What Is Google Local Business?

Are you wondering what is Google Local Business? Basically, Google local is Google's way of delivering a better user experience for customers who are trying to do business in their communities.
In 2008, more people turned to the search engines for local search than turned to the print yellow pages. While the percentage difference was small - 31 percent vs. 30 percent, Google and the other search engines are trying to take advantage of this fact and provide the results that viewers want so that they will continue to come back for more.
Basically, when a searcher modifies any search with a city name, a listing of 1 to 10 companies that match the search will come up. For instance, when someone types in "flowers," they could be looking for any number of things including gardening information. But when they search for "Long Beach flowers," they are probably looking for a local florist.
If there are more than 10 companies, a "more results" tag will be displayed. Realistically, very few people are going to click on this more results button, so being in the top 10 is very advantageous.
To get started with Google Local Business, go to Google.com/local. From there, you will be able to fill out a 3 page form to get listed.
List as much as possible including hours of operation and types of payment you accept, because the more complete you are, the better chance you will have of ranking in the top 10. Uploading photos and videos can also help.
Initial anecdotal evidence shows that if you list a website in your listing, you will rank higher in the 10 pack. Also, that means that visitors are taken to your site rather than a simple Google listing when they click on the listing.
Getting free listings in various online yellow pages, business directories, and interactive consumer review sites can also help.
With pay per click becoming more expensive and competitive for local businesses, Google local can drive a lot of traffic to your site.

Google Places and Google Local Business Center - What's the Difference?

Google Realigns Local Listings with Place Pages
Google Local Business Center recently changed their name to Google Places. The change is supposed to align their portal for local businesses with the 'Place Pages' they introduced in late 2009. Along with the name change came several additional features you should be aware of if you're marketing your local business online.
Google's Place Pages are primarily for local businesses, but they also provide useful information about cities, neighborhoods, points of interest, and mass transit stops. You can see a Place Page simply by going to Google Maps and entering in a search term. When the results come up, you'll have several results with representative pins on the map. When you hover over a pin, a box will pop up and in that box is a 'More Info' link. That link takes you to the Place Page for that local business or location.
So when you go to Google Places and fill out your information, it will automatically be listed here on Google Maps and in Google's local search listings. So whichever platform your customer uses to find you, they'll be able to find you.
What Else Can I Do With Google Places?
Google also announced several changes along with Google Places rebranding. The major ones are: the ability to define service areas for your business and the ability to use customized QR codes (more on what this is in a minute).
Add Your Service Areas
One of the limitations of Google Local Business Center was the inability for you to define which local service areas you serve. If you are physically located in one city but service several surrounding towns or wanted to be able to use neighborhood or subdivision names to help narrow down your target audience, you couldn't. You had to resort to including this kind of information in the additional description block where your prospects would probably never see it.
But that's changed. In Google Place listings, you simply list the names of the areas you service in the service areas block and then you can use the additional description block for differentiating yourself. And if you're a home-based business, now you can actually hide your physical address as well. Although it remains to be seen (and tested) whether or not this will hurt your placement.
Customized QR Location Codes
First of all, a definition is in order...what's a QR code? A QR code is similar to a traditional bar code except it's two dimensional and can hold several hundred time the amount of information a normal bar code can.
Many mobile phones have scanners that can scan these codes, so if you have one on your website or on your promotional materials, your customers could scan it into their phone or GPS and have it take them right to your store. It could also give them additional information about your business like business hours, special deals for people with the code, etc.
The customized QR code that Google Places will automatically create for you will take customers to your Google Places Page when they scan it in. So you could put it on business cards, stationary, newspaper ads, or any other printed material and encourage people to find out more about you online.
You can expect that Yahoo! and Bing won't be far behind Google on these developments. After all the local search market is growing exponentially and will only continue to expand over the coming years. As mobile devices become an even bigger part of our lives and we leave our home-based PCs and laptops for mobile computing platforms, it will become even more critical for you to be found when your customers go searching online for you.

7 Tips On How To Get In Google Local Business Results For Your City

Obtaining placement in the "7 pack" of Google Local business listings is extremely powerful. This article will show you how to get in Google local business results for your city. To achieve hi rankings in Google's local search cannot be guaranteed, but if you do the following, your chances increase tremendously.
1) Create a Google local business listing in Google Places, and claim this listing via phone code or direct mail code.
2) As best practice address should be near the center of the city you want to show up in, should be a physical address not a P.O. box, and should have a local phone #
3) Optimize listing for keywords you want to be found under - add keywords in categories, description, services, etc.
4) Complete every section of listing - add pics, video, coupons, etc.
5) Add this listing to local business directories - yellowpages, superpages, manta, kudzu, yelp, etc... There are hundreds. Also add your listing to data aggregators like infousa.com. These are whats called citations and are probably one of the biggest factors for local search
6) Claim as many of these listings as possible - delete any duplicate listings as duplicates can count against you.
7) Positive reviews on all these directories help your local listings as well. Solicit current clients to give you positive reviews on these directories as well as your Google local listing.
To get an idea of the number of citations you might need and what directories you can list in, you should do competitive analysis on bing local. This gives you a listing of your top competitors citations and where to get them.

Google Local Business Listings Part 1 (Adding Or Claiming a Listing)

Introduction and Overview
Why should you be bother about having a Local Listing?
Research by the prestigious BIA/Kelsey Group shows that in the USA (with the UK not far behind) that 97% of all consumers use digital media to shop locally!
This doesn't mean that they are buying online, what it means is that consumers are comparing prices and looking for coupons online before they make a purchase, either online or offline.
Traditional advertising media is dying and is being replaced with online media, creating a listing in Google's Local Business Listings is just one marketing strategy (cheap and effective) that small businesses can use to promote themselves to a wider audience.
The balance of power in local shopping is shifting to online, you need to be in the race to win it!
This information, once you have gone through it completely, will enable you to comfortably and confidently get your local business listed in the top seven in Google local search listings. It will also show you how to get to number one, it's just a matter of more work!
I will go through each step one at a time from listing a business (Real Life Case Studies) to getting it to the top of the listings.
Many local businesses are missing out on a massive opportunity to advertise for free on Google, there is a search feature on Google which I am sure most of you have seen, that allows a business to have their name, address and telephone number appear on a map on the first page of Google's search results.
These results are show next to the map in a box of 3 to 7 listings and are triggered by certain types of businesses and keywords (some keywords don't trigger the maps like 'Website Marketing or Web Design which is ironic as we are the very businesses that promote Google!), also by location.
Although the exact algorithm Google uses to rank the listing is unknown, the observations included in this paper are the results of testing hundreds of listings for clients.
The map has information such as the website, telephone number, address, number of reviews and directions to the business.
Yahoo and Bing have also introduced this feature but for the benefit of this paper I will only be addressing Google's Local Search.
This paper is in two parts:

Part 1: Creating a Google Local Search Listing.

Part 2: Dominating Google's Local Search.

