What do you think of when you think of SEO in Seattle? Many people would think of SEOmoz.
Google doesn’t.
Let’s search for “seattle seo” in google…
Notice the local results above the normal ones? SEOmoz isn’t there.
This is bad in a couple of ways, but the worse part of it is something I haven’t heard many people speak about. If you are not in the local results for your keywords it does not only affect those searching for “city name + keyword”
It also will affect you in results personalized by Google for just “keyword”.
Time to wake up people.
Geo location and Google personalized results are intimately tied. If Google assumes someone is in Seattle, then it will return results for “seo seattle” or more to the point for this example, it will not show SEOmoz.
We have probably all seen cases of Google personalized results by city, but if you haven’t you will soon. Think about it in the terms of countries where we already are used to getting an entirely different set of results for the same terms in Google and in Google UK for example.
It is Google’s goal to provide the most useful results for the search terms a user enters.
Google knows that Google UK users are likely in the UK thus it shows results relevant and useful for the UK.
It would be silly to think that the same is not true of cities. If Google knows someone is in Seattle, they will begin to provide Seattle results. Therefore, expect to see those local results on top of alot of your future searches.
So to wrap up this point:
Local results are becoming more and more common in Google searches, and will continue to do so. Google has begun localizing their personalized search results. Part of that localization is the inclusion of local results. If you are not in local results, you need to be.
Rebecca Kelley recently wrote on the SEOmoz blog about the things she discovered about their local listings via GetListed.org and she discovered a couple things that are affecting them negatively.
The main thing she found out via GetListed is that there were three different SEOmoz entries in Google local…
This is a common thing, to have more than one listing. With SEOmoz this occurred because they have moved a couple of times (which highlights the challenge that Google faces with local listings).
To see how this looks in Google local let’s search for SEOmoz…
There are literally three “SEOmoz’s” (even though they only have one office)
This brings up another important reason Local SEO is important to Non-Local SEO.
If your local listings are not correct or they don’t exist you will not be found by widgets and mobile applications who use Google local data.
This might not have seemed to important a couple of years ago, but in the iPhone and Android world it is very important.
If you don’t believe me then try to get to SEOmoz’s office via your iPhone.
Virtually every mobile application uses local data from search engines or data providers. If you are not properly listed, or are not listed at all, then you will be invisible.
If your listing are inaccurate then you are going to be frustrating real people trying to go to your location.
Luckily for SEOmoz, Rebecca is on top of this and is currently cleaning their local listings up. In a few weeks, expect a very different set of results. 
There are two quick and easy steps that I think every business, large or small, should take to ensure they are taking full advantage of the free local listings available to them.
1) Search for “your city + your key words” on Google and see if you show up in the local results.
2) Go to GetListed.org (free tool that examines your local listings on several platforms)
Related posts:Local SEO Tool – GetListed.org
If the Internet is the New Yellow Book, Who do I call to Get Listed in it?
GetListed.org Local University
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post Patrick, I hadn’t thought of a lot of this before. Will be taking local listings even more seriously now! BTW any plans for getting getlisted.org tool working for the UK? It looks fantastic and I’d love to be able to use it!
oh right, just read the comments below the seomoz post re international versions of getlisted.org tool – cant wait!
jaamit, We have UK version coming up soon.
Nice to know about the Google tools. Thanks for sharing the valuable things
Also many business that sell across the US or Worldwide believe that local search is not important for their business. But what happens when someone is going to visit your office and you do not show up in local search results? What about if a potential client is lookng for your contact information and does not know your website address?
I believe local search is important for online businesses because people in the same area code have easy access to your services/products. This is where you can get hold of your target market by simply inviting them to go to your physical shops.
SEOs are not only for business trying to expand globally. Anyone, who is an online entrepreneur should learn to change their optimization tactics by including the name of the town to the keyword being used. This can be a great strategy, especially if you aim to include local target markets to the mission-vision statements of your business.
Good post on Local SEO, well explained
Thanks for great information.
Oddly….SEO Moz….still not in the 10 pack. At least for me who lives in TN.
I’m curious why Google misses some local citation (actually it seems about half). Or what you can do to make sure Google sees it.
Analogous to the world of global SEO or big biz SEO, how to you fix a “broken citation”???
Cheers.
Thanks for this. I’ve been struggling with the local search results and this was helpful.
Thanks for this post. I especially appreciate the link to GetListed.org. Was in the top 6 in the local results and lost it? Didn’t change a thing and can’t figure out why?
It is amazing how important it is once you verify your listing to make sure you fully and completely fill out all of the information and add pictures. It made a big difference for us!
Thank you so much for this helpful information. I just found it via Mike’s site Understanding Google, best of 2009.