Local Search Engine - Google now displays local search results
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SEO
(Search Engine Optimisation)
Statistics show us that more than 80% of
traffic from search engines comes from
organic results. Basically, unless you are on the first page of Google™,
regardless if you have a PPC strategy, your website may not be performing to
it's full potential. Talk to us today about
web site
optimisation,
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your organic search engine
optimisation with proven
website seo.
Copywriting
A good copywriter knows which words
trigger the feelings that compel people to make decisions. They write with
flair, making it easy for people to be drawn into what they are saying about
your business, services or products - see professional copywriting,
and an example of good copywriting for a
Mercedes Dealer, or not-so-good copy for a Used Mercedes dealer.
Recently, Google made changes to how it displays search results according
to users' locations. The way it does this is by looking at your IP address, and
then it displays the "local results" in a map group about half way down the page.
For example, if you search for "restaurant", the first few results
will be normal organic results, followed by a group of map results closest to
your area as determined by your IP address, and finally, further organic results.
However, it is crucial that business owners, who want their websites to display
in the local results, optimise their websites correctly and utilise
appropriate directory listings in order to achieve "local status".
In large cities such as Sydney, the chances of a restaurant being shown which is
located close to your suburb is unlikely at this stage, even though Google has
the capability to detect where in the city you are through its geo-location
software. Rather, it will display a
regional result (Sydney businesses if you are in the Sydney area, as opposed to perhaps Goulburn or Melbourne).
The above change has another effect on search results.
Because there may be an extra 12 or so lines in the local search engine results,
including up to 10 actual local listings, around half the organic search results
will be pushed down. Some of these entries which previously appeared
"above the fold", will now be relegated to "below the fold" (depending on the screen resolution
of the viewer).
Google is trying to position itself as a local search engine by displaying the
most appropriate search results for users in a particular location or region.
This is good for users, but not good for websites that are not correctly
optimised to take advantage of the local search.
Once again, this shows how important effective search engine optimisation is to
even the smallest of business websites, as well as practical and knowledgeable
optimisation advice.
17.04.2009
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