Please read the complete document fully first, before trying to gain a listing.
Part 1: Creating a Google Local Search Listing.
Before we get started you need to know which "keywords'' to optimise your listing for, these are the words that people would type in to Google to find your service or business. This is a subject that deserves a paper in its own right! If you have no idea how to find them try and put your self in your potential customers shoes and think what they would type into Google to try and find your service.
Some of you may find that your business is already listed in Google but you haven't put it there! This is because Google will have found your business while searching through the web from another source such as a business directory. If this is the case then you need to claim your listing (more later).
If you already see a listing for your business or you don't have a listing at all then the first step is the same, what you need to do is open a Google Account, this is very simple just go to https://www.google.com/accounts and look for the link to 'Create an Account Now' once you have signed up to an account the next thing you need to do is go to https://www.google.com/local/add/ and sign into your Google account.
Once in your Google account you then go to 'My Products >Google Places 'then 'Add New Listing'.
This is the first step and one of the most important, so it will pay dividends to spend a bit of time on this section making sure that you get it right.
First choose you country (There a few countries that Google doesn't provide listing for but not many).
Next you are going to input your Company/Organization, here you would want to have your 'keyword' somewhere in the title.
For example if you are an Accountant in Boston you would put your business title first then a dash then your location plus the keyword. Ex: "Henry Jones Accountants - Boston Accountants".
Make your keywords fit naturally. Blatant spam (using the keyword out of context or too many times) is not recommended.
The next thing to add is your address, if you have any other listings in any other business directories then make sure that the address you are using matches exactly, Google will search for other listings (known as citations, mentions or a web reference) that uses the same address and link these to your listing helping you rank higher.
In this case we are going for the keyword 'Secured Loans Hull', so we have searched Google to see if there is already a listing and found that there isn't, plus there are no local listings at all.
If by typing your address in Google you can't find your address on any other site then fill in the details as you would normally but make sure that you save those details exactly as you use them to get listed on Google as you will be using them later.
Google seems to use the location to the center of a town as a ranking factor (although I have no absolute proof) so if you are on the outside of a city/town it can sometimes be better to use a mail box service in the city/town center if you are going for a highly competitive listing.
Next you need to enter your main phone number, if you are using a 0800 number I would enter that as an optional number and put your normal number with area code as your main number, there appears to be some weight given to having the area code in the listing.
Now enter your website address, if you have one, if you don't tick the box below. Now enter a description. Use the keywords you are trying to rank for in the description, you have 200 words so make use of them, write a description that properly describes your business without trying to spam.
The last section on the page is the category's, you have 5 categories you can enter, make sure your main keyword is first and that at least one of the other categories is one that you have pulled from the options Google gives you.
Onto the next page!
When you hit that next button, Google will go out and search to see if there is already a similar listing in its database.
If it (Google) finds other listings then you will be given two choices,

1. Claim listing,

2. Add listing.

How to Overcome Google Local Search Engine

Many small local businesses are moving towards online advertising these days. Thanks to Google local search results, it's now possible to set up a search optimization campaign for a fraction of the price when compared to a global campaign. Google has made it possible on Google's business search results pages that advertisers and businesses can target internet users by geographical location.
It took time before businesses and service providers realized the value of Local Search Optimization, and started to use this tool to promote their businesses and get their listings included in local search results. Google has finally realized what their advertisers really want and need, but this can be very complex for the average local business owner. Getting relevant pages back from a search can be a result of geo-targeting and it is something every business should keep an eye on. The good news is that it has just become easier.
Many business owners are still sitting on the fence about Google local search, as they do not quite understand how it can improve their results and even their profits. They cannot believe that it can be really that simple to get included in Google local business searches and have no idea where to start. Here are some step by step instructions on how to overcome procrastination and get listed on Google local search as soon as possible.
Google automatically collects information on businesses and includes them in their results page. However if they would like to take advantage of local search engine optimization, businesses will have to claim their listing immediately. Businesses have to verify their contact information. After that, a revision of the listing can be requested and Google will edit this to allow search engine optimization to take place.
Google is going to rank each listing that is similar to each other or provide the same services by feedback, reviews and popularity. It is a great idea to ask existing customers either via email or in store to review each listing and leave a comment or rating. This is going to improve your Google local search results ranking for your business.
How to Edit Listings on Google Places for Local Search Engine Optimization
Pick the right category. Businesses have to make sure that they are checking out the category Google picked for them, and choose the one that is the most relevant.
Make sure your address is correct. There is nothing more annoying for customers than not being able to find the physical shop they are looking for. It is not good for Google and not good for the advertiser, either. There is also an option to include a map link, and it is advisable to use it every time.
Web addresses should be checked and included. Not every listing comes with a URL address, but it is essential for search engine optimization to have the website linked to Google.
Photos, references, past work samples can really make a difference. This process for Google Places is giving local business listings an unfair advantage and exposure.
Google local search is a great way for businesses to gain extra exposure and target the right geographic group. However in some cases, local search engine optimization takes some time to test and tweak before it brings in the best results.

Google Local Business Listings - Techniques to Show Up 1st

Everyone is talking about the power of Google Local Business Listings and what it can do for your business regardless of what type of business you own or operate. With Google getting over 70% of all searches on a monthly basis can anyone actually afford not to pay attention to Google Local Business Listings to increase business without breaking the bank.
Search Engine Marketing Techniques

You need to what you are doing when adding your business on Google.
You must understand the basic SEO techniques in order to maximize results
You must use the proper keywords and or categories for your business during the sign up process other wise you are never going to show up.
You Must add Pictures To Your Listing
If you have a Video about your business that is always a plus.
Set up your Hours of Operation so that customers know when you are open for business
Customer Reviews, This is the biggest factor when customers see your listing and it does have a weight on results from what we are noticing in searches.
If you have a website add a link from your website back to the Google Local Listing so customers can see both.


Google Guidelines to pay attention to:

Do Not Try and spam with multiple Google Listings with the same phone number ( It Does Not Work )
No matter how many Businesses You own only 1 Address per business ( Do not Use The Same Address for all of your businesses.
Have a Unique Phone Number For Each Listing and Unique Business Address to be successful
There are many other factors and techniques to making your Google Local Map Listing jump to the top of the search results and it comes down to making changes from time to time to see what works best. Google is getting smart with how they rank a listing and we will never know exactly what is the best way to achieve First Page Google Listings other than trying out different tactics that will not get you spammed from Google.
We have tried many ways to achieve 1st Page Rankings on Google Local Searches and with most of them working and sometimes they did not work we went back to making small changes to see what factors have the highest weight with Google to make sure the next time when setting up a new Google Local Business Listing for a new client we want to make sure they show up on the first page of Google quickly and stay there for a long time to come.
Trying to stay on the first page of Google is like trying to keep your body in shape, you must work out on a regular basis to achieve the goal and the body you have always wanted. SEO is constantly changing and Google changes with it as well, One day Google may rank your website in the top 5 and next week you could be number 11-15. The only way to avoid this is to always update your website with new information in order to show Google you are still alive and kicking.

