Facts about Google’s Local Ranking
Below you will find a short overview of a study based on an analysis of 600,000 search queries, which then calculated the value of various local ranking parameters for each top-100 page.
Is there at least one keyword in your list of keywords, like “keyword + City (or state)”, that you’d like to rank for?
If so, then you’ll find the information below extremely useful! These findings are based on a large-scale research effort on Google’s local ranking algorithm and highlights the importance of various local SEO ranking factors.
So, let’s briefly answer the question: What is the priority of local SEO investment?
Main Factors Impacting Local Ranking
1. Links. While everyone understands that backlinks play a crucial part in local ranking, the lesser-known secret discovered by the study is that they have the strongest correlation to positive ranking. What really matters is how old your links are, target keywords usage and word count of on-page content. All of which helped towards creating positive local rankings.
2. Website factors. Not surprising but the use of the target keywords and the number of words on a page appeared to make a difference. Location pages with a lot of content tend to do better than those with smaller amounts.
3. Citations. While citations are important to establishing authority of a site, interestingly, the study found that citation did little to disrupt a site from its local ranking, especially if the site is already in Google’s Local Pack. This does not mean citation problems shouldn’t be fixed. It just confirms that while foundational in nature, citations do little to improve local rankings.
4. Factors related to Google My Business. The study’s results showed that, while inclusive in and of themselves, having a more complete Google My Business page did result in better local rankings. Given how these factors work, it’s difficult to determine the precise contribution of GMB factors to positive page rankings.
However, factors such as verified business ownership, photos and good reviews in your Google My Business profile all helped with enhancing local rankings.
So, what does this mean for your Local SEO Ranking strategy?
Well, for starters, you do need to tackle your citation issues ASAP.
And, if you are competing in a particularly competitive niche, you need to start acquiring backlinks – high-quality ones! – at the earliest.
But more significantly, the results of the study lead us to conclude that Google’s organic Local SEO Ranking algorithm holds a lot more sway on Local Pack ratings than it did prior to its Pigeon upgrades.
For example,
if you sell a service or product online you may not want to ignore the potential customers right in your own backyard. There are several potential local businesses who may be interested in what you have to offer, and as more and more people are using the internet for local searches, you’ll want to make sure your website is optimized to attract these local clients.
One way to attract more search engine visitors locally is to use local keywords when optimizing your site. For example, if you offer web design services in Arizona, research keywords and include keywords with your location when optimizing your pages.
You should also submit your site for free local search engine listings. There are several local ones to choose but Google and Yahoo are the two big ones. When you submit you can add details about your business including your address, office hours and so on. You can also grab a link to a map of your location which you can place on your website.
When targeting local clients, placing your local address, phone number and a link to a Google map of your business at the very bottom of the page footer may help in your local search engine results.
Local city business directories can also be a good source of leads and traffic, but make sure you research the directory to see if it will actually produce results for you. There are many business directories popping up and you’ll want to choose one with a good reputation and which can produce results.
But don’t stop there; remember to include your website address on your business cards and local mailings so that local customers can view your website at their convenience. With many local business owners yet to get into the online marketing game, by starting early you’ll stand out from your local competitors.
Brian Walters
http://briansmarketing.net/my-markethive-posts/
David – http://markethive.com/david-ogden