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Local Business Listing Attributes
Local Business Listing Attributes
Your Business Title
Your business title is one of the most important factors for ranking well in the Local search engines. Having a title that remains consistent across all data sources is very, very important, because it helps the search engines establish trust in the existence and location of a particular business.
If your business calls itself “Joe’s Pizza” in one directory and “Joe’s Chicago-Style Pizza” in another directory, there is a chance that Google and the other search engines might see that as two separate businesses when it comes to indexing Joe. Joe should pick ONE title for his business and ensure that he adds himself to whichever directories he chooses (including the print Yellow Pages) using the same business title.
Including keywords in your business title will help also help you rank better (Shh! The search engines probably don’t want us to tell you this!). But remember: if you try to stuff TOO many keywords into your business title, the search engines will find out about it and penalize your business.
We recommend describing exactly what you do. In the case above, “Joe’s Chicago-Style Pizza” is preferable to plain old “Joe’s Pizza.” It is a more descriptive business title and may pull in additional searchers (and customers) as a result.
In September 2008, Google released guidelines for its local listings which state that you should list your business using its actual business name, whether or that name contains keywords related to your products or services.
New businesses will certainly want to take this guideline into account in determining what to call themselves, and depending on your area, and what you sell, it may be worth a great deal for established businesses to change their DBA’s to incorporate keywords.
Links and Citations
Google, Yahoo, Bing, Best of the Web, and other search engines find out about your business in two primary ways:
1) Visiting links that point to your website, and tracking on what sites those links appear.
2) Tracking citations of your business, and on what sites these citations appear.
The search engines use these factors extensively in determining where to rank a particular business. All other things being equal, the business with the most links from high-quality websites in your area (like a chamber of commerce or a city government) and most citations from high-quality websites in your area, will rank the highest. So you will want to make sure to get your name, contact information, and website on as many places as you can.
Currently, the ‘Web Pages’ tab of your Google Local Business Listing is the most complete list of your citations, though Google probably doesn’t show every single one it knows about.
What Are Citations?
Citations are defined as “mentions” of your business name and address on other webpages, even if there is no link to your website. An example of a citation might be an online yellow pages directory where your business is listed, but not linked to. It can also be a local chamber of commerce, or a local business association where your business information can be found, even if they are not linking at all to your website . You may also see the term “web references” used on other websites—a synonym for “citations”.
Categories
Many Local search engines, including Google, Yahoo, Best of the Web, and Bing, allow you to place your business into a number of categories (usually between 2 and 5) that help describe what your business does.
This may seem like a trivial step when you are filling out your business information, but it’s actually very important. The search engines use this data when deciding which businesses to show for particular searches. The search engines will not display a business which is not categorized, or even worse, mis-categorized, for particular sets of keywords. This usually happens among keywords and phrases that are most competitive—where there are already a number of businesses who are associated with a particular category, and that will satisfy what the searcher is looking for.
Reviews and Ratings
It’s unclear how much reviews and ratings of a business influence its ranking position, partly because the reviews and ratings are displayed in so many different ways across different search engines (or in the case of Google, even on the same search engine).
But reviews and ratings are very persuasive to prospective customers when it comes to actually receiving a call or email. A bad review can encourage someone to hit their “Back” button and perform another search, and a good review can encourage someone to pick up the phone and call you!
It’s important to engage all of your customers, and to get your best customers to leave a review of your business on their preferred search engine or portal. Likewise, it’s important to recognize when someone has left a negative review of your business. Reach out to that customer and find out why they had a bad experience with your company, and see if there is anything you can do to change their opinion of you.
Photos / Videos
In terms of rankings, photos and videos don’t seem to matter much. A Google Local Business Listing with no photos probably has just as much potential to rank well as a listing with 6 photos and 3 videos.
But attractive photos and videos have been shown to increase the number of clicks that a particular listing gets. They generally offer a great way to show off your business—either projects that your company has worked on, some of the people in your office, your office itself, etc. A human stamp (or a professional stamp) can help you stand out in an otherwise flat playing field.
Other Attributes
A simple step that a lot of small business owners overlook is to list your contact information on your own website in a format that the search engines can read. If, for whatever reason, you’d rather not list it on your homepage, or on every page of your website, at the very least you should set up a clear “Contact Us” page which displays your address and phone number.
One additional attribute that seems to play a role in rankings is a factor called “proximity to centroid.” This is not something an established business will have much control over, since it involves your physical address.