A Must-Read Google Local SEO Overview

Owing to our modern-day technology, international and local businesses presently play equals when it comes to promotional strategies of their products and services - thanks to the power of online marketing. Local businesses' whereabouts, profile, and the like can now be easily found by their patrons or potential customers. All they have to do is to type the keywords that these businesses are using for their webpage optimization. This opportunity for local businesses to target their local clients is in courtesy of Google local SEO. While local businesses benefit from it, people looking for local services profit from it too. They no longer have to scan through thick yellow pages and phone directories just to look for someone to hire or to order any product. They could just key in their queries in the online search engines and a host of webpages filled with the information they need pops up.
Identifying that this is a great tool for business promotion, small business owners need to know some important facts in order for them to fully take advantage of it. The primary step to take is to enlist our business in the Google local business directory. Assuming that you already have an account with your company profile, you must then make sure to place it in local directories for greater visibility in your local area. A very important directory to subscribe to is the Google Maps. It holds a very friendly application process and it only takes eight weeks for it to be enlisted. Afterwards, expect an increased traffic generation to your website. Although it is advisable to have multiple listing for various local areas, it is essential that your business only have one listing for each local area it serves.
Google generally depend on quality and relevant links and as a feature of the said search engine, the same holds true for the Google local SEO. If your business is thriving to top the local SERP rankings, it needs to draw quality backlinks from respected domains in local areas. When local SERPs start to optimize your local based keyword, higher search engine result ranking for your website would be easy to achieve.
Apart from quality links, search engines also regard all contact information pertaining to your business just like what you see in the printed yellow pages. All the basic information like address, zip code and phone number are pertinent details. Including all these company information on all the pages of your website would be a wise practice to exercise. If you want your website to be appealing to viewers, inserting a short description about your business and one to three apt photos could also improve your company profile. Knowing and applying these Google local SEO facts will certainly help in your local business promotion.
Then again, Google algorithm changes once in a while if not regularly. And as a result, the way Google returns search results may also be affected. By default, the search engine now recognizes the location of the searcher who is looking for information and typing his inquiry. Subsequently, it will provide results depending on the keywords that are qualified by the physical location of the searcher. This may sound negative, but if you provide your website with the qualified keywords such as the city, town or state matched with original keyword searched it could create a new keyword function that your business can utilize for its gain. This is another Google local SEO fact that you can benefit from as you reach your target customers in various locations. Just develop your business website in accordance to these points and everything will work out fine.

Advantages of Listing With Google Local Business Center

Google is the king of search engines. Therefore, it's in your best interest to make it as easy as possible for Google to let Google know more about you and your business.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by submitting your local business to Google Local Business Center. You can begin to see immediate results after doing this.
Here are the top 9:

Google will give your site more authority because they know it is a real business, giving you better search engine ranking for your keywords.
Add your website to Google Maps so potential customers can instantly find out more about you. One of the hottest new ways to find local businesses right now is through Google Maps.
Insert specific keywords into your business description. For example if you're a financial planner, you can add retirement specialist, CFP®, CPA, wealth management, annuity specialist...etc to your title. This will give you a leg up on those who just have their name.
Better control the information including name, phone, number, address, and hours of operation.
Add any certifications you have next to your name. For example, you could be listed as John Smith CFP®.
Google allows you to see how customers are finding you via Google Dashboard. For example, you're able to know if a customer came from Google Maps of Google Search and the keywords that were typed in. This will allow you to optimize your marketing efforts.
Add a picture of your office, which will appear in Google Maps, so new customers can identify your building. This will make it easier for customers to find you.
Allows customers to review and rate your services. (Hopefully a benefit to you)
It has an infinite ROI because it's free!
Sign your local business up for an account today. All it will take is 15 minutes out of your day.
Monitor how people are finding your website. The more information you know, the better you can optimize your marketing efforts.

Google Local Business Listings Part 2 (Getting Your Listing Ranked Higher)

In this part we will discuss how to move your listing up the ranks to get to number 1 or that coveted A.
For many of you when you have just added your listing you won't see it on the front page in fact it may be several pages deep within the results, so our goal here is to get to the front page.
There are two elements we need to be aware of here as we have already properly optimized our listing. The first is reviews and the second, citations.
When you look at the normal 7 box set of results you will see next to most listing's that there is a link next to each one that says '12 Reviews' (or however many).
You should click on each one of these links and look to see how many reviews each listing has and where they are coming from, also how many citations each listing has.
You will find the number of citations below the reviews under the header 'More about this place', note all of these down in a spreadsheet. Also note down the websites that the citations are coming from because you will use the same websites to gain citations for your listing.
To get on to the first page you need to have more reviews and more citations than your competitors!
The easiest way to get more reviews is to simply ask your existing customers for the reviews, most customers (especially if they are happy with your service) will give you a review. Some 'out the box' thinking will come in handy here, make sure you reward your customer in some way for giving you the review.
The more reviews you have the better but depending on how many your competitors have you may not need that many to get listed on the front page.
When I was looking at my competitors reviews I saw a lot of reviews on http://www.qype.co.uk, so in this case I wish to list my business on Qype and then direct my customers to the listing to leave a review there.
Having reviews on different sites as well as reviews directly on Google maps makes it a good natural mix, although Google does take a bit longer to find some of the reviews and citations.
The most effective citations seem to come from the major data providers like Yell.com and Citysearch.com (I have added a list to the resource section)
As well as using the 'big boys' I would also add into the mix many local directories, as you have a local listing it makes sense to have local 'mentions'.
By adding reviews and citations you will find that you will rank higher and higher as the Google spiders find your details all over the Internet, this will result in more targeted traffic to your website and more sales (providing you have set your site up properly to convert browsers into buyers, but that's a whole other story!)
Click the link in the resource box below to get the pdf version with video and images.

Create a Great Google Local Business Listing

I'm will outline several aspects of what makes a great Google Local business listing.
1. Having a great title. The title of your local business listing should be the name of your business. Hopefully, there is a great keyword in the title. If your business does not have a keyword which is descriptive of your business, do not be tempted to insert a keyword into the title. Google will think this is spamming. Only insert the actual name of your business in the title.
2. The address. It's very important that the address you list in your Google Local business listing is the exact same format as the address which is listed on your website and other locations on the Internet. Be sure that it absolutely matches all the other references to your address on the web.
3. The phone number. Do not use 800 numbers. Be sure that the phone number listed in your local business listing is your actual business phone number. Additionally, it is important that that number not be associated with other business listings. You need a unique phone number for each business listing. Otherwise, Google can be confused about this.
4. Your website. Be sure to include your website address in your local listing. The website you associate with your Google Local listing can do much for the ranking of your local listing. The more respect Google has for your website, the more respect they will have for your listing.
5. Your categories. The categories are not something that should be chosen in haste. It's very important to research the possible categories that people will be searching for. Include as many categories as possible that describe your business.
6. The hours. Of course, you will want to list the hours of operation for your business.
7. The details should be filled out in much detail. The details section allows you to describe your business to customers for exactly what they can expect.
8. Every business owner has the opportunity to also show pictures. Each listing can have up to five pictures included with it. You should take full advantage and upload five pictures of your business, your employees, your products, or your completed projects.
9. Additionally, you can include videos from YouTube. It's a simple matter to publish a video to YouTube and then use its URL to publish within your local listing.
10. There is also a coupon feature with the local listing format. Be sure and take advantage of this coupon feature and create a relevant coupon to entice new customers to try your service or products.

