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08.09.07
Pay Attention To Google Local Search
 By
Christine Parfitt
This week I searched for mooloolaba accommodation in Google Australia and was pretty excited to see local business results at the top of the organic results.
This is the first time Ive noticed local results in this onebox format and in this position. The Beach Club Mooloolaba are clients of mine so its very satisfying to see them at the number one position (I have permission from them to use this example in the post).
The implications are significant: 1. It changes the first page of results considerably. The local listings are at the top and take up quite a bit of space. 3 results are pushed onto page two whenever Google chooses to display local business results. For example, the mooloolaba accommodation search returns three sponsored links in the yellow box followed by 3 local business listings. Thats pretty much all the space taken above the fold. I imagine it will have an impact on PPC advertising.
2. Its a great opportunity for smaller businesses who have found it tough to compete for a top 10 position
3. In addition to the page one presence theres a lot of information provided for each business including contact details, descriptions, payment options, photos and reviews Clearly, its now going to be very important to pay attention to local search. Theres been some discussion centred around when local business results are displayed, how to get a business listing there and how to optimise for the top 3 results that are displayed on the first page.
When do you see local business results?
If the search query contains a business type and a location, you may see local business results but not always. The narrower the geographic area the more likely Google will show results in the one box format. Mooloolaba has one post code. A search for sunshine coast accommodation encompassing several post codes doesnt display local business results.
How do you get a local business listing?
Theres a link for business owners at the bottom of the local business results page. It takes you to Google Maps where you can create a listing.
Information is currently being pulled in from a variety of local directories as you can see by clicking on more information associated with any business listing.
The important question " how do you optimise for local search?
This post speculates on 10 likely elements of Googles local search algorithm. Heres a summary of the main ones:
- the business has a presence in several of the sources from where Google is pulling local search information and where the details match across all sources so that Google is more likely to trust the information (keep your local business listings up to date!)
- the web site is optimised for local terms eg a physical location and phone number on the web site (every page?)
- The number of reviews for the business included in the local listing may also play a part.
Any observations on local search examples, particularly in Australia, or any thoughts on the impact? I hunted around to see if I could find any recent mention from Australian bloggers and found this post on the Rave About It Blog.
Comments
About the Author:
Christine Parfitt is a search marketing strategist and the founder of Semfire, a search marketing company based in Australia. She specialises in paid search and shares news and best practices at Semfire Search Engine Marketing Blog.
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