“Proximity to centroid” simply means “how close is your business to the center of town?” Most experts agree that the closer your business is to “downtown,” the better it will rank for searches in your city. However, this factor does seem to have diminished in importance over the last 12-16 months, and it seems to matter most for businesses without much other information (for instance a plumber, based in a very rural area, who has no website).original article
Free Now for Local University Western New York!
a major sponsor for our November 1 Local University seminars in Ellicottville, NY. As a result of their generous sponsorship, we’re offering 25 free seminar tickets for area college students. Students or college faculty members can inquire about the tickets by emailing localu@getlisted.org.
Is This Really Replacing the Phonebook
They are out there right now, searching for YOUR specific products and services. Local, potential customers have already qualfied themselves simply by searching for your related keywords. Will you be found?
If you haven’t heard, the number of people searching for local businesses on Google FAR exceeds the number of people using printed phone books. Whether you’re a plumber, dentist, real estate agent or any other type of “local” business, ranking on the first page of Google can dramatically increase your business.
We have generated tons of #1 rankings on Google. Local search terms that include your city’s name are far less competitive than generic keywords that do not. This allows us to provide you with affordable services that yield amazing results.
Did Twitter Just Go OUTERSPACE
A Friend of mine over at @aligngo just sent me over this email stating "did twitter just go Outer Space" naturally I had to open it and it was to my surprise a little confusing..... wait for it wait for it.
I don't want to spoil it for you but.... plot in a Nutshell. 1st off you got this scientist Guy (Baker) missing his Girl (x) and they're tweeting away; but the tweets are like floating in space! You gotta see it to comprehend it, but make sure you watch it all the way threw.
Only 1 1/2 minutes busy bodies:) but you'll definitely talk about it again this week-end. if you got time, leave a comment, your opinion/ take on concept.
Web design
We offer our clients 30 years of small business experience.
Combining graphic design services, website design, consulting and coaching, we can increase your bottom line.
By utilizing effective tools available for little or no cost, we can increase your exposure in your local or national market, and help you reach the customers you want.
We are affordable and go above and beyond for our clients.
Question and answer
Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. Sometimes we think we can do everything ourselves as small business people. You have to know when it's more time effective and cost effective to bring in someone that can complete the task faster and better than you can. Make sure you are spending your time doing what you do best that made your business a success to begin with.
Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?
A. I wish I had known someone that could have helped me the way I help others. It's hard to know who to trust and who is giving you a straight answer. I've watched web designers and graphic design companies charge outrageous amounts of money to unsuspecting clients. Do your homework and check out the people you want to work with.
Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?
A. How long have you been involved in the internet advertising market? What is involved in getting my website noticed by the search engines? Do you charge by the hour or the project? Will I have control over my website/domain hosting company and will you provide me with the login information for each account you set up?
Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?
A. My design process includes getting to know the business of my clients in order to not only provide innovative designs and logos but to create a sales oriented piece that strives to bring in new business and clients. Many times, designers do not know what it means to be in the small business arena and the challenges we face. I add my 30 years of business experience to all my designs and websites.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. Seeing someone become more successful. Small businesses are a vital part of this country. They often do not have the advantages that larger corporations have in regards to advertising and marketing budgets. We strive to overcome that with our knowledge and expertise making small companies look great and helping them achieve their goals.
Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?
A. Our family owns and operates a large roller skating facility called Orbit Skate Center in Palatine IL. Other rink owners and business owners that see what we do and want the same quality of design, website, marketing and advertising for their own businesses. The skating community is small and close knit. Elevin Design has clients nationwide and takes great pleasure in getting to know them and helping them succeed.
Combining graphic design services, website design, consulting and coaching, we can increase your bottom line.
By utilizing effective tools available for little or no cost, we can increase your exposure in your local or national market, and help you reach the customers you want.
We are affordable and go above and beyond for our clients.
Question and answer
Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. Sometimes we think we can do everything ourselves as small business people. You have to know when it's more time effective and cost effective to bring in someone that can complete the task faster and better than you can. Make sure you are spending your time doing what you do best that made your business a success to begin with.
Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?
A. I wish I had known someone that could have helped me the way I help others. It's hard to know who to trust and who is giving you a straight answer. I've watched web designers and graphic design companies charge outrageous amounts of money to unsuspecting clients. Do your homework and check out the people you want to work with.
Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?
A. How long have you been involved in the internet advertising market? What is involved in getting my website noticed by the search engines? Do you charge by the hour or the project? Will I have control over my website/domain hosting company and will you provide me with the login information for each account you set up?
Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?
A. My design process includes getting to know the business of my clients in order to not only provide innovative designs and logos but to create a sales oriented piece that strives to bring in new business and clients. Many times, designers do not know what it means to be in the small business arena and the challenges we face. I add my 30 years of business experience to all my designs and websites.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. Seeing someone become more successful. Small businesses are a vital part of this country. They often do not have the advantages that larger corporations have in regards to advertising and marketing budgets. We strive to overcome that with our knowledge and expertise making small companies look great and helping them achieve their goals.
Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?
A. Our family owns and operates a large roller skating facility called Orbit Skate Center in Palatine IL. Other rink owners and business owners that see what we do and want the same quality of design, website, marketing and advertising for their own businesses. The skating community is small and close knit. Elevin Design has clients nationwide and takes great pleasure in getting to know them and helping them succeed.
In the future, everyone will only wear........
Now If I had a dollar for every pixel in the video, I would have 2 dollars. You mean to tell me this was filmed in 2010?
Asked A fellow Buudie 2 weeks ago about this Guy here. If you are still late to the party well, this guy is Tim Cook the new COO for Apple and if he has it his way in the future, everyone will only wear iPhone lol!
So Who is Mr.Cook the new Guy at Apple, Head Honcho- I Read Somewhere
"Though he's capable of mirth, Cook's default facial expression is a frown, and his humor is of the dry variety. In meetings he's known for long, uncomfortable pauses, when all you hear is the sound of his tearing the wrapper of the energy bars he constantly eats.
Like everyone else at Apple, Cook dresses casually in jeans, his graying hair cropped close like a Boy Scout.....etx etx
Read more Here about the iPhone 5 coming oct 4th
.
Logo's The real Meaning Behind The.....
FedEx This logo appears to be very simple, but if you look at the white space between the "E" and "x" in “Ex," you'll find it is more complex than you thought. Can you spot the arrow?
Tostitos These popular party chips are a staple at many backyard BBQs, but chances are, you've never noticed the hidden celebration scene concealed within the letters. The second and third "t’s" are sharing a chip over an "i" that is dotted with a salsa bowl. Yum!Do Subliminal Messages Really Work?
Le Tour de France
Named the world's most famous and prestigious cycling race, bike-lovers and non-cyclists alike are familiar with the event's emblem. However, you might be missing out on the logo's most interesting aspect. After careful examination, you'll notice an image of a person riding a bicycle; the yellow circle is the front wheel and the r is the body.Amazon.com
Amazon.com has become a go-to source for electronic commerce. Clearly there is an arrow under Amazon, but have you ever thought about its significance? Take a look at where the arrow begins and ends: a and z. This secret message seems to conveys that Amazon offers everything from A to Z!
Hershey's Kisses
The Kisses logo doesn’t have much to it, but if you look at it sideways, you might see a chocolate kiss formed between the K and the I.
Toblerone There’s a slightly obscured bear within the Matterhorn Mountain if you look closely. That’s because the candy bar hails from Bern, Switzerland, a city supposedly named for a bear. The Funniest News Bloopers
Big Ten
Penn State became the 11th member of this university athletic conference, hence the embedded “11” in this logo. That is, until the University of Nebraska–Lincoln became number 12, ushering in a new logo era.
This Year's Wackiest College Courses
Northwest Airlines
Before merging with Delta, Northwest’s logo was one of the best in the industry. The N and W within the circle are fairly obvious, but did you know the circle also serves as a compass? And guess which direction the arrow in the upper-left-hand corner (or the beginning of the w) is pointing?
Facebook Stealth
Just go to the site and give it access to your Facebook account, it populates a pedestrian-looking spreadsheet with your Facebook newsfeed. No eye-catching logos, sound effects, or chat windows will mar your appearance of diligent productivity. You will be able to browse your photo albums, so be careful as pictures can be eye-catching to that work busybody that always seems to be walking by your cubicle. You can hover your mouse over comments and Likes, which give you more information and thumbnail previews when you do. You can even activate a "Bosskey" (the space bar) that acts as an emergency kill switch and will kick you immediately into a more real-looking spreadsheet should you need to look like you're doing legitimate work in a hurry. These sort of tools are always a little silly—for example, the HardlyWork.in window uses a Windows XP style, so hopefully that's what you're using at work. But as we've noted before, unproductive work is a more sinister time sink than goofing off, so maybe it's not all bad.
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