3 Tips To Maximize Your Google Local Business Maps Listing

Each and every marketplace and industry is getting more and more competitive by the day. Before we even consider the changes from the consumer behavior side of this formula, you NEED TO UNDERSTAND how to adapt and maximize the free tools available to expose and capture the free and targeted traffic that your Google Local Business Maps listing can provide to you.
Were you aware that 46% OF BUSINESSES are still without a website - amazing isn't it? Now you may be thinking this statistic was from January of 2000, but I nearly fell out of my chair when doing market research in January, 2011.
Also, according to an independent internet research company (The Kelsey Group), 31% of households PREFER USING THE INTERNET FIRST when gathering information about a product or service - and many of those searches are local, via Google Local Business Maps Listings, Yahoo and Bing Pages.
You may also be shocked to find out that 86% of searches that reach a website locally follow their search up with a phone call. For the proactive searchers that live within a 6 mile radius from that business, they're 90% ready-to-buy and want to do so once contacting a local business, so get your cash registers ready.
Below are 3 Tips To Maximize Your Google Local Business Maps Listing:
1. Fill Out All Of The Fields Google Asks You To- Because Google is what's called a relevant based search engine, those business owners that obey their rules will be most rewarded. Typically, search engines don't care about what your personal preferences are... so just follow their lead to get handsomely rewarded with free traffic, leads and then convert in the house.
2. A Good Picture Is Worth Thousands Of Dollars - Instead of putting in space-holder pictures in your 5 allotted Goggle Maps/Google Places page, use this "prime real estate" to drive sales and willing-to-buy prospects to your company website. This prime real estate can also be a significant boost at getting your website to the top of Google.
I'd strongly recommend finding a graphics person who's handy in Photoshop or Illustrator (both Adobe programs) to create high-end coupons that will prompt prospects to call and visit your business.
3. The Power Of Persuasive Videos Is Prominent These Days - It has been proven by the numbers that video marketing is starting to dominate. Think about human nature for a minute, do more people watch TV or read books? So why is your website and Google Maps/Google Places page only text and images? Don't you want to give people what they are looking for?
The 4 major search engines have seen significant growth in the local landscape. This area of business online has fast become the largest growing sector on the entire internet... but regardless of what you think or feel, just listen to the people that knows more about this stuff than you.
I fought it for years - and lost every time! So if you want to maximize your Google Local Business Maps listing then do what the experts are telling you, we did and our business is positioned and prime to thrive for a long time because of it!

Google Local Business Center - 5 Reasons You Must Put the Power of Google Behind Your Local Business

The Google Local Business Center is a tool that enables business owners to more effectively connect with customers searching on Google for information about local business. It puts business owners in control of their business listings and helps them to provide information about their businesses that is authoritative, helpful, and, timely.
The Local Business Center (LBC) is even useful for businesses that do not have Websites as Google's LBC makes it possible for them to use the local business listing as their presence on the Web.
Signing up for an account with the LBC - and adding or claiming your local business listing - should be a top priority for your business for five key reasons:
1- Your Customers and Competitors' Customers Search Google to find Local Businesses
The Google Local Business search engine - which you can find at either local.Google.com or maps.Google.com (maps is, by far, the more popular of the two) - gets an average of more than 50 million unique visitors every month.
That's a lot of people searching every month for, among other things, local businesses to buy from.
And although it's advisable to sign up for local business accounts at Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines, a Google Local Business account should be your immediate priority because Google is the runaway leader in local business search market share, with more than double the local business search market share of maps.yahoo.com, maps.bing.com, and yellow.pages.com combined.
Please note that all links, images and videos can be found on the author's Website - the address for which appears in the Resource Box of this article.
Of course, in spite of Google's best efforts to promote the LBC - and the utilization of maps.Google.com - there are many millions of people who still use the google.com Website, even when searching for local business information. And, as you'll learn in the next section, that gives local businesses an opportunity to capture some space at the top of Google's "traditional" Web search results.
2- A Google Local Business Listing Can Take You to the Top of Google
Google's launch of universal search in May 2007 meant that content from Google Images, Google Local/Maps, Google Video, and so forth could be integrated into its "traditional" Web search results pages.
This means that Google can - and often does - serve up local business listings as part of the Web search results even if location is not specified (it appears that Google's search algorithm is able to detect "local intent").
It's increasingly common to find Google local business listings on the first page of search results - often at the top - as the "Google Local Business Seven-Pack" (a reference, obviously, to the fact that Google displays the top seven local business search results in a cluster of seven).
Alternatively, Google may display a search query box at the top of the search results page that asks searchers: Looking for local results for keyword?
Either way, a Google Local Business listing can put a business on the fast-track to a coveted position at the top of Google's search results that may have been impossible to capture otherwise.
3 - People Who Search Google for Local Businesses Take Action
A Google-sponsored, comScore.com study that looked at the importance of search in influencing offline buying behaviour found that 25% of searchers purchased an item directly related to their search queries, and that, of those buyers, 37% completed their purchases online while an even greater 63% completed their purchases offline following their search activity.
The study results underscore the fact that a Google Local Business listing is not only effective at driving traffic but, more importantly, it is effective at driving traffic that converts.
4 - The Advent of Google Local Search for Mobile
As they continue to become more sophisticated and the browsing experience continues to improve, access to the Internet via mobile phones will continue to rise. In fact, Gartner predicts that access to the Internet via mobile devices will overtake PCs by 2013.
Google has clearly understood for a long time the synergy between local search and the mobile Web, as some key developments suggest:
· Google's July 2005 acquisition of Android Inc, a manufacturer of software for mobile phones (which started triggered speculation that Google was looking to dive into the mobile phone market; the acquisition also eventually led to the development of the Android mobile operating system)
· Google's September 2009 launch of an improved Local Search for Mobile allows users to, among other things, "star" search results on their PCs and have them automatically appear on their mobile phones; it also allows users to search by browsing local business categories without typing (the video on the author's Website offers a brief introduction to the functionality of Google Local Search for Mobile)
· Google's November 2009 $750 million acquisition of mobile advertising company AdMob (on the heels of a five-fold increase in mobile search traffic over the previous two years)
· Google's December 2009 distribution of Favourite Places decals to more 100,000 of the most sought-out and searched US businesses on Google.com and maps.Google.com (see the video on the author's Website for details on Favourite Places)
· Google's January 2010 entry into the mobile phone market that finally ended years of speculation about Google's plans for the mobile phone market
Naturally, Google will continue to innovate in both the local search space and in the mobile web search space. The key takeaway is that the businesses that get on board early will be the ones to reap the greatest rewards. And it all takes to get on board is to visit the Google LBC and claim or add your local business listing.
5 - The Google LBC is Easy to Use and It's Free
If you've already got a Google account, you can simply sign in to the Google LBC and get started right away. If you don't have a Google account, all you have to do is sign up for one (you can sign up on the LBC sign-in page).
The video on the author's Website offers a brief walk through of the easy process for signing into the Google LBC and claiming (or adding) your local business listing.
As Google continues to promote local search, usage of local search by consumers will only increase. And considering that consumers who employ local search are buyers, don't you think that you should sign up for Google's LBC and get your local listing working for your business today?

Google Local Business Listings

The Local Business Listings (LBL) is a condense page or webpage that is dedicated to local businesses (LB). Through these LBL, visitors to the listing can begin to understand more about the company in the surrounding area where your business is being conducted. LBL's provide a directory for individuals looking for businesses in a certain area and once these businesses have been identified, more information can be pulled out of the directory. At this current time there are a lot of different sites that are offering LBL including Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Local companies can see an exponential amount of growth if this feature is utilized to its fullest potential.
One website that is providing this feature is Google and the extra features that Google provides for the small businesses makes this website one that truly looks out for the local company. There are a number of defining features that separates Google from the other websites providing LBS, but the features that Google offers provide extra incentive to utilize the site because of the potential gain from its use.
One of the best features that Google has just implemented is the use of pictures. As the business owner you can add as many pictures as needed as well as a company logo that will be displayed. Another feature that Google has is the ability for customers to post reviews of the local business. When buying a product, much of the time the decision to buy the product is based on previous customer reviews. By adding this feature for local businesses on the Google website, customers, business owners and potential customers can all interact in order to create full experience for everyone involved. Google also allows you to incorporate a coupon that can be printed off by the customer. This provides extra incentive for the customer to view the different local businesses that are available in the area while also giving local businesses an opportunity to draw in new customers.
An even better feature for local business owners is the ability to link the listing to the homepage of the business. With this feature, local business owners can give simple directions to customers seeking to learn more and visit the business. Finally, if there weren't already enough features for the local business owner, Google also allows the business to post videos that are applicable to the business. Whether it is a commercial or more information pertaining to the business, the option to add videos makes the Google site all the more attractive to potential cusomters.
The internet is a fantastic way for local companies to get their name out in the community and for customers to find them. The different websites currently providing Local Business Listings provides a great service for both the customer and the local companies. One of these websites is the most powerful website on the world wide web, Google, which allows for businesses to truly reach a large number of people and expand their own business.

