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Video: Check your local search listings (like Google Maps) if local search results are important: Part 1August 5th, 2009 by George Aspland |
In this Part-1 video (a little over 6 minutes) I’ll demonstrate why you should check your local search listings in the major search engines if local search results are important to your business or organization.
I’ll also talk about how to improve your rankings in Google’s local search results (Google Maps).
Local search has grown in importance with the advent of Blended search results the past year or two. For example, Google often shows some local results in its main search page (See below for more on Blended Search). Local search results are being used more and more to find local services and products, find specific business, to get directions and contact information, and to check user reviews.
What this Part 1 Video Covers -
A demonstration of local search listings using Google’s local search results (Google Maps).
How updating your local search listings in Google Maps with descriptions, hours, pictures and video etc should help you “sell” your products and services to those searching for the products and services you sell.
Reaching top results in the local search listings, which are often displayed at the top of the main search results in Google, can lead to a significant increase in search traffic.
Taking ownership of your local listings and updating them appears to be a significant factor in improving the rankings of Google’s local search results.
Searchers can submit reviews of your business or organizations via Google Maps. Google summaries these reviews with a star (*) rating system. Getting good reviews is and will become more and more important.
To Enlarge the Videos: Hover your mouse over the YouTube logo in bottom right corner of the video and you should see a “Watch on YouTube” link (the videos plays wider there) or click on the full screen button in the bottom right corner
In future articles I’ll show you how to take ownership of your Google Maps listings, how to update them, as well as how to add new listings. I’ll probably also show you a tip to get more good user reviews.
More info
Part 2 – How to find, claim, update and add listings in Google’s local search (Video)
Blended Search Overview – I mentioned how local search has grown in importance with advent of Blended search. This article is an overview of Blended Search
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Does Google charge a CPC for the ad if they show your LBA listing on the main search results page?
Hi Kelly,
No, these are “organic” search results so there’s no charge
You can also run local CPC ads via Adwords, but I’ve never seen Google show those in the sample of local searches on the main search results page, only on Google Maps.
PS I’ve started the Part 2 video, how to find your listings, claim them, and update them. I hope to have this up before next Thursday’s blog newsletter goes out. If not then definitely the next week
Good post. I’ll try using this soon.
Part 2 is up now, http://www.evisionsem.com/blog/2009/08/25/google-maps-part-2/