Ranking Factors for Google Maps/Local SEO

+ Google Pigeon

Why are Local/Maps Rankings Important?

With a well optimised website and My Business listing, you have the potential to appear TWICE on the first page of Google!

This generally means more brand awareness, more clicks, more traffic, more conversions, and more money!

Eg. For “lawn mowing Brisbane”

Google My Business

Google Local

Google Places

Google My Business http://www.google.com.au/business/Replaces Places and combines all aspects of Google business listings including Google Maps and Google+. You enter the details of your business in one place and it populates into all of Google’s services.

With Webmaster Tools verification, everything it VERY EASY!

What does a My Business Listing Look Like?

My Business Details & Optimisation

Enter the correct business name. If you have multiple store locations you can include store location in the title but DO NOT include keywords! Eg. Super A-Mart Lawnton is ok. Super A-Mart Outdoor Furniture & Homewares Lawnton is NOT OK!!!

Select the most relevant category for your business as your primary category. You can add multiple categories but you will have only one primary category.

Enter the phone number for the location. Best to have a unique local number where possible.

Enter your address as Google recognises it in Maps.Eg. 5/36 Agnes St, Fortitude Valley, QLD , 4006 , AustraliaNOT 5/36 Agnes St, Brisbane, QLD , 4006 , Australia

My Business Details & Optimisation

Enter your opening hours. These will display in SERPs.

Add images and videos. Main image will display in SERPs.

Add a link to your website.It is very important that the page you are linking to features the address and phone number EXACTLY as they appear in the My Business listing.If you have your store locations in the footer (3-4 locations), you can link to your homepage. If you have a lot of store locations, each of your stores should have a unique page and you should link to that page.

Add a unique description. You can include keywords here.

The Best Way to Improve Local Maps Rankings?

ReviewsCitations

Reviews

Encourage satisfied customers or clients to leave a positive review on your Google+ page

We have seen just getting positive reviews on a My Business listing to have a strong impact in increasing Maps rankings.

You will get yellow star ratings appearing in SERPs. This can increase CTR.

Reviews

Citations

In Moz’s latest ranking signals report, local citations had a bigger impact on local/Maps rankings than link signals.

As with links, a smaller number of quality citations is far more valuable than a lot of low quality citations.

As with organic search results, low quality citations can negatively affect your local/Maps rankings.

When building citations, is it very important to keep a consistent Name, Address, and Phone number.

NAP

Citation Finding Tips

Whitespark citation finder tool

Search for a competitors phone numberEg. for Dejan:

“07 3188 9200” -site:dejanseo.com.au

Google Pigeon

Released in the US in July 2014. Yet to be released in Australia but could be released by the end of the year.

The aim of the Pigeon was to provide better and more relevant local search results that are more closely connected to organic search ranking signals.

The impact of Pigeon was seen in both Maps and normal web search.

Google Pigeon

An article on Search Engine Land says:

“Google told us that the new local search algorithm ties deeper into their web search capabilities, including the hundreds of ranking signals they use in web search along with search features such as Knowledge Graph, spelling correction, synonyms and more.

In addition, Google said that this new algorithm improves their distance and location ranking parameters.”

http://searchengineland.com/google-makes-significant-changes-local-search-ranking-algorithm-197778

Google Pigeon

There is also a stronger link between you My Business listings and the website they are linking to.

Previously, the Local listing and website operated more independently but they will now work together, feed off each other, and influence each other’s ranking in the SERPs.

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