Google Local Listings - Are You Squandering Your Business's Ten seconds of Fame?

You may have noticed the local listings on Google when you do a search for a particular type of business in a particular city. For example, if you type in "pizza shop Greenville" or "shoe store New York" you receive a listing of what Google considers the top ten business those categories. Pretty neat.
Even neater is that these listings are at the top of page one, displayed before any of the organic search results. If you understand how important being at the top of page one on Google can be for a business, your palms may already be getting sweaty. That is prime real estate, the "million-dollar-view" in the search engine results.
Even with all this potential, lots of business owners haven't taken advantage of this great, free chance to be listed here by Google. The steps below show you how to get your business in the game. And while simply creating or claiming your business's local listing isn't a guarantee Google will put you in the top ten, it's well worth your time to create a local business listing for your company.
Step 1) If you don't have an account with Google already, go to their homepage and create one by clicking the login button in the top right-hand corner of the screen. After signing up and verifying your account you're ready to move on.
Step 2) Check to see if you already have a Google local business listing by going to Google Maps (maps.Google) and typing the address of your business. If the name of your business appears below the address you typed in, Google has beaten you to it by automatically creating a local business listing for your business. More often than not, if your company has been around for any length of time, Google will have already created a local business listing for you from information it's gathered about your company from other sources like YellowPage listings, etc. Believe me, if you exist in any significant form, "Big Brother" Google knows.
If your listing's already there, go ahead and claim your local business listing by clicking on the business name under the results for your address. In the info bubble that appears over the map, click on the button to edit the listing. It will ask if you are the business owner. Answer in the affirmative and complete the steps Google provides for claiming your business. Now with your stake claimed, you're ready to jump right in to creating the listing in Step 3.
If Google doesn't know about you yet just go to (Google/local/add) and create local business listing there by clicking on the "add new business" button. Then move on to Step 3.
Step 3) Now the fun part, creating the listing.

First, fill in your business's address and various forms of contact info if it's not there already.

Next comes your business's description, arguably the most challenging, yet very important piece of your local listing. Google limits business descriptions to 200 characters or less, including spaces. Google appears to have adopted the famous line from Dragnet's Agent Friday, "Just the facts, mam' just the facts," as its motto for this section. Trying to intelligibly describe your business in such a small amount of space can be a real challenge, but doable. Just remember, in your quest for brevity, don't neglect sprinkling your description with keywords you believe your customers would use when searching for a business like yours.

Next, select your business categories. Don't overdo it here, but let Google know every category of products or service that you offer. Google will display a list of suggested categories as you're typing. If it makes sense, use them, if not, continue typing out your own. You don't have to use Google's cookie-cutter categories. Don't rush through this section, Google relies heavily on the business categories you're creating here when deciding whether to include your listing for a certain category of searches.

Now, fill in your hours of operation and methods of payment you accept.

Google allows each local business listing to upload up to 10 photos and 5 videos. If you've got them, use them. The more information you provide Google with the better.

Finally, complete the additional details section by providing the small stuff, like if parking is available, if you carry any specialty brands, etc.

Step 4) Click confirm, get a telephone call from Google with a verification PIN number, enter their PIN, and you're done! According to Google, local listings become active in 24 hours or less. So you won't have to wait long to enjoy well-deserved fruits of your labor.
Congratulations! You did it. Now go reward yourself by Googling "pizza delivery (your city here)" and reward a fellow local listing compatriot with your business!

Google Local Business Solutions

If you are a small business looking for a way to get your company listed in the search engines, consider Googling local business solutions.
Google has recently expanded its search options to list 10 businesses to help people find local companies matching their search.
People now use search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN to find local businesses more than the Yellow Pages. In 2008, the internet surpassed the print yellow pages for the first time. Because of this, search engines are trying to improve local search options for users.
Now, when a user types in a city before a keyword term, they are likely to find a listing of 10 companies at or near the top of the search engine results.
This can be specific types of business - for instance "Los Angeles Florist" or more general information type terms such as "Riverside Child Custody."
There are 10 businesses listed. If there are more businesses that meet the qualification, there will be a "more results" tab. This will lead to a listing of all of the companies that have registered with Google.
To increase your chances of getting in the "10 pack" that appears on the primary search engine:
o Fill out the Google local listing as completely as possible

o Make sure you have a website to direct people to

o List an address close to the city center

o Place your information in free directories and online yellow pages

o Register for review sites

o Upload photos to your profile

How to Rank Higher in Google Local Business Listings

Google offers a free business listing to small businesses at the top of most local search results pages. Local Google Advertising is what we're after when we talk about Google's local business listing center. Anatomy of a Google search result page:
o Listings on the right side bar are paid advertisements, often called "sponsored links"

o The main body of a search result page are called the "organic" or "natural" search listings

o At the very top in a colored text box are also paid advertisements, sponsored links

o Above the organic listings are "Google Local Business Listings"
This wiki deals with only with the Local Business Listings
You will notice a map associated with each listing, this is because Google used the existing infrastructure of Google Maps to implement the free business listings. It's generally thought that Google offered this free service, and gave its location on a search result page prominence above the organic listings because of the popularity of Google's AdWords program.
AdWords is a PPC (pay per click) advertising system where keywords and keyword phrases are bid on in an auction like system. The immense popularity of AdWords priced smaller Mom n Pop stores out of the market due to the ever escalating costs of certain keywords. Google became fearful that it's search platform would be return search results of the "rich and famous" thus reflecting only what the rich and powerful wanted seen on Google search results.
How does Google determine which website should rank higher than another?
Google uses a computer program algorithm based on hundreds of factors as the vast size of the internet precludes any human capability of keeping the listings accurate or current. That algorithm is a closely guarded trade secret within Google. Search Engine Optimization Consultants learn what Google apparently likes and doesn't like from the observable behavior of search results.
Google Places IS Googlemaps
Google Maps algorithm is different from the algorithm that anoints one site over another. It's also slower to update. If your customers leave glowing reviews of your product or service on the link provided your site will climb in rank. You are permitted up to 10 photos of your product or service, use as many of those slots as possible. Fill out as much information about your business as space allotted provides, being verbose is better than being succinct when it comes to Google Local Business Listings
Many small businesses get leads and interested inquiries from a local business listing even if they don't have a website URL. Still other small businesses find it unnecessary to have their company listed anywhere other than the top local business listings. If your listing falls in ranking or is bumped out of it's spot by a newcomer and you find your company losing sales because of it, you may want to outsource your rankings management to a local search engine optimization firm.
The fees involved for a local business listing may be less than the fees for improving your company website's organic listing.
What Determines Rank?
Ever wonder why your companies listing in Google does OK in the main body of Google's search results page but is not in the top 10 of those pesky Google Local Business Listings?
Ultimately what you want is to be found in BOTH sets of listings, the net effect of which would be to drive home in your prospective customers Mind's Eye that Google apparently thinks pretty highly of your company if Google is displaying YOUR company listing in the Local Business Listings and in the Organic Search Rankings.
Well, people's perception and Google's reality are far, far apart.

