by Andrew Jacobsen

If you are an SEO specialist working with small businesses, or you own a small business, then you know how important having high ranking in Google can be. If it is a competitive industry like plumbing then it can be absolutely critical to rank high in the local listings.

Most of the time the local results take up the entire first half of the page requiring the searcher to scroll to see the first organic ranking. As a search engine optimization specialist I know that the majority of the clicks are going to these local listings.

So the question is fairly plain to see. Is there a way to push a business higher in the Google local listings? Lets see if I can help with this question.

You see Google in its infinite wisdom uses a secret algorithm for local search just as it does for organic search. So there is no way to actually know the exact way to help businesses get better rankings in local search. . But just like with traditional SEO there are some things that will definitely improve the odds of getting those higher positions. None of these things will hurt your rankings, that’s for sure, so they are a must do.

First you need to update all of your information in the major data providers. The trick is to make sure all of the information matches as best you can. The easier it is for Google and other search engines to verify your details, the more relevant your business is and can lead to higher rankings. Here are the three major data providers that you must have your information in: Acxiom, InfoUsa, and Localeze.

Updating and creating profiles for your business on local directories is the next important step in this process. Be sure the information matches as close as possible on directories like Superpages and Local.com. This will again make it easier for Google to understand where your business belongs in local search.

Lastly you should always get customers to leave good reviews of your business on Google local. This does not seem to always make a difference but there is some evidence it has an impact in some cases.

About the Author:
Quantum SEM is dedicated to helping businesses learn how to dominate search engine optimization. If you want to learn more go to our page dedicated to Redding Search Engine Optimization Quantum SEM specializes in Redding Ca SEO but can help any businesses make more money from the web. Please click the links above to find out more.