your listings in respected directories across the web. Specifically, you should focus on Yelp, MerchantCircle, Local.com, Superpages, CitySearch, Urbanspoon, and other directories specific to your niche. Remember that your address and phone number need to be displayed in a consistent format across these directories, your search engine pages, and your website.

Finally, you should make sure that your website contains accessible content. Preferably, this content should be link-worthy so that it can also be used for organic link-building. Of course, make sure this content contains keywords you want to rank for in a natural manner.