Google didn't *pick* you to be #1 and your competitor to be #11

A computer program picked you over the hapless fella you compete with. A person did not visit your site, take notes, compare notes, make a decision, hear the belly aching and whining of the poor fool who got bumped off of his front page listed by a website that ranked better than his...
nope, an algorithm picked you over them.
Think about it... there are what? a Gazillion webpages already indexed in Google? And how many tens of thousands of new webpages being created as we speak? Some of those tens of thousands are being "generated" by a "bot".
There is no way on God's Green Earth a staff of humans could possibly keep up with that kind of volume. An algorithm did it. The robot that scours the Internet (in the SEO industry we call that "spidering") is titled GoogleBot. GoogleBot Can't Really *Read*
GoogleBot can NOT read... but it CAN count
Googlebot counts the words on your webpage, it counts the keywords and keyword phrases you use in your copy. Is y0ur company website a little light on copy? Too bad for you.
It matters little to Googlebot if the fancy flash graphic and dramatic digital photos depicting your most important product are... well the damn thing can't decipher a photo! but it CAN read text.
What ever makes your photos good, better or best and likewise your competitors photos crappy is subjective. Art is subjective, math is not.
Either the keywords are on your webpage (Prominently placed at the top of the page I hope) or the keywords are not.
He who has the most keywords (elegantly, tactfully and deftly constructed with proper enough grammar for the spell-checking-programmed Googlebot to index) Wins that coveted top spot!
But... the Google Local Business Listings are a different story. The algorithm that runs it is different.
What Google is looking for and rewards when it sees it for the organic search results page (the body of the page) is one thing. What Googlebot is looking to see in the Free Local Google Advertising Listings is quite another.
I'm not about to reveal the entire loophole in a "Google Secrets Revealed" post, not even for a hefty $1000 fee for an ebook (I'd do it for that price if it were ticket sales to a seminar and I got a couple dozen of you to buy $1000 tickets to eagerly learn how I do what it is I do) (that's in the works by the way)
No, I'm not telling, not the whole thing but I will give you a hint, and I'm giving said hint in the form of my own Maryland search engine optimization results. This is not theory.This is not alleged. What follows is battle tested!
I'm competing against the best of the best, the top guys and gals in Maryland: other SEO professionals. Link building technicians like me:)
If your customers leave glowing reviews... and they leave them USING a Gmail account, and that Gmail account is associated with a Google Profile, and the person leaving the review has a picture or avatar uploaded to that Google Profile... Your Google local business listing will climb in ranking.
There are things you can do to improve your ranking
Many of you know you have to do something, you're reading this to research if there's anything you can do to "make the phone ring" in this challenging economy. More than a few of you will learn that you know you want to do something about SEO (search engine optimization) but simply don't have the time... and you'll hire me to get YOUR company website dominating the local Google search results!

Search Engine Optimization For Google Local Business Results

As it is so readily pointed out by Google "Local customers already search Google for the products and services you offer", so I often wonder why more small business owners don't leverage the revenue generating power of these listings. Have you created your business listing so that your customers and more importantly prospective customers are sure to be able to find you?
If not take a few moments to read on to find out just how much business you may be missing out on.
First of all let's define Google Local Business Listings and how they are different from your typical organic search listings. Google Local Business Listings are different than organic or pay-per-click listings and typically only show up when the user types a service oriented business followed by the city for their search. At this point a Google Maps appears alongside up to ten URLs with a phone number by each.
For those that need more than ten listings you have the option to click the "More Results" option and you'll be taken to a map with alphabetically lettered red pegs for each register business on Google Maps. There is no secret that being listed on Google Maps and/or Google's Local Business Listings is becoming even more important since they are being displayed more often in searches with up to ten listings even before the organic listings start.
There are a number of very simple steps that can be taken by the small business owner and entrepreneur to get additional traffic to their website and new prospects buying products:
Be sure to get free listings in as many local directory websites as possible. I very rarely recommend setting up reciprocating links as they often provide little to no value or paying for links in directories. However, if there are local directories that are offering nonreciprocal link options that are free you should definitely take advantage of the listing.
Always include your phone number whenever you write a description of your company on a third party website. Research suggests that Google may use your phone number to improve your local business listing rankings, similar to the way they use links for improving your traditional organic search engine rankings. For those of you using Wordpress for your website updates like this are very easy.
Make sure your local business listing is complete. For instance, include pictures, videos, coupons, a full description dense with keywords, be sure to select the appropriate categories for your business, etc, etc.
Use keywords in your local business listing description and make it as long as Google allows.
If you have local competitors that are ranking well with the Google Local Business listings take the time to look at their local business listings.
A very important and often overlooked piece to the overall puzzle is having customer reviews associated with your Google Local Business listing. So, how do you go about getting customer reviews? Simply add a link from your homepage to the listing and encourage current customers or website visitors to review your company. You cannot have too many customer reviews!
As for your website, be sure to include your business name in your title tags, description and throughout your website. With WordPress you can accomplish this very easily in a number of ways depending on your installation and plugins available to you.
Additionally, you will want to ensure the following items are covered by on your website:
*Include your address and phone number on every page of your website. Often the bottom of every page is a great location to do so.
*Include your city and state in your website's content, titles, descriptions and/or page headers.
*Do some searches on Google to find out which phrases local business listings show up for, and optimize your site for those phrases.
When mastered, local business search engine optimization has the potential to be very lucrative, generating large amounts of targeted traffic, within a short amount of time.

Google Local Business Directory - How Testimonials Help You Get Found On The Google Yellow Pages

Would you like to get more business? A major source of new business is the Google local business directory. They are now calling it "Google Places" and it is very similar to the Yellow Pages of old. In fact, some people call it the Google Yellow Pages. When a person types in a request, like "Real Estate Agent" into Google the computer tells Google where you are located in the world so that it can give you Places local results. This business directory must be a part of your local business marketing plan. One way that you can get higher rankings in the Places directory is to have good reviews. How can you get good reviews on Google Places?
Ask your current customers. I have a client who owns a real estate firm. She asks all her renters to sit at her desk, log in and write a review. She did this when they all came in to pay rent. She now has tons of great reviews and a high ranking. You can ask your customers to rate your service, but it is even better if you engage them and get them to do it right there in your office.
If you want to make your Google Places profile really get noticed add pictures. You can sign into your Places account and add photos of your business. Show your potential customers great pictures of your products or pictures of your staff. Give an exterior picture of the building you are in so they are able to find you easier. When people have a great experience with your business they will add reviews on their own without you needing to ask.
If you really want to get noticed on Places then find a few customers who have unique stories to tell about your business. Video the customer telling their story and put it up on YouTube. You can then link it to your Places account and your potential customers will see it. Keep the testimonial to less than 2 minutes and make sure it is very exciting and most of all make sure that it is true.
Great testimonials on your Google Places page will help you to get noticed. Having a high ranking on Places will help you to beat out all your competition. Get great reviews from your current customers, your new customers, and create videos so that your business will get ranked highly by Google Places.

