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Posts Tagged ‘Google’

The REAL Ranking Factors for Local Search

Posted on: February 28th, 2012 by Cody Baird 3 Comments

Google Inside Search Update

The REAL Ranking Factor for Local Search

Yesterday Google  announced 40 search updates on its official Google Search Blog.  3 of the announcements were related to local searches so I thought I would discuss one of those changes in this post.  I have personally noticed some of the effects of these changes for months now throughout various client accounts and research.  Even though the announcement just happened, these changes have been taking place for quite some time now.

Improvements to ranking for local search results

“Improvements to ranking for local search results. [launch codename “Venice”] This improvement improves the triggering of Local Universal results by relying more on the ranking of our main search results as a signal.”

Google is implying here that rankings the Local Algorithm will be influenced more by the traditional organic algorithm.  This shouldn’t come as a big surprise.  The first signal of this would have been Google introducing the Blended Algorithm and Blending results back in 2010.

Since the introduction of blended results many Local SEO experts have questioned, speculated, blogged, discussed why some queries trigger Local results and others trigger Blended results.  In some cities “dentist” triggers pure local results and other cities “dentist” triggers a blended result.  Why? The most common speculation is that it is random, that Google was trying or testing the algorithms.

#1 Ranking Factor – Centroid

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2 Pac, 4 Pac, 5 Pac, What the faq

Posted on: January 27th, 2012 by Cody Baird 1 Comment

2 Pac, 4 Pac, 9 Pac, What the faq

I was doing some searches late last night.  Pathetic, I know.  I remember when Thursday Nights use to be like Friday.  Ah, the good ole days.  I digress.  Anyways, Google obviously did a major update.  I can not seem to do a query that generates traditional map results.  I also saw blended 2 pacs, 4 pacs, and 9 pacs?  Huh?

“dentist” – Blended 4 Pac ?

dentist 4 pac

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Google + Google Places = Future

Posted on: January 19th, 2012 by Cody Baird No Comments

Google + Google Places = Future

and my rants about my “Search plus World”

Back to the FutureThe sound of a  rooster crowing went off again at 5:30 this morning.   Really, that’s my alarm.  Funny, but it works.  Rolled out of bed.  Stumble downstairs.  Start pot of coffee.  Open Laptop.  Start reading my RSS feeds.

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about how important it is as a inbound marketer and SEO to keep up on the latest trends.  And more importantly to read/follow the right blogs.  Doing so gives you a tremendous advantage over the competition.

Mike Ramsay at Nifty Marketing has been a leader in Local Search since the dawn of local search.   My first read today was Mike’s latest article about Google + and    Google launching Search, Plus Your World.  Usually by this time of the morning (and a pot of coffee later) I have already blown through 10 + posts.  But today I am sitting here thinking about all the recent changes with the Google search results, Google +, & Google Places.

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List & Claim Business with Superpages

Posted on: January 11th, 2012 by Cody Baird 1 Comment

List & Claim Business with Superpages.com

Superpages LogoListing and claiming your business properly with Superpages.com is another important step to improving your local search rankings.  Superpages.com is 1 of many secondary local search engines where you will need to list/claim and verify your business.  The amount of traffic that your website or business receives from Superpages.com will depend on your industry and city.  However, having a verified listing with Superpages.com should help improve your Google Places ranking.

In this tutorial you will learn how to:

  • See if your business is listed with Superpages.com.
  • Add and/or claim your lisitng.
  • Update your NAP (name, address, phone).
  • Choose proper categories.
  • Add other business attributes.
  • Verify your listing.
  • Claim, verify, & remove duplicate listings.

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Google Places, not your Father’s Yellow Pages

Posted on: January 10th, 2012 by Cody Baird 12 Comments

Google Places, not your Father’s Yellow Pages

Early History of Yellow Pages

In 1876 the world became a smaller place as a revolution in communication took place.  Alexander Graham Bell registered the patent for the telephone changing communication and business operations forever.  Shortly after, in 1878, the New Haven Telephone Company of Connecticut published and distributed the first phone directory.  There where fifty subscribers total with each subscriber’s contact information neatly listed on a white card.   The phone directories divided the listings into commercial and residential sections. It wasn’t until 40 years later, in 1909 that the first coupons appeared in a St. Louis directory.      
          
new_haven_directory_1878
                 

Why Yellow

Phone directories appeared in yellow for the first time in 1883.  Know one knows for sure, but according to telephone lore, the printer ran out of white paper and substituted yellow instead of waiting for the next shipment of white paper.  Many believed that reading print on a yellow background was easier on the eyes and the substitution became permanent.  Yellow Pages were quickly accepted and soon after became the trademark of telephone companies and their services.

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OUT Think the Competition – An Example from Google

Posted on: January 6th, 2012 by Cody Baird 1 Comment

OUTthink the Competition – How Google became an 800 lb Gorilla

I am an avid reader and recently purchased the book – “Out Think the Competition” by Kaihan Krippendorff.  Kaihan uses Google as one of his examples to illustrate the point of out thinking the competition:

OUT Think the Competition

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