7 Steps to Ranking Your Site in Google's Local Search Results

Hi Folks Dave Waring here from Fitsmallbusiness.com with today's lesson of the day. In our last video we begin a new series on online marketing with a look at how Google's search engine results work in today's video gonna continue that discussion with a look at the seven steps you can take to rank your small business website in Google search results so let's get started. Step 1: Claim Setup Verify and Link Up your business's Google+ local page. Your business's Google+ local page allows you to tell Google directly which are correct business information is so they can show you correctly on Google Maps and Google search Most businesses were already have a Google+ local page which you can find by searching Google+ local. I've included a link where you can do that and the resources like blow this video If your page shows up after searching Google+ local then there will be a manage this page button on the right hand side which you can click to claim ownership of the page. Once you've done that follow our steps for setting up your Google+ local page which you can find a link to in the resources link below this video. If the page did not show up when you search Google+ local for your business then you can use those same instructions to set up a new page from scratch Step 2, Do Your Local Keyword Research Keywords are the words and phrases the customers type into Google when looking for your business and all the products and services your business offers By signing up for a free Google AdWords account you can get access to Google's keyword tool which gives an approximate number of searches that a particular keyword gets in a given month. I've included a link we can get a free Google AdWords account in the resources link below this video. There's some important things to keep in mind we're doing keyword research Think about things from the customer's perspective. Stay away from industry jargon Select the exact search option on the left hand side of the keyword tool for the most accurate picture of the approximate number of searches In bigger cities is going to be very hard to rank for the keywords that show the most searches in Google's keyword tool. Is therefore often better to go after "long tail keywords". For example in New York City it is going to be easier to rank for the term Brooklyn sedation dentist then it will be to rank for NYC dentists. I have included a great article and video on how to come up with a list of keywords for your business in the resources link below this video Step 3: Optimizer Google+ Local Page. Rework the tagline and About Us section of your Google+ Local page, So that they include your keywords. Don't just put in a list of keywords Google is smarter than that. As long as it flows naturally however you should be able to include at least her top 5 keywords and these two sections if not more. Also keep these keywords in mind when saving images and videos, and the titles and descriptions you use when uploading those images and videos to your Google+ page Step 4: Optimize Your Small Business Bebsite There are few key things with how your web site is set up that you want to make sure in place so that it ranks highly in Google's local search results Make sure that every page of your site has your business name address and phone number with local area code. Make sure the information isn't text and not an image so it can be seen by Google Check whois.com to make sure that your website is registered to your business address Whenever possible include your location in your website 70 Character title tags. Put your primary keywords, areas your business serves, and phone number in your 165 character meta descriptions. If you are running wordpress then you can use Yoast's Free SEO plugin to easily modify your title tags and meta descriptions. Embed a Google Map on your contact us page by searching for your business on Google Maps and then clicking the link icon at the top left to get the embed code. I have included links where you can learn more about title tags and meta descriptions as well as for you can download the YOAST SEO plugin in the resources link below this video. Step 5: Get Structured Citations. Once you've completed the first three steps Google should know what terms to rank your small business website and Google Local page for. Now you need to increase the chances that your site will show up first when people search for your keywords. The primary way that you do this is by attending links and citations to your site. Structured citations are when your business is listed in places such as business directories and Internet Yellow Pages Often times structured citations include a link to your website, but not always. Google looks at structured citations and the consistency of those citations across the web to determine things like you're correct address and phone number. With this in mind you want to make sure that you are always using the same address and contact information everywhere across the web. I've included a link to the top 50 directories that every business should consider submitting themselves to in the resources link below this video. In addition to these national directories you also want to submit your site to local and industry specific directories You can find these by searching Google using the following format: your city + directory and your industry + and directory Step 6: Get Unstructured Citations Unlike submitting your site to a business directory where full information will be placed in a structured format. Snstructured citations will be things like a mention of your business in a local newspaper article, press release, online job board and things like that Unstructured citations are important because they let Google know that people are talking about your business, a key factor in ranking higher in the local search results. Here some ideas for places where you can obtain unstructured citations. Yelp and Google+ local customer reviews Events, press releases, your bio information on sites like Linkedin. and charities you contribute too. I've included two additional articles on how you can get unstructured citations in the resources link below this video. Step 7 Get Reviews For Your Business On Google Plus and Yelp There are many different review sites out there, however from our experience Google+ and Yelp are the two most important from a local SEO ranking standpoint. So how do you get reviews for you Google+ local and Yelp pages? Don't be shy about just asking your customers for a reviews. Add links to your review pages from your website. Include please give us a review links in your emails. Send out customer feedback surveys and then asked for reviews from those who gave you high marks. I have included another another article on how to ask for review in the resources like blow this video. Now it's time to go out and get cracking. Remember that marketing your small business online is a long-term journey, so don't feel like you have to do everything at once. Break it up into bite-size pieces do a little each week and you'll start to see your rankings improve in no time. That's our video for today if you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave me in the comments section below. Also be sure to stay tuned for the next video in the series where we discuss how to advertise your business in Google search results. For more on how to be a successful entrepreneur also be sure to visit us at fitsmallbusiness.com today. Thanks for watching!!