Welcome to Nephrite Consultancy's Google Local Maps Google+ page.

Welcome to Nephrite Consultancy's Google Local Maps Google+ page.

This is a short video summarizing Nephrite Consultancy's Google Local services.

This is a short video summarizing Nephrite Consultancy's Google Local services.

Street View has been to many places around the world

Street View has been to many places around the world, covering every continent by car, trike, snowmobile and boat … and now by foot with Street View Trekker! We're excited to capture images of even more amazing places.

Street View Trekker was just one of the announcements released at this week’s press event, check out the album: http://goo.gl/0gPmp

Google Maps Press Event

Google Maps Press Event 6/6/2012 (6 photos)

More photos from Google Maps

Google Maps Press Event

Google Maps Press Event 6/6/2012 (6 photos)

More photos from Google Maps

Google Maps - Easy Ways For Getting Top Ranks Amongst Google Local Businesses

Search engine ranking has always been one of the most important aspects of internet marketing, where most online businesses vie for getting that top spot, which is managed by only those with a lot of money to burn. While this was true of the early days in SEO marketing, it no longer holds true for people have found various ways to ensure they rank high in the search engines, one of which being the use of the Google Maps Cash system, which is known for ensuring high ranks for local businesses. Using this system, businesses can rank high in Google local business rankings, which in turn means increased traffic and therefore more profitability.
All of us when using Google for our searches have come across searches that are listed in boxes, which often include local business listings, especially in the top ten. Using the Google maps cash system, you can ensure that your local business is amongst the top ten, if not at the first rank in the search rankings. The system is truly sensational and helps people who are truly in need of good traffic but do not have the money for investment. It is pertinent to note here that this system allows you to be listed in the Google local business category, even if you do not have an office in the area, where you are listed, thereby making you a top priority in searches.
The simple methods used by this system includes identification of high traffic keywords, which are otherwise used by big giant corporations with big money and use them for your website at a much lower cost. The ways in which you can actually get those high traffic Google local business keywords in order to be listed in the local business directory are shown in the videos that accompany the training material of this system. It is important to note that there are very simple and straightforward ways in which you can achieve more traffic to your website and this guidance is given by experts through the Google Maps Cash System.
Additionally, the system also talks about the kind of content that will win traffic and the kind that will lose traffic, to help you ensure that you always get more traffic through the Google local business lists. Moreover, the system also expresses ways in which you can avoid the commonly made mistakes by people wanting high page rankings. In addition, successful methods like using social media and other like tools to increase traffic to your website are also discussed in this amazing system.
Last but not the least, the system also provides essential tips for converting the 10-box listing with Google local businesses to the 1-box listing, where only your name appears in the Google maps box on the first page of the search results. Profitability is important to all businesses and this can be achieved only through increased traffic. This system shows a foolproof way to ensure enhanced traffic and increased profitability at very low investment cost.

Mobile Coupons and Google Local Business Listings Change Coupon Industry

Local business listings have become a significant local marketing tool that is showing the demise of the traditional yellow pages and equally the traditional coupons. The famous Stars Wars quote comes to mind "This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Kenobi, and will soon see the end of the Rebellion. - Darth Vader"
With the onset of mobile devices and mobile applications becoming a more useful tool to the local consumers, we have to wonder how this will affect the traditional coupons that are printed and cut using scissors. The impact we are discussing comes in three forms and we're not talking about the convenience to the local consumer.

The first is the cost reduction for the local business from having to pay for their coupons to be printed and distributed. The cost reduction goes down to $0 (zero)!
The second is the impact upon companies whose business is reliant on printing and distributing these coupons. This would include large corporations like Valassis and Val-Pak all the way down to the small local coupon company.
The third impact is one we have discussed before related to the traditional yellow pages. Local business listings are already having an impact upon the usage of the traditional yellow pages and its effectiveness for the local business has been dwindling for years.
The reason the cost to the local business is going to go down to zero is because the local business can post their coupons to their local business listing for free. Particularly with Google, although, electronic coupons through local business listings will all reduce the costs for the local business. Not only will they be able to reduce their costs, but they will see their coupons have a larger reach geographically without any additional costs.
Local business listings and business directories have been on the web for quite some time. This part is nothing new and neither is the ability for the local business to post their coupons electronically. The primary difference comes in the local consumers having the ability to obtain these coupons electronically to their mobile devices while they are about town. No longer do we need to print the coupons before we leave the house, we will have them at our finger tips when we arrive at a store. We don't' even need to plan ahead. When you arrive at a store you will be able to bring up their local business listing to see if there is a coupon available.
While this process has a significant impact upon the coupon companies (especially if they are not planning for this existing change to their business), for the local business this is good news and in order to take advantage of this cost reduction they will need to engage in their local business listing at multiple local listing websites.
Local listings are a local business marketing tool for the local business to reach the local consumer through web searches and mobile searches. As a local business or small business dependent upon the local consumer for your revenue you can tap into a free marketing tool with search engines, social communities, 411 websites and GPS websites.
Tapping into local listings as a business marketing tool starts by setting up accounts and claiming your listing at multiple local listing websites. Please do not be fooled by companies that provide a "get listed" service, because most businesses are already listed. Of course, the majority of local listings are not claimed by the business and they have incomplete or incorrect information. Your competitors therefore become the next best choice for the local consumer.
Aside from the benefits of mobile coupons, the other good news about local listings is that they show up on the first page of a search engine result based on the search term and the locality. For this reason, optimizing a website is not as necessary as having your local listing claimed and up-to-date. You can no longer need to understand the intricacies of search engine optimization (seo) of their business website.
If you're wondering why you need to manage your business listing at all these locations the answer has two parts.

The first is the local consumer who will decide which website they will use to submit their reviews and comments about a business, product or service. Equally where they will go to get your coupons. This one is probably the most important.
The second is the mobile marketing industry. Google may be the 800 lb. gorilla "on" the web, but in the mobile industry, the mobile application developer will decide whose database of they will use to display on mobile devices and this includes the mobile coupons.
Certainly this local business marketing tool is going to evolve and mature over the next few years. Planning and preparing for success lies with getting started now. This may be the first time we can see into the future and not wait to be behind the eight ball.

How to Use Google's Local Business Center to Get Found on the Web

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is very important component to help your site rank well. It is a process that helps your website get found when their potential customers enter specific search terms. Put simply, SEO involves a blend of your site's Meta Tags, Titles, and internal copy working together to boost your rankings in Google and other search engines.
There is also a supplemental way that your customers can find you. It's via a valuable tool provided by Google. It is easy to implement... and it's free. Yet, it's underutilized. Google Local Business Center will allow you to list your company when it is combined with a city name.
Now, don't depend on Google Local for search traffic. I want to stress that there is no replacement for a search-engine friendly website with well-written content, meta description tags, keywords, h1 tags, etc. But if you are marketing your business to a local audience, Google Local is an easy-to-set-up potential source of website traffic that complements your other SEO and SEM efforts.
The power of Google Local is that it lists its Local Map-based searches above the rest of the data. This means if you are using this service, your site can get seen before the number one listed site in the Google organic search results. Pretty powerful, eh?
Here are the steps to get your company set up in the Google Local Business Center:
1. Go to Google Local Business Center - you can find this by doing a search in Google.
2. Sign in to Google (or Create a Google Account if you don't have one).
4. Click "Add New Business."
5. Enter your business information including name, address, website URL, company description, and the categories that best describe your business.
6. Click "Next."
7. If it shows your business is already on there, click "claim listing."
8. If it's not there, click "add listing."
9. Then you can enter additional details such as hours or operation, photos, payment options, and videos.
10. Click submit.
11. At this point, you will need to verify you business by phone (don't bother with the postcard option since it takes weeks to receive it!). Make sure you use a phone number that you can answer because as soon as you click "Finish," a Google computer will call you to give you a PIN number.
12. Then, enter the Google PIN number in your account to verify your listing.
After you are verified, your info will appear on Google Maps. You can go back to the Local Business Center to edit your information or see how many people went to your listing (there are fantastic tracking graphs). You can even ask customers to go to your Local listing to add reviews - this is a powerful tool to show searchers that people like your company.
So, click over to the Google Local Business Center and list your business. It's not much work for a lot of exposure. And by doing this, you'll immediately put your company in front of 95% of your competitors.

