Raise Google Local Rankings by Optimizing All Your Local Search Listings

Last night I attended a Great SEMpdx presentation “Local Search With David Mihm”

David treated us to some very interesting information on Google local search, the major players in the local listings game, and techniques to raise our local search results.

David Mihm frequently writes about such topics as Local Search at his own blog, Mihmorandum, as well as at Search Engine Land. His Local Search Ranking Factors project is among the most important studies of Local SEO.
(Post from Search Engine Optimizician.)
He was advertised as covering topics as:

• Some of the fundamental differences between this new frontier of Universal search and traditional SEO
• The factors important for ranking well in Local results
• The danger of hijacked listings and how to prevent them
• A typical Local Search “starter” campaign
• The social side of Local

David DELIVERED!

OK here is the skinny.

Great research site for “local information”.
Urban Mapping produces neighborhood data, mass transit data and geographic keyword research tools. Urban Mapping provides neighborhood data for 2,700 municipalities in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Google Search

• Google Local
• optimizing locations
• click throughs from the 10 pack are trackable
• claim your listings
• google.com/lbc
• max out the categories

The Major Players:

• localeze.com
• infoUSA
• Axiom

Things to put on your SEO Local to-do list:

• make sure all your business information matches
• check your web pages tab in Google Local
• link out to your major listings
• you can use universalbusinesslisting.org to handle multiple distribution

Use the “hCard microformat”:

HTML

<div>
<div>John Doe</div>
<div>JD</div>
<div>The Example Company</div>
<div>123-555-1234</div>
<a href="http://jdco.com/">http://jdco.com/</a>
</div>

hCard microformat

<div class="vcard">
<div class="fn">John Doe</div>
<div class="nickname">JD</div>
<div class="org">The JD Company</div>
<div class="tel">123-555-1234</div>
<a class="url" href="http://jdco.com/">http://jdco.com/</a>
</div>

Thanks David and SEMpdx for such a valuable event.
Join us at the next SEMpdx event:
September Networking: Social Networking & National Chicken Month?
September 15, 2009 5:30 PM @ RonTom’s, 600 E. Burnside ,Portland, OR 97214
And best of all it is Free!!! See you there.

I thought you might also enjoy this Whiteboard Friday, with David on Local Search posted earlier on SEOmoz.

More on David Mihm’s SEMpdx presentation last night from Scott Hendison, the SearchCommander.

Late,
Gary Pool

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