Clients often ask us, “What simple task can I do myself to improve my search engine results’ ranking and start appearing ahead of my competitors?” This Do-It-Yourself trick will get you moving in the right direction.
1. Go to Google Maps
2. Type in your field of industry and zip code and click “Search Maps” (For this example I have typed in HVAC and 21146 for Severna Park, MD) If I worked in HVAC in MD, I would now be looking at a list of my competitors on the left and a map of their locations on my right.
3. Click on a competitor. (In this example I clicked on “All State Plumbing Heating”) An info box appears over the location on the map where that company resides.
4. Click “more info” located below their name and to the right of “Write a Review” in the info box. You are now taken to what amounts to a free website from Google for this company. [Be sure you have YOUR company listed like this!]
5. If you scroll down you will find a section entitled “More About This Place”. Here you see links where this company is listed on the web. The more links, the higher their ranking on Google. By clicking “More” I can view all of the relevant links that Google has found on the web about All State Plumbing Heating. This is your gold mine. You want to make sure that your company is listed on all of the sites your competitors are. Sometimes its as simple as claiming a listing on a public directory or submitting your company to one. Other times, asking your customers to review your services on certain websites will give you the boost you need. (In this example, HVAC companies who want to better compete with All State Plumbing Heating will want to get listed on:
- www.airconditioningpages.com/maryland/
- www.localconstruction.net/maryland/severna-park/
- www.constructionscope.com/maryland/severna-park/
- yellowpage.hirby.com/building-contractors_building-home-construction_maryland_severna-park,664532
- www.superpages.com/bp/Severna-Park-MD/
If this sounds like too much for you to be hassled with, don’t worry! Captico actually does all of this and more for our clients. Feel free to give us a call or stop by for a free consultation!
Tags: advice, Corrie Davidson, DIY, Google, google maps, links, local business, optimization, SEO, tips
[...] plan on taking advantage of this tool, make sure your company is represented correctly. (Like Google, Facebook does have a process for you to “claim” your listing if someone else creates [...]
Very nice and informative post thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this great information!