The battle for local searches

With Google replacing Google places with Google + Local pages (Search Engine Land - Google Places Is Over, Company Makes Google+ The Center Of Gravity For Local Search), I thought I could take a bit of time talking about local searches and their importance in today's SEO world. 

What is a local search?

A local search is a search done for a specific set of keywords with a location in the search query (dentist SW19 for example). Historically, this search would have returned websites using these keywords within their content, but Google Places changed all that. By registering (and verifying) their company with Google, local businesses could achieve high rankings in SERPs. Since Google displays local results above "other" natural results (see example below).

Why local searches matter for SEO?

Since local/places results get displayed above other organic results, it is easy to understand why companies need to be thinking about local searches when implementing their SEO. It is not only a great way to get good rankings, but also a means of quality traffic to a site.

Google now also automatically identifies your location if you're logged in to your Google account when doing a search, so even more generic searches may return local results based on google's index. And with an even greater integration between all of Google's tools (Google +, +1, Google + business pages...) the competiton to be at the top of local searches is going to increase further.

How to achieve good local rankings?

• Register your business with Google + Local pages - this should be your first step in achieving good rankings locally. It is free and if you optimise your listing carefully (think important keywords for your business), it could bring great rewards
• Ensure your website is geo localised - include location details in your website content
  
• Submit your website to local and national directories - this will enable you to generate qualified traffic and improve your rankings if the directories in question include a link back to your site
• Define the location of your site in Google webmaster tools - this is more country based, but helpful nonetheless.
  In webmaster tools, go to configuration > settings > geographic target
  
• Use the geo meta tags in your website HTML
• Get as many reviews, preferrably positive, or +1, Likes... for your local listings (in Google and in directories). These reviews/ratings will not only increase your position in local directories, but they will also give Google an indication of the relevance and popularity of your business (especially the +1's). They are votes of confidence for your business.

I'm sure there are a lot of other ways to get good local rankings, so feel free to share your tips and advice.