Professional Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Optimize your web pages 58

6.4 How to get high rankings for local keywords

Local keywords are keywords for which Google shows results that are marked with a

PIN. These results often include a map and reviews.

How your website is listed in Google's local results depends on several things. For

example, bakeries in Los Angeles are listed differently than Honda dealers in

Knoxville. The location of your business, the industry that you're in and the keywords

that you are targeting and other things influence your listing in Google Places.

Ranking element 1: your address

If you want to get high rankings for keywords that are related to a particular city then

your business should be located in that city. If you want to be found for local searches

in London then your business must have a physical addess in London.

Ranking element 2: your business category

You must make sure that your business is listed in the correct category in Google

Places. If you sell cars then your website should not be listed in the real estate

category. You can specify the correct category when you submit your website to

Google Places (see below).

Ranking element 3: keywords in your business name

If your business name contains the keywords for which you want to be found then

you increase your chance of getting listed in the Google Places results on Google's

first result page.

If you have a restaurant, it will help your rankings for the keyword "restaurant" if

your business name is "Peter's Restaurant".

Ranking element 4: citations of your business

Citations (also called "web references") are mentions of your business name and

address on other web pages, even if these web pages do not link to your website.

For example, a yellow pages directory or the local chamber of commerce might list

your business without linking to your website. The more citations your business has,

the more likely it is that it will be listed for local searches.