One of the first things I recommend to new search marketing clients is that they get their business listed in Google Local Business Center. Google Local is a free directory listing service that lists up to 10 local businesses (Google 10 pack) for location-targeted search queries.
Google recently stated thatandnbsp; 73 pct of online activity is related to local content.andnbsp; Given those stats, it's crucial a business have a presence in Google Local to maximize exposure and capture traffic from local searches.
This article will discuss how a local merchant can get their business listed in Google Local, as well as best practices for creating a well-optimized listing that will display more prominently (and higher) than your competitor's listing.
How to Get Listed in Google Local
Getting your business listed in local/map results in Google is fast, easy and very user-friendly. Local merchants don't need to be technically adept at all to create a free listing.
To get a listing for your business in the 10 pack:
Go to Google Local Business Center (google.com/local/add)
Create a free Google account
Click andquot;add a new businessandquot;
Fill out the required fields and categories
You're finished!
Upon completing your listing, you will be asked to verify that you're the owner of the business. Google does this by calling the main business number and asking you to key in a PIN code for validation.
Google Local Optimization Factors
Business owners should understand that getting a business listing to display in the Google Local 10 pack results isn't always a given. Yes, creating a listing does guarantee that your company is included in the directory of results, but it doesn't guarantee that the listing will appear in the top 10 results (10 pack) and get the maximum amount of exposure.
Now geographic location does play a major role in ranking, but to greatly improve your chances of displaying in the Google 10 pack, there are certain best practices and optimization tactics a local merchant can employ, which include:
-Adding target keywords to company name field - Be sure to add target keywords (keywords that searchers would use to find your website) and location keywords to your business andquot;nameandquot; field. For example, if you're company name is John's Appliance, the company is located in Chicago, and John specializes in refrigerator repair, (for optimization purposes) the company name in the listing should read like this andquot;John's Appliance - Chicago Refrigerator Repair Services.andquot;
-Soliciting customer reviews - Another ranking factor Google uses in displaying and ordering local results is customer reviews. Local merchants can get more reviews by asking satisfied customers to submit reviews about their business to Google Local, which they can do by clicking on the merchant's local business listing.
-Using keywords in the listing categories - Make sure to fill out categories for service and products and add your target keywords in the categories as well.
-Including keywords in the business description - Another way to optimize a listing is to weave in target keywords when describing your company.
By following these best practices you'll also be miles ahead of most other local business listings and a leg up on your competitors. You'll rank better, have a more powerful business presence in Google, enjoy more exposure, and grab the lion's share of the local Web traffic because your listing will stand out and get more attention.

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Article Submitted By: Ken Lyons
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