Local Search – Be Found More Locally

Local Search is not just about appearing on the Google & Bing map results, but also showing up on sites such as Yelp, Dining.ca, TripAdvisor, Downtown Vancouver, and many others, as consumers increasingly turn to specialized directories or use mobile smartphone apps to find local businesses and seek out reviews and recommendations from others.

If your business has a single or multiple locations and is marketing to local consumers then local search optimization begins with crafting Google Places and Bing Local profiles.

Then depending on your industry and target market, sites such as I mentioned above may come into play as well as local directories which Google considers important and relevant. Not just to ensure people can find your business through those channels, but also because these sites typically rank at the top of search results and will also improve your web presence.

If you click to enlarge the image below you can easily see the current impact on local search results in Google. In this example I simple searched for “Mexican restaurants Vancouver”.

As you’ll see, the first 2 results are “organic” or natural, but are for review sites. The next 7 listings (in gold box) are Google Places (mapped) results, which include reviews and rating. The final 3 results are again “organic” but only one is the actual website of a local restaurant. If any of the 7 mapped results did not have a Google Places profile they would likely not Be Found until the 2nd or 3rd page of results!

One interesting note… no business is paying for Adwords PPC advertising for this search term. If there were paid ads they would appear at the very top, above the first organic listings. A missed opportunity!

There is also the issue of reputation management if you have received negative reviews on any of these sites. This is an important area which you simply can’t ignore, and an area I can provide guidance in.

In my experience Local Search Optimization is a service best provided by a local company or consultant who knows the landscape and understands the market you’re trying to reach.

If Being Found More Locally is of importance to your business let’s connect to discuss what can be done to improve your visibility.