Getting Listed in Google Local Search for Vancouver
Written by Martin Wong on December 11, 2009
If your business website is targeting people who are searching in the city of Vancouver and other Lower Mainland municipalities then you need to be found on Google Local. If you are not currently listed on Google Local, then you are missing out on a valuable marketing opportunity.
Google Local listings are now displayed at the top of the regular search results for location-specific searches. They appear as a combination of a local Google Map with business locations identified on the map with business listings posted to the right (see graphic below). For most local business searches in Vancouver, the Google Local map and listings will appear before the regular search results, which is why you need your business to be listed in the Google Local listings.
The Google Local listings as they appear for "vancouver pizza"
To get your business properly listed in Google Local you need to add your business’s information to the Google Local Business Center. You have the option to provide your address, hours of operation, photos of your business, information on your products, and contact information. The more information you provide the better.
To see an effective example of how a company has used Google Local look at the Tartine Bakery website in San Francisco.
You should also sign up for a Google Webmaster Tools account where you can specify the geographical location of your business. To rank high in Google Local it is important to write a clear and concise description of your business that includes some of your major keywords. Additionally, the five categories that you choose to describe your business should also include the specific keywords you have identified to drive traffic to your website.
It can be useful to use the coupons feature to offer discounts or special promotions to people who view your business listing. You can also provide a link from your website’s contact page to your Google Local listing and offer incentives for your customers to provide reviews of your businesses. The websites that have more reviews will rank higher and have an advantage over their competition.
For more information on Google Local watch this informative video:
Other local search engines that may be valuable:
Yahoo! Local – Offers free listings on the Yahoo local search results.
MapQuest – Offers free listings. Works similar to Google Maps.
InsiderPages.com – Offers free and paid listings. It allows people to find business through the recommendations of friends.
Yelp.com – Free and paid listings. Users provide reviews of businesses.
Local.com – Free and paid listings. Works as a search engine for local business, products and services.
YellowPages.com – Free and paid listings. This is an important site to have your business listed on since Google gives higher rankings to businesses in the Yellow Pages.
sites.
CanPages – Free and paid listings for Canadian businesses. Similar to the YellowPages.
Get Listed – A free service to list your business and increase your ranking on major search engines.
COMMENTS
3 Responses to “Getting Listed in Google Local Search for Vancouver”
This is great information on how to get recognized in a targeted geographic area. Google local is becoming a very beneficial marketing tool to use, especially for those looking for local search marketing. Thanks for sharing!
The last resource you list http://www.getlisted.org is fabulous. There is a ton of information on that site concerning how local listings work and what directories help feed into them.
Google local business listings is fast becoming the “New” SEO for local businesses. The Google seven pack may soon be more important than traditional, organic SEO for small businesses. Nice article.