Where can I see an example of local search results? How will my business appear?
The best way to illustrate this is to simply show you. Open a new browser window and navigate to Google. Type “accountant” in the search field and view the results. You’ll probably see something like this:
Note the prominence of the local search listings without even having entered any geographically specific informatoin
Pretty impressive placement, just 3 spots down for a general search without typing location. Now try searching with the city your business is located in attached to the search. In our example, “accountant Austin, TX”
Premier placement given to the local search results
Local search results show ABOVE the organic search results directly below the paid ads.
How much do people really rely on local searches?
A survey conducted by WebVisible and Nielsen/NetRatings, reported that “80% of respondents say they have researched a product or service online and then made their purchase offline from a local business.”
Google Local Mobile Search
Google Local Search for Mobile Phones
How is mobile search effected?
Mobile users searching for businesses will automatically receive location based results which are within the geographical vicinity from where they are searching. This is because of Google’s ability to use the location of the mobile device conducting the search. This means your placement will bring you customers who search from their handheld device.
How are people going to access my listing?
The number of devices and access points for local search will continue to grow as more things become connected to the Internet. From your mobile phone to your Blu-Ray player, convenience and relevance is the name of the game when it comes to local search.
I used to have an ad and it’s no longer appearing under certain keywords, what happened?
Google recently changed their rules and guidelines. If your listing is violating their new policies then you may not show up.
Why is it important to optimize? How many listings show up?
There are only 3 or 7 spots available on the first page of the local search results of Google. If your listing is not showing up right now for keywords related to your industry, you are missing out on countless potential customers