Local SEO & Map Placement
Map optimization is a main focus for Website Medic. We understand the basis behind map positioning and the logic that Google/Yahoo/Bing use when determining map rankings. We usually discover many inconsistencies around the internet regarding important information such as business name, address and phone number (NAP). Cleaning these up is paramount in making sure that search engines can exactly pinpoint the location of your business.
Incorrect information leads to lower rankings as “mixed signals” act as a negative about your business and its chances for ranking well in maps. Local search draws upon many resources around the web and often propagates further. Sites like Yelp, FourSquare, Manta, SuperPages, and others become indications about your business, its products, services and location. Additionally, there are customer reviews which can appear on these sites or on Google/Yahoo/Bing. It makes for a challenging landscape to navigate. That’s why our clients let us handle this area while they focus on growing new business.
Where Will Local SEO Get You
It would stand to reason that most of the people searching for specific services would want to see providers that are located in a close proximity to them. Map Searches and results are quickly becoming a go-to source for finding a business. How does your local profile look, do you have pictures of your best products, beautiful facilities and your helpful staff? The better your profile appears the more confidence you can build with those searching the internet.
The logic behind local search focuses on maps which are becoming the go-to way of locating the competing businesses for a specific service or goods provider It’s imperative to have a prominent placement on the map so that when a local search is performed your business appears. Other factors include a mobile and responsive website design so that the website loads quickly and is readable by consumers on any device. Page load speed is important as the slower a website loads, more people will leave a website and it will not rank well in search engines.
In addition, the Maps position is in a very prominent place on the SERPS page and is a very desirable to have your listing show. It also includes images and a customer rating and sometimes a review snippet, and a link to driving directions. At Website Medic, we are well versed at Local Search SEO and we have helped businesses perform well large competitive markets.
Today's Internet & Geo-Targeting
Local Search is a relatively new industry term. It implies how search results often show local results as opposed to more national brands. This is a trend that has come in the last two years as Google/Yahoo/Bing have become more community oriented. There are several reasons for this. Most searches these days are from people looking for a business in their market that logistically make sense for them to visit.
Say they want a furniture store to go visit, there would not be a need to show Amazon in the search results. Thus the search engines are going more “local” to connect better with their audience. Another big push towards local is the use of GPS coordinates. So much activity is now performed on smartphones or tablets which have a built-in GPS and these applications know right where you are. With the new local orientation Google/Yahoo/Bing deliver results in close proximity to your exact location.
Is Your Business Profile Correct
With so many map results and searches being the source of contact information and directions these days it is more important than ever to get your business profile correct. It would be unlikely that your business listing would allow people would find you among the available goods or service providers if your NAP – Name, Address or Phone Number are incorrect. Or your profile may not be there at all.
If you have ever moved or have multiple locations you may be sending the wrong information to your potential clients? It is imperative to get this part correct and it starts at the top. Our Local Search Specialists work to ensure your information that includes far more than just the NAP is correctly represented across a vast number of websites and reporting agencies across the internet
Why are Reviews Important
So, what are people saying about your business? Reviews can be a great thing as they not only tell the story of real experiences about a business, they are highly favored by major search engines. You can see a Star Rating in the Maps section in Google and this type of rating is showing up so many places these days. This is another way to build confidence with new customers.
Are people leaving you reviews, and it is easy for them to do so. Do you encourage people when dealing with them? Reviews are like votes for your listing even if they are not a five star, so remember, the more the better as long as they are not artificial like some SEO companies provide. At Website Medic, we work to create the most valuable review sites for your business including Google, Citysearch Yelp, and Yahoo just to name a few.