Boost website traffic using Google’s local business center

Tips for getting listed on local searches to beat the competition

Many business are keen to do business with local people and do not require expensive SEO services to capture business across the country.

For example a Garage in Exeter would not want to target customers in Glasgow.

Google realised this and provided a powerful local search tool and it’s free to sign-up. What’s great about this service is not many people know how to use it properly!

If you have not listed your business for free do it now at Google local business then follow my instructions below for best results.

DIY SEO we’ll show you how.

If your interested in doing SEO for your own business this is a great way to get page one Google results on competitive terms.

What’s great about the Google SEO local business center is they will allow you to choose up to 5 keywords you think people might use when search for your business.

For example

• Accountants
• Accounting
• Tax advice
• Vat returns

If anyone searches for any of your keywords + your business location, Google will provide a map and a list of associated businesses who have also targeted that keyword in that location.

This is the way that most business use Google’s local search.

Now lets discover the way to really get results

What you really want to discover is how your customers are searching when looking for business like yours.

Google now provides a full report on what keywords came up in the local searches for your business. Put you business on and see what results you get.

Google not only tells you what keywords you selected showed up in searches, but also the volume in total and the volume per keyword.

The volume in total per keyword is critical information. For example we targeted 5 keywords for a client and one keyword came up 655 times out of 1000. This is pretty conclusive that people are searching this term.

Conversely if you are getting a few searches in the results then you will need to rethink your keywords and try again.

What you will notice is that when you do search locally a map will appear with a list of businesses. If you have set your business up on the Google local business center the your business listed next to the map.

Imagine if you could remove all the other businesses and have a map all to yourself. Well you can!

Run your ads for a few weeks and discover which keywords are getting you the best results. Then include that keyword term after you business name in the field Company/Organization:

It will look like this:

• Your business + your keyword
  Or
• ABC accounting – Tax advice

Hope this is useful please leave you comments below and let me know how you get on.

Don’t forget get your free listing today at Google local business