Comments on: Does Business Name = Title Tag? http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/ Developing Knowledge about Local Search Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:44:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/comment-page-1/#comment-318542 Mike Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:41:32 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=12#comment-318542 <blockquote> The real question worth thinking about, in my mind, is one of effectiveness versus aesthetics. As you add more words to a company title, do you potentially decrease the company’s listing appeal. And so, at what point, if ever, are the listing’s increasing number of impressions counteracted by a decreasing rate of clicks? </blockquote> The issue goes beyond aesthetics into compliance with Google Guidelines and possibly abuse. If you go too far you run the risk of being banned so first question is: Is the name a legitimate representation of the business that can withstand scrutiny? It is not worth getting called out on as spam by a competitor and being banned by Google. Beyond that the question is good but would require testing to know the limit. Mike

The real question worth thinking about, in my mind, is one of effectiveness versus aesthetics. As you add more words to a company title, do you potentially decrease the company’s listing appeal. And so, at what point, if ever, are the listing’s increasing number of impressions counteracted by a decreasing rate of clicks?

The issue goes beyond aesthetics into compliance with Google Guidelines and possibly abuse. If you go too far you run the risk of being banned so first question is: Is the name a legitimate representation of the business that can withstand scrutiny? It is not worth getting called out on as spam by a competitor and being banned by Google.

Beyond that the question is good but would require testing to know the limit.

Mike

]]> By: Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/comment-page-1/#comment-318530 Mike Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:21:08 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=12#comment-318530 Hi Baruch Great comment. I am not sure that any one reads this far back besides me (an obviously you).I have a question. You said: <blockquote>I believe that the development of the “algorithm” Google uses is, at least, loosely, based on local search theory.</blockquote> Or did you mean local or general search theory? Mike Hi Baruch

Great comment. I am not sure that any one reads this far back besides me (an obviously you).I have a question. You said:

I believe that the development of the “algorithm” Google uses is, at least, loosely, based on local search theory.

Or did you mean local or general search theory?

Mike

]]> By: Boruch Fishman http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/comment-page-1/#comment-318529 Boruch Fishman Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:20:14 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=12#comment-318529 Just an addendum to what I wrote above. I work with my clients to judiciously add words to their name, and at this point my success rate of getting first page listings on Google Local, even on the first day, is 100% In the few cases, where my clients were not happy with the keywords they came up on the first night; we found that they came up on page 1 on some desired searches within several weeks, (after Google's next monthly relook at their data I've detailed my rather primitive, yet very effective strategy in a little e-Book entitled " Getting Your Business on the First Page of Google Local in 4 Hours or Less." http://www.wexpresssubmit.biz/submissionebook.htm In defense of what some might call a thrill seeking approach to Google Local submission, I submit a carefully selected group of keywords in the Description Box, which keeps my clients moving up for a good while. The real question worth thinking about, in my mind, is one of effectiveness versus aesthetics. As you add more words to a company title, do you potentially decrease the company's listing appeal. And so, at what point, if ever, are the listing's increasing number of impressions counteracted by a decreasing rate of clicks? I have yet to see any discussion on this question. Just an addendum to what I wrote above. I work with my clients to judiciously add words to their name, and at this point my success rate of getting first page listings on Google Local, even on the first day, is 100% In the few cases, where my clients were not happy with the keywords they came up on the first night; we found that they came up on page 1 on some desired searches within several weeks, (after Google’s next monthly relook at their data I’ve detailed my rather primitive, yet very effective strategy in a little e-Book entitled ” Getting Your Business on the First Page of Google Local in 4 Hours or Less.” http://www.wexpresssubmit.biz/submissionebook.htm
In defense of what some might call a thrill seeking approach to Google Local submission, I submit a carefully selected group of keywords in the Description Box, which keeps my clients moving up for a good while.
The real question worth thinking about, in my mind, is one of effectiveness versus aesthetics. As you add more words to a company title, do you potentially decrease the company’s listing appeal. And so, at what point, if ever, are the listing’s increasing number of impressions counteracted by a decreasing rate of clicks? I have yet to see any discussion on this question.

