Appearing in a top position on the first page of search results is a key SEO goal for any online marketer. This quest is especially important for businesses targeting local search gains, whose customers rely primarily on local search to find goods and services they need.
When it comes to Google search, your business Google+ Local presence is your key to gaining a coveted position in the featured two-pack, three-pack or six-pack of results. Google+ Local is an essential component in local search engine optimization strategies, primarily because the platform drives the results on the maps listing. Upright Communications has observed a positive correlation between strategic use of Google+ Local and keyword performance. According to local search specialist, Jenn Johnson:
“My qualitative research has shown that posts can actually be crawled and indexed in search results. In one instance, I took a struggling keyword and posted to the plus account using that word in terms of educating the user over a course of 30 days and a handful of postings. As predicated, the ranking improved. Countless of articles suggest this method to be helpful for struggling keywords, too.”
To gain the full benefit of Google+ Local, businesses should offer unique and useful content, positive reviews, and an active management strategy. One of the biggest local search mistakes we have seen clients make with Google Places pages would be that they would be set up and then forgotten. The same pitfall can happen with Google+ Local.
In developing winning strategies for our clients, Upright specialists develop a local search goal driven plan, which includes leveraging the full power Google+ Local has to offer, now and in the future.
Looking to Google as the search industry’s leading innovator, we see that the roll of Google+ Local in local search success is only going to grow. According to TechCrunch, Google is currently testing a service that integrates a live chat opportunity into search results. A new link indicates if the business is currently available, and if so, provides a chat option using Google Hangouts, which works for desktop and mobile platforms.
If your goal is to dominate local search, Google+ Local is an advantage you don’t want to miss. Speak to one of our experts to learn more.