May 4th, 2010 by Mike

Search engine rankings are lagely decided by the search engines themselves. This is why SEO services keep a close eye on what they are currently doing – because the crawlers change their strategies all the time. Currently, attention is focussed on how Google ranks sites for local terms.

This is nothing new. Internet marketing revolves around link profiles, and these have always been important in factoring how sites are ranked for local terms. When Google gets a search for a local term, the highest ranking sites are those with local links.

This seems self-evident. After all, you’d hardly expect a search for hairdressers in Cambridge to throw up a list of results from Chichester. However, it’s a bit more complex than that. Evidently, a search for Cambridge hairdressers will show exactly that. But those with the highest rankings will be those who have links to their sites from other businesses in Cambridge. The more the merrier, and not necessarily hairdressing orientated. The important thing is that the links are local to the search.

If you want to attract localised traffic, then, it’s not enough to promote the locality in your site literature, domain details etc. Your SEO link building plan must also include plenty of backlinks from other companies in your area. The more of these you have, the better your search engine optimization will be.

There are various SEO tools you can use to enhance your site’s visibility on local searches and thus improve its positioning. The most obvious is to have your business address in a prominent position where the search engines will easily pick up on the keywords (in this case, the location). Having a full business address in the footer gives the site local emphasis and improves its SEO rankings.

However, it’s amazing how many sites still simply put their email address as their contact details. It’s possible to arrange full postal addresses for companies, which include mail pick-up, for very little cost. Don’t use a PO box – Google doesn’t like those and neither do the customers. You should make it clear, though, that the address is a head office only, to dissuade any would-be personal visitors.

Another good way to boost your online marketing is a dedication page. This is a full page on your site, dedicated to services and other local businesses in the area. It’s a personal touch that works well, and it has the benefit of optimising a single page for a certain area, including the backlinks leading to that page.

Make sure, also, that your internet marketing includes a Google business listing. Google shows these for localised searches, and they’re often the first place customers go. Check you have a listing, and keep the information updated. You may well double your sales by this simple method.

As we have said, the best search engine optimization tools you can have are lots of inbound links – but where do you get them from? Easy. Check local business directories and local government information websites. Depending on the type of business you run, you could also try doctors surgeries, colleges etc. Your local board of commerce and/or Small Enterprise group may also send backlinks, if you ask.

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