]]> By: Boruch Fishman http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/comment-page-1/#comment-318523 Boruch Fishman Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:03:47 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=12#comment-318523 I agree quite a bit with Mike's comment. I have found this to be empirically true for the last 2+ years of listing companies. And I agree that the categories function more like body headers. Thirdly, the words listed in the description box are relevant and may correspond to description in the metatags. I believe there is even a logical explanation as to why Google works this way. I believe that the development of the "algorithm" Google uses is, at least, loosely, based on local search theory. When the computer reads through the company name, on the first day of the listing, its first assumption as to what the company is, is based on the words in the name. It then compares that conclusion with subsequent information presented in the categories and the description, to see if it is right For example, it's possible that a remodeling company called Rose Services would be classified as a flower shop if it failed to provide any more information in its listing! I agree quite a bit with Mike’s comment. I have found this to be empirically true for the last 2+ years of listing companies. And I agree that the categories function more like body headers. Thirdly, the words listed in the description box are relevant and may correspond to description in the metatags.
I believe there is even a logical explanation as to why Google works this way. I believe that the development of the “algorithm” Google uses is, at least, loosely, based on local search theory. When the computer reads through the company name, on the first day of the listing, its first assumption as to what the company is, is based on the words in the name. It then compares that conclusion with subsequent information presented in the categories and the description, to see if it is right
For example, it’s possible that a remodeling company called Rose Services would be classified as a flower shop if it failed to provide any more information in its listing!

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » New Local Onebox leads to truncated business names http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/comment-page-1/#comment-23363 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » New Local Onebox leads to truncated business names Fri, 11 May 2007 14:54:36 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=12#comment-23363 [...] I have written previously on the importance of your business title in local ranking relevance and the NaturalSearchBlog has referred to the practice of adding search phrases to your business name as “extreme local search optimization”. [...] [...] I have written previously on the importance of your business title in local ranking relevance and the NaturalSearchBlog has referred to the practice of adding search phrases to your business name as “extreme local search optimization”. [...]

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » 10 Likely Elements of Google’s Local Search Algorithm http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/comment-page-1/#comment-4940 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » 10 Likely Elements of Google’s Local Search Algorithm Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:46:01 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=12#comment-4940 [...] This works like a title tag in organic search [...] [...] This works like a title tag in organic search [...]

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » Part 3 - sources for Google Map’s Restaurant Rankings http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/comment-page-1/#comment-197 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » Part 3 - sources for Google Map’s Restaurant Rankings Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:05:40 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=12#comment-197 [...] Google Map’s ranking algorithm is complicated. This summary reviews Map’s sources and from that one can glean some ideas about what influences ranking. Clearly though the underlying rules rely on different weighting and factors that have yet to be determined (although we can make some good guesses). In fact it is clear that Google Maps and Google Organic weight the data differently. My simplified analysis does not (and can not) establish definitively what these relative weights are. It can however point us to the data sources that Google is using and perhaps allow us to develop models for improving rankings. [...] [...] Google Map’s ranking algorithm is complicated. This summary reviews Map’s sources and from that one can glean some ideas about what influences ranking. Clearly though the underlying rules rely on different weighting and factors that have yet to be determined (although we can make some good guesses). In fact it is clear that Google Maps and Google Organic weight the data differently. My simplified analysis does not (and can not) establish definitively what these relative weights are. It can however point us to the data sources that Google is using and perhaps allow us to develop models for improving rankings. [...]

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » Best Practices for Local Success http://blumenthals.com/blog/2006/09/29/12/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » Best Practices for Local Success Mon, 13 Nov 2006 00:59:20 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=12#comment-35 [...] –a)include the relevant business categories –b)Enhance the title of the Business to include the key phrase(s) –c)Craft the categories and the description to reinforce the key phrase(s) [...] [...] –a)include the relevant business categories –b)Enhance the title of the Business to include the key phrase(s) –c)Craft the categories and the description to reinforce the key phrase(s) [...]

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