Businesses that are geographically constrained need to market locally. Unless you are marketing your product in California (and/or China), people searching for it are likely to add a geographical delimiter to their keyword phrase.
Search engines have also become more savvy to Local Search, and provide special features to accommodate the concept. You may already be listed in many of these local directories using the generic information available about your business, but claiming and optimizing those listings is key.
Google is now showing their Google Places results above the “organic” listings in many search results. This means that you can be listed on Page 1 even if your website is not. You still need a well-optimized website, particularly in businesses which are highly competitive. But optimizing your Google Places page can put you further ahead.
In the screen shot below, you can see the results for a search on “electrician south jersey.” The Google Places entry is showing up in position #4 – not this company’s website, but their Local listing. You won’t see this for every search right now, but we predict that you will see it more and more over time. Don’t ignore Local Search!
