A reminder about the importance of Google's 2012 Venice update and Google+ Local for local business services
Did you notice how, earlier in the year, the results Google produced for local queries changed dramatically to give even more prominence to local search? We thought it was worth a reminder, because quite a few companies we've spoken to weren't aware of this and it's really important as a potential source of leads if you have a local business.
The update was quite hidden in Google's February announcement of 40 search quality updates, which maybe explains why it didn't have prominence. The relevant part of this update explaining the differences to local search is:
“Improvements to ranking for local search results. [launch codename “Venice”]. This improvement improves the triggering of Local Universal results by relying more on the ranking of our main search results as a signal.
"Improved local results. We launched a new system…
Key points to implement an effective global SEO strategy
Ecommerce sales are set to exceed $1trillion next year (according to Goldman Sachs) and, in the current economic climate, many businesses are considering exporting their goods and services abroad.
However, going global can be daunting. The process of localising and optimising your website for overseas territories requires careful consideration before you launch your SEO strategy.
Here are the top 10 common multilingual SEO mistakes to be avoided……….
1 Using the wrong keywords
The keyword a person in your domestic market might use to search for a specific product may not necessarily be a literal translation of the keywords or phrases used by buyers in other countries.
Despite this being the most basic of errors, it is one people continue to make.
Do not translate your keywords and don't forget to research new target markets…
With Nov 2010 change, Google Places now an even bigger opportunity for clicks & mortar businesses
Importance: [rating=5] (if you have a physical location!)
Our commentary: Google Places has evolved as with most Google products quite significantly in the last 12months. With the renaming of the service from Local Business Centre there are a number of new features, but the most significant was in late November when the Places algorithm changed to favour businesses with a Places presence.
As you can see by a recent search Google places now takes up larger area on a Google results page for a local search. Even more significant, all the top entries have a Places entry, so you're effectively invisible unless you do Places marketing well.
This clearly presents a great opportunity for businesses though as with traditional search results there is only room for a certain amount of results and we all understand the value of…