Don't Let Your Google Local Business Search Listing Be Hijacked!

When someone says hijacking do you think of a terrorist barging onto a plane and flying to Cuba? Well, that's not what we're talking about here! We're talking about a nasty trick where someone steals your business identity on Google Local Business.
How does this happen? Well it's actually pretty simple. Until you "own" your Google Local Business listing anyone can come in and make changes to it as if they were you. When businesses are presented in Google the data is typically pulled in from other on line resources such as InfoUSA or YellowPages. While this is fairly bare bones information it should in most cases be an accurate reflection of your business name, location and phone number. You can find your information by searching on your business name or address in Google Maps.
So, how can my listing be hijacked? Well it's simple. Anyone can go into a Google Local Business listing and claim it as their own. The hijacker creates a Google email address and then a Local Business Account. They find the listing they want and change the phone number and the URL of the business (or add one if there isn't one). The hijacker also slightly changes the address so Google thinks it's actually a new listing. Google provides for a phone verification process and bingo your listing is high jacked. Subsequent to this your business name could also be changed and you are now gone from view by Google searchers in your locale!
While your business may still be found by other means a good number of searches may be high jacked to the "new" bushiness phone number and URL. This causes lost sales to you and potential confusion to searchers. There has been some organized attempts at this in San Diego to florists, locksmiths and Pay Day Loan operations. In the floral instance the URL was directed to a Canadian on line florist who ended up stealing quite a bit of business.
Is this happening a lot right now? No, however once the word gets out it will occur more frequently. The real worry on a local basis is your competitor changing your information (URL and phone number) to theirs. They could even change the location to theirs and you would disappear!
How can I prevent this from happening? The most important thing to do is claim your listing on Google right now. Create a Google Mail account and then a Google Local Business account. You will confirm your business listing to ensure it's accurate. Then, and this is the fun part, you enhance it. Google allows for photos, videos, your hours of operation, payment methods to all be listed. The more you do with your listing the better off you are in helping your customers find you.
Don't delay, protect your business listing

Zagat

Here's another #FunFact  for you: Seattle is home to the first revolving restaurant, opened in 1961!

Vote in our Seattle Restaurants Survey and tell us your opinions on the dining scene: http://zagat.bz/KirqYL

We’re on the quest for the perfect map - new 3D Google Maps

We’re on the quest for the perfect map—one that’s comprehensive, accurate and usable. We’ve been working on this for the past several years, and are introducing several new tools that will bring us even closer to this goal.

In the next few weeks, we’re enabling offline maps from more than 100 countries for Google Maps for Android users, making new 3D imagery and tours available in Google Earth for mobile, and extending Map Maker to additional countries. Later this year, we’ll also begin collecting imagery of beautiful places like the Grand Canyon thanks to our new Street View Trekker, made for locations that are only accessible by foot. Read more about the future of mapping on our blog: http://goo.gl/mv4vh

Today, Google announced that it will feature 3D models of entire metropolitan areas on mobile devices in Google Earth.

Today, Google announced that it will feature 3D models of entire metropolitan areas on mobile devices in Google Earth.

Talk about a big +Ouch! to MOM ! !

Talk about a big +Ouch! to MOM ! !

Dominate Google For Your Local Business Keywords

The ability to dominate Google page one organic and local search queries is a strategic advantage for my consulting business and it can be for your business too. In part one of my Google Domination series, I outline my first proven strategy to get on page one of Google. This strategy is the quickest way any local business can use to achieve page one Google local search results easily and for free. I walk you through the process of selecting the most responsive pay per click (PPC) keywords for your primary businesses products or services and then show you exactly how to achieve Google page one rankings for 5 different keyword phrases in the Google local business search results.
Begin your Google domination with the Google "Local business results" for your city and categories. If you are not sure what Google local search is, go to Google and search the phrase "Montclair, NJ plumber". The red balloon icon at the top of the search results that have a corresponding map are all local businesses that have selected the keyword Plumber in their Google local business profile.
While Google Local is not a state secret, many businesses still do not know how to set it up or use it effectively. And, even if you already have a Google Local profile, l will help you optimize your keywords for maximum ROI.
How to Achieve 5 Different Premium Page 1 Google Local Results:


Go to Google Local Business page by typing "Google Places" into the Google search engine.
If you have a Gmail account (Google email), sign in. If you do not have a Gmail account, select the "create account now" button and sign up for a free email account.
After you sign into Google with your Gmail username and password, click on the "Add new business" button. Before you enter your contact, categories, and descriptive information into the form, complete the keyword research in the next keyword selection steps.
Google allows you to choose 5 keyword categories for your local area. Make sure you choose the 5 keyword phrases that your customers are most likely to use to find your type of business. To ensure you choose the best keyword phrases, go to the Google keyword tool to find the highest volume, highest competition keywords people are using to purchase your specific type of business products and services.
To use the keyword tool for local search, enter your business keywords into the "Find Keyword" box (For now, use your best guess to plug keywords into the tool) and select the advanced options right above the "search" box. Then enter your zip code into the blank box in the "filter keywords" row. This will return a long list of related keywords with the corresponding local search volume and the related AdWords competition by keyword phrase. If you have an AdWords account (or sign up for one here) you will also be able to see what people are paying per click.
Find the keywords with both the highest local search volume and the highest PPC competition and use these keyword phrases for the categories to complete your Google local business profile. If you have an AdWords account you will see the precise PPC instead of the more general competition bar.
Because you have a local business address, following this process will result in your business receiving five Google page one, local search results absolutely free in the most highly competitive businesses keywords phrases. If you had to buy these results, they could cost you thousands of dollars per month.
If you already have Google local listings, there is a high likelihood you can significantly improve your results. I helped one of my clients optimize their Google local business results by using the process described in step 5. While my client already had 5 keywords listed in the Google local results, the keywords they used were not their most profitable business niches nor were they the most expensive and highest volume keywords. So we matched up the keywords with their most profitable business niches and dropped their AdWords advertising.
Not only did these changes result in five premium local search listings, but since they are not paid search results, they receive higher click through rates for free than you would get no matter how much you paid for advertising. They receive the number 1 or number 2 Google Local Search results for their top two word phrases plus the state of New Jersey. Ten minutes of research and updates resulted in an immediate and ongoing advertising savings and increased lead generation every month. They now dominate their local search for their top categories and consistently and you can too. Ten minutes of research and updates resulted in an immediate and ongoing advertising savings and increased lead generation every month.