How to Optimize for Google Places and Google Local

Jackie Bavaro, Product Manager of Google recently made a blogpost on Google Places. Websites that are in Google Places now listed as the top search results for local searches. If you offer your products or services in a particular area, it is very important that your website be in Google Places.

Since Google Places now merged with Google Search, being in Google Places may bring huge amount of extra business if your website also optimized for Google Places.

Google Places

How to optimize for Google Places
Being listed in Google Places depends on several factors. For example, if you have a restaurant chain and your branches spread across the country, you might only show up for the local search made from the city where your head office is. Similarly, a search from Texas will return different result than a search from Miami.

The factors that have the most influences are:

1. Physical Address
2. Contact Options
3. Keywords in Business Name
4. Business Category
5. Popularity
6. Google Places Review
7. And a few more

1. Physical Address
It is the most important factor in Google Places listing. Your website must contain the physical address of your business. This helps Google to determine your area of business and show your listing on the local keyword search. If your business has branches in different places or city, you should add all of them in your about us or contact page. In addition, you should add the additional addresses in Google Places.

2. Contact Option
Google also considers your contact option while ranking. A phone number where people can reach you is something must and required field while adding your listing in Google Places. A business with clear contact details tends to rank high in Google local search queries.

3. Keywords in Business Name
It is similar to the keywords in website title. If your business is a restaurant, adding that keyword in your business name (like, Abhik’s Restaurant) will help you to rank in local searches for restaurants.

4. Business Category
Your business should list in proper category in Google Places. If you sell cars and you listed in real estate category, your business will not show up in local searches.

5. Popularity
Google also takes the popularity of your business (both online and local). Popular business like KFC or McDonald’s can easily get the top rankings in Google local search for related keywords.

6. Reviews in Google Places
Positive reviews and ratings help Google to gain more confidence in your company. The more positive reviews your company has, the better. Encourage your customers to write a positive review if they are satisfied with your products and services.

7. A few others
Apart from the factors mentioned above, there are several others. Such as, distance from the searched location, citations of your business name, reviews in websites or blogs etc. You should build your reputation in both online and offline to get a good ranking in Google local keyword search.