Here’s a fact for resellers and chain store suppliers who advertise their goods online:

Over 30% of products researched online through search engines are finally purchased from a local seller … either a brick-and-mortar storefront OR a local online retailer.

This buyer preference for local action drives a hot area of search advertising these days: Local Business Listings.

Whether you sell brand name denim jeans or consumer electronics … discount shoes or fitness equipment … getting to the top of the pile of listed results for Local Search needs as much attention as getting your business web site to appear at the top of general search results pages.

Local Search Engine Optimization – SEO

Pulling ahead of the pack and displaying your business at the top of a product search list is called “ranking.” And rank has its privileges: Research on search users – both business and consumer – shows that almost 90% of searchers never go past Page 1 or 2, the top 15 to 30 of maybe millions of search results listings.

Ranking at the top of the search pile is not magic; it comes from search optimization: The keywords you use, the way you set up your web page, how you describe your products, whether you offer valuable information or only empty sales slogans, accurate product photos or generic pretty pictures.

Specialized SEO tips are needed, too, for ranking at the top of Local Search listings.

Here are Top 10 Tips on Local Business Search Listings:

1. Local Search is where the action is.

Local Search Marketing specialist David Mihm, along with 24 contributing search experts, publishes Local Search Ranking Factors every year because, “It is my hope that this study will help small business owners confused by Local Search, or those strapped for time, to prioritize their marketing efforts.” (David Mihm)

2. Big Local Search activity in the past year:

We saw a major study of Google Maps (a key tool in localizing search results), interviews with the heads of Yahoo Local and Google Maps, new portals, and Google’s new Local 10-pack for generic keywords. (Hint: Giant search engines only push resources to areas that promise ROI. Or, What’s in it for them?)

3. Put your main product keyword in the title of your Local Business Listing.

This tip was rated one of the most important for search ranking success. “Huge ranking factor right now for both Yahoo! and Google. Can make the difference between (being) #4 and #1.” Steve Espinosa.

4. Avoid Stuffing Keywords.

Though most search experts agree that getting your business’ main keyword into your listing title is number 1, they also caution about keyword spamming.

“Make your keywords fit naturally. Blatant spam – keyword stuffing – is not recommended.” Jordan Kasteler. “If you stuff keywords into the Local Business title, you may end up penalized.” Ian Lurie.

Don Campbell noted that resistance is futile. (What Don actually said is more like: Gaming the Google spider is hopeless.) “Important. But if everyone takes this too far, we’ll start seeing crazy business listing names. Eventually Google will tweak the algorithm to make this less important.”

5. Use a Local Telephone Area Code/Phone Number as Primary Local Business Listing Number.

“Phone number is one of the ways the algorithm determines how to map your business to (a location), and other sources of information it has.” Don Campbell.

“In most cases, local phone numbers outrank 800 numbers in competitive markets.” Dev Basu.

Put Another Way — Using ONLY an 800-number in Local Business Listings or on Contact Pages received the most NEGATIVE rating from search experts and the searchers they study.

6. Announce Your Local Presence in Categories and By Listing Your Street Address in Local Business Listings. It’s even stronger than having a high-ranking web page on general search results.

The ranking formula used by Google, Yahoo and Yellow Pages that puts your business at the top of Local Search Listings is NOT the same formula they use to rate or rank web sites. You need to load as much localized info as you can into your profile, keywords, titles and descriptions … if you want to come up at the top of a Local Search.

“Even business owners without a web site can rank well in the local results.” Martijin Beijk of OneToMarket, The Netherlands.

7. Add Multimedia to Your Local Business Search Listings.

Associate videos and photos with your local business listing to help push up your ranking. Videos and photos become another web reference for your business. They offer a more complete profile on your business (enhancing searcher trust) and improve click-through (or call-through) from the local listing to your business.

Also, multimedia is all about enhancing the User Experience:

“Google pushes to have very full business listings … and Google wants the user experience to be great. It is great when searchers find full listings, with photos and videos, etc.” Matt McGee

8. Don’t list multiple local businesses with the same phone number.

“From experience, this kills rankings quicker than most factors.” Dev Basu.

Using the same phone number for several local businesses in Local Business Listings is the single biggest rank killer among business owners who have no intent to SPAM. That’s because powerful local listing formulas used by Google and Yahoo Local crunch together many different databases.

So, when the same local contact phone number keeps showing up from “different” businesses, the localizing software sees it as duplicate content. Or SPAM. A no-no.

“Oh, man! You definitely don’t want to do that! 21 (or so) days …
and you got yourself only ONE listing from the whole bunch.” PureSheer

9. See how to use different searches (example from Google Maps) to drive buyers with better business listings and a local focus.

Top Ten Wholesale Blog outlined Using Localized Search to Drive Buyers .

10. Check out these resources to Set Up a Google Maps Local Business Listing:

· Google Maps

· New Features for Your Local Business from Google’s Official Blog

· Add Local Business at Google Maps

· AdWords Help Center on Local Business Ads

Local Search Ranking Factors offers ratings, reviews, responses on the above tips from the blog of SEO Web Designer David Mihm.