Google Local Business Listings – Optimisation and Tips

Since there seems to be a bit of a buzz about Google’s local business listings especially due to the reoccurrence of local business listing hijacking making headlines (more on that later), I thought now would be a good time to cover the best ways to legitimately rank well in local search listings.

Google reports that at present one in every thirteen search queries results in a map being displayed in the SERPs and since it’s estimated that there are 300 million searches performed a day, that’s a slice of the pie I wouldn’t want to miss out on.

Now if you don’t already have a listing set up then you are going to need to create a Google account (unless your company already has one for adwords or analytics) and then submit your business for free at the Google Local Business Centre.

There is a good chance however that Google will already have your company listed especially if you have added your business to other directories or done some online promotion. Google aggregates information from a wide variety of places and may well have created a generic listing for your company with some limited information. If they have it is essential that you claim this listing as being your own. If you fail to do this and start afresh you run the risk of falling foul of business listing hijacking. The concept behind this is relatively simple, it involves another company claiming your listing, changing the phone number to their number and taking leads and clients that should rightfully have been yours.

Before I go into some tips for creating a good local listing it is important to note that you should use the same information on all of the sites and directories you add your business too, this is one area where duplicate content is a plus! When I say duplicate I mean the company name, address, phone number, services, all of these things should be consistent across the internet. The reason for this is that Google prefers to see the same information about a company when it crawls other sites on the web. People have attempted to manipulate the listings in the past and no doubt will in the future so Google is always looking for signs of foul play.

Optimising your Google Local Business Listing

• Company Name: You should use your official business name but it’s important to make it clear what you do. If you can do so and it will add value why not integrate one of your primary key words into your title. For example, your company name is Joe Bloggs and you sell men’s clothing so Joe Bloggs Menswear would be an ideal title.
• Company Address: Ensure the business address you put in your listing matches exactly the address you display on your website and the address used on any other sites. Be as descriptive as possible and spell out commonly abbreviated words like street and avenue. The reason for this is Google can display your company in an approximate location if it’s not sure exactly where you are so be sure the location is plotted accurately and correctly. You can also make corrections using the “fix incorrect marker location” area in the listing editor.
• Company Description: You can use up to 200 characters here so you will want to provide as much information about your company and the services it offers. It would also be a good idea to get some of your keywords into the description but it is worth bearing in mind that this content is designed for humans so it will need to read well. Google also has guidelines about keyword inclusion in business listings so caution is advised.
• Company Phone Numbers: You should add all of the phone numbers that your company has into your listing. If you have a separate line for enquiries and one for the main reception then listing them both will only help your users. It is worth bearing in mind that 0800 numbers do not indicate a geographic area so be sure to include your local dialling code phone number. You can still add your 0800 number but make sure your local number is your primary number.
• Web Pages: You should of course connect your business listing to your company’s URL but you’d be surprised how many listings do not display one.
• Company Categories: These are incredibly important so choose carefully! Google will suggest some categories for you and these may be great but it is important to add some of your own and test how different categories will affect your listing over time.
• Custom Fields: The only limit here is your imagination, so long as you play by Google’s guidelines. Be creative, upload coupons, voucher codes, seasonal rates, sale information, special offers, anything you think will benefit your prospective user and drive traffic to your site.

While relatively simple and frequently overlooked, Google Local Business Listing is a really great way for your potential customers to find their way to your site. With above the fold real estate in the SERPs becoming harder to come by it is an excellent option for getting targeted traffic to your site, and best of all, it’s free!