2)Enhance the title of the Business to include the key phrase(s)
As I have explored Google Maps local rankings, I have used the models developed for organic search optimization as a starting point to develop understanding and make progress.
The working theory I developed is that the business name created in the Google Business Center functions in much the same as a Title Tag on an html page and that it perhaps has priority over other methods of determining relevancy. Minimally it plays a role, that much is sure.
Note in this example how Google highlights the search phrase in the Business Name (title) phrase.
Google Maps though has a number of different ways to potentially determine relevancy of a page to a search. One of the most significant besides business name is categories. Since they are limited in number and any listing can only have five they could easily play this role. Description also seems to play a part in reinforcing the relevancy of the listing.
It is certainly conceivable that category and description are more important or equally important to title. My theory is though that they act more like body copy & headlines on a text page to reinforce the business listing name. Can anyone shed more light on this relationship?
From a marketing and branding standpoint, this can have implications. Should a business change its business name in some way to enhance its standing on Google Maps? Will Google at some point consider it spamming to do so?
I have taken the approach that by adding one or two key services to a business name you are probably ok on both fronts. This is an issue that needs to be addressed and perhaps discussed with a client prior to the listing.
[...] –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) [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » Best Practices for Local Success — November 12, 2006 @ 8:59 pm
[...] 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. [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » Part 3 - sources for Google Map’s Restaurant Rankings — December 15, 2006 @ 11:05 am
[...] This works like a title tag in organic search [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » 10 Likely Elements of Google’s Local Search Algorithm — February 16, 2007 @ 10:46 am
[...] 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”. [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » New Local Onebox leads to truncated business names — May 11, 2007 @ 10:54 am