{"id":9751,"date":"2016-04-16T14:21:03","date_gmt":"2016-04-16T19:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/p8site.com\/oldp8\/?p=9751"},"modified":"2016-04-16T14:21:03","modified_gmt":"2016-04-16T19:21:03","slug":"ultimate-guide-to-local-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/p8site.com\/oldp8\/ultimate-guide-to-local-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Guide To Local SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no doubt that at one point or another, you have searched for \u201cso-and-so industry near me.\u201d \u00a0How do search engines, predominantly Google, know just what you\u2019re looking for? \u00a0This is what\u2019s known as Local SEO<\/a>. \u00a0For many years, the internet was expanding the global community, bringing together people from across the world that otherwise wouldn\u2019t have been able to contact one another. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that Google and other search engines have a pretty good index of the web, they are determined to build stronger local communities based around quality information and giving you just what you\u2019re looking for. \u00a0Let\u2019s take a look inside this local SEO guide to see just how you can rank your local business:<\/span><\/p>\n

Elements of Local SEO<\/b><\/h2>\n

To start, Google breaks down any search into three elements: distance, relevance, and prominence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Distance<\/b><\/h4>\n

Google is eager to give you just what you\u2019re looking for and they do a great job of filling in the blanks. \u00a0Let\u2019s say you\u2019re type \u201cpizzeria\u201d into the search engine, the top listings will be ones that are in your immediate area. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is because Google places a higher value on a relevant, local listing than one that is further away. \u00a0As the end user, providing you with the best experience and results is the ultimate goal of any search engine to ensure repeat use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Relevance<\/b><\/h4>\n

In an effort to really understand your intent, Google has gotten much better at understanding your interests. \u00a0Based on previous searches, Google can get a good idea of what you\u2019re actually looking in the event that your inquiry is too vague. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prominence<\/b><\/h4>\n

This element is perhaps the most prominent (pun!) of the three. \u00a0Google gathers all the information regarding a business that it can — both off and on-site factors — to put the best choices on the SERPs. \u00a0These include: reviews, inbound\/outbound links, titles, keywords, and many more. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the biggest draws to this is the fact that now Google can get a good understand of a business even if they haven\u2019t had much of an online presence. \u00a0By taking into consideration historical mentions, articles, publications, and other public forums, a business can establish solid a foundation on the web without even realizing.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to this, search engines are striving to give you quality results. \u00a0They can determine the quality of a business through reviews and mentions throughout the web, as well as link building.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What can you do to build your brand on Google Local Search?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Google My Business<\/b><\/h4>\n

Google My Business should be one of the first steps on your Local SEO checklist. \u00a0Establishing a GMB listing is very simple to do, just start <\/span>here<\/span><\/a> and follow the steps. \u00a0There are <\/span>three critical areas<\/span> that explain why GMB is so important:<\/span><\/p>\n