Local Search

These local listings will not always appear even if there is a local intent. Local intent is triggered by a search engine if the search term used contains a location. In some cases local listings are also triggered if a search engine interprets the search as looking for something local. In most cases, in fact, search terms are searching for something local.

So what do you require to rank for Local Search? Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) works by targeting keywords. If you are a business that offers services in a specific area it makes more sense to optimise for local keywords. In Malta, being a small country makes users search for 'services Malta'. While tourists looking for places in Malta might have heard of a tourist hub in a certain city and they search with that city as a keyword. First of all a business to be listed in the local listings needs a Google Places page or now the new Google Local pages. It is important to claim a current existing page or create a new one. The page needs to be verified by choosing one of the verification options such as a phone number or SMS. For instance using the phone verification method the platform will call the business number inserted and provide an authentication number.

Search engines consider several external and page factors to rank these types of listings. On the Google Place page the correct category association, reviews and a keyword in the title are two important ranking signals. Another interesting signal is the Name, Address and Phone of the business better known as NAP. Quantity and consistency of the NAP of your business will help to get better rankings. This means that always use the same name of the business, address and phone number; preferably without any modifications.  It is also important to have the NAP listed on the website used on the Google Places page. Nonetheless link signals still play an important role such as the domain authority, the type of link quality, amount of links and link anchor text.

So what if you are not a local business but rather an online business? This is an issue that online businesses encounter as being an online business you cannot have a presence in local pack since Google Places pages are only allowed for businesses with a physical location. However, you can appear somewhere on the same page or even better rank for search terms which are not showing local listings yet. A good strategy would be to create lots of content and target long tail keyword - this is where a blog comes in handy.

Conrad Bugeja is a Search Engine Optimisation and Pay-Per-Click Consultant in the Internet Marketing division of Alert eBusiness (www.alertemarketing.com)