How Do You Rank Well In Google Local?

[Online Survey Diva]

Everyone,

I have a client that is listed in Google Local. As I'm sure you know, Google Local results (the top 3) are returned if you:

zip code
city name
city name and state

along with a keyword phrase.

However, how do you get to the top three listings in Google Local?

I spoke with my AdWords rep, and she told me that it is similar to the google.com natural search results algorithm. MALARKEY!!!!!

An example of what I mean is this:

Try searching in Google.com on the term "seattle mattress". The top three listings are:

Local results for mattress near Seattle, WA

Bedrooms & More - 3.8 miles N - 300 NE 45th St, Seattle, 98105 - (206) 633-4494
Schmidt's Home Appliance Ctr - 8.9 miles W - 150 Winslow Way E, Bainbridge Isle, 98110 - (206) 842-0349
Select Comfort Corp - 7.1 miles N - 401 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, 98125 - (206) 366-0720

Now, most of us know that two things are really vital to being linked highly on Google natural results: link popularity (with specific anchor text) and content. That being said, my rep told me that Google Local indexes the website you provide with your listing to determine how you are ranked. Really?

Check out Schmidt's Home Applicance Center's site: kitsaphba.com

Do YOU see the word "mattress" anywhere on this page?

Now check out the "references" -- or third party links to Schmidt's:

http://www.google.com/local?hl=en&lr=&q=mattresses&near=Seattle,+WA&latlng=47606389,-122330833,2426305456101341475

Only one link in there mentions mattresses at all -- the Dex Online one.

So what DOES affect these rankings? Why, for instance, does Schmidt's rank higher than an OBVIOUS mattress store, like Sleep USA?

Any thoughts or experience with this?

[DarkMatter]

a search for backlinks to the site via yahoo shows 722 backlinks to the main domain of the site. I didnt check for anchor text but if the "local" algorithm is basically the same then these links should be helping.

I searched for "seattle matresses" on google and didnt see the site in the first 3 pages. So hes not ranking too well in the web searches. Maybe the local algorithm uses the same data as the natural listing but with differences in weighting link/onpage factors?

[Online Survey Diva]

Well, using the Link: command in Google, I found that his site had 21 links and Select Comfort, which is ranking behind him at position 3, has 991.

Go figure.

And none of the local folks in the top three show up in my Google natural on page 1 for "seattle mattress" or "seattle washington mattress".

Any other thoughts? This just baffles me!!

[Rob]

It has to do with the "References"

If you click on the "50 more" link beside the url on the map you see that dexonline is a big reference for the top site. Also, they have other references from other big sites like citysearch and superpages.

My experience is that these types of links are worth more in local than regular links. That's probably what's causing what your are seeing. That and a combination of the usual Google ranking algos

[Sox]

I get this message at the bottom of the Local Listing (I am searching from the UK):
(ie after you click on the main link "Local results for keyword near city"


Business listings provided by Yell.com™
Map data ©Crown copyright. Licence number 100026920


This says to me that its the data in the yell database its searching for the results, not googles. A big clue here is that not all of them have web addresses! :rolleyes:

[Online Survey Diva]

Sox,

I agree! I figured this wasn't coming from the Google web algorithm, but you know how it is over at Google -- try to get a straight answer on anything!!

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm going to look into yell.com and dexonline now.

Diva

[seowhiz]

It seems to me that sites listed top in google local have lots of other local city directories.