Comments on: Why Local SEO is Harder Than SEOs Think

By: Andy Corp

Andy Corp — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:59:37 +0000

Hi Aaron

You can look here
http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml
and see there is some agreement on good practices to rank your Google places listing.
(Matt McGee participated)

Have consistent business info that matches your Google places listing placed everywhere you can possibly image online.

Have the correct categories in Google places.

The business address needs to be in the city you are trying to rank for.

Geo tagged data with your business info.

Reviews.

Links, links and more links.

Take your time and go through the survey it really is a good read.

Andy

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:43:57 +0000

I’m curious as to what factors specifically you think are at work that would put the top result where it is.

Seems like there is no rhyme or reason, but with Google, there surely must be some equation that logically leads to these results.

By: Kai

Kai — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 02:36:14 +0000

sorry if anybody mentioned that already and I guess it is not a factor since we all see the same results but how about how close the searcher is from the businesses ip wise etc? could it be that you are closer to Stella from your physical location at that point?

By: Matt McGee

Matt McGee — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:40:44 +0000

Hi Pashmina – yes, I would agree that there’s a velocity element in there.

By: Pashmina

Pashmina — Sun, 15 May 2011 14:41:08 +0000

This is such a great post, even about a year later. Seems like since then Tartine has take the #1 spot in the Google Blend results.

I wanted to bring up one factor no one has mentioned. I think there’s something to to the velocity of reviews too. How often you’re reviewed, and when was the last review? The velocity of reviews also affects your rank in Google search.

By: Gail Gardner

Gail Gardner — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 03:04:29 +0000

It is common for people with limited experience or simplistic thinking to call something “simple” when it is anything but simple. (I have one friend who loves ppc because he says it is “so easy”. Sure it is – until it costs you a small fortune because of something you didn’t control well.)

If you think local and organic SEO are a challenge now, just wait until Google uses the Chrome block data as the reason for removing any site they wish from their index.

I strongly recommend businesses and those who assist them get busy getting traffic from any source they can. There IS no other source of traffic that is as large or that will convert as well as G so know that means a LOT more work.

I recently published a Local Search Case Study of one way to do that. I linked it to the Website field of this comment so you can find it. (Hope that is ok with you. I never know when I comment in a new blog whether they would prefer a link in the comment itself, a link in that field or prohibit links altogether.)