Beating the local block; what does it take?

[sk4rlet]

For the life of me I can't figure out what makes G decide to list a site above the local block for any given terms. Yelp of course always pulls it off, but sometimes no sites do, others random crappy sites with 2 backlinks do... is there even a guarantee you can beat one if you spent a full year optimizing a site properly?

Makes me scared to even consider targeting local queries which makes me want to cry. A little.

 

[CCarter]

Is there even a guarantee you can beat one if you spent a full year optimizing a site properly?

No, there is no guaranteeing anything when you place your faith in the hands of a 3rd party. Google might list nothing but local sites on the first page in a year, or completely take it away. I suspect CTR (Click thru rate) is a factor - meaning yelp is getting more clicks than the local block in your example, causing it to rank above it, but I don't have any data to back it up.​

Makes me scared to even consider targeting local queries which makes me want to cry. A little.

If you come in with that attitude to anything in life, you have already lost. Just pack it up and go home. Either you go big or go home in life. Just because there is someone out there dominating doesn't mean you can't take that crown away from them - you won't with that attitude of "why bother" though. Just remember, there is someone out there working tirelessly to take the crown away from the current king. If it's not you someone else will, nothing last forever... not even kings... Have you ever wondered what are the consequences for timidity?

What I suggest you do is take the "SEO is a tool in a toolbox" approach to your online marketing. Even if you put 10% of your effort towards another avenue, in a year, you'll be better off, than those who put 100% into something that can be wiped away with a click of a button by some grand Google overlords.​

 

[sk4rlet]

I suspect CTR (Click thru rate) is a factor - meaning yelp is getting more clicks than the local block in your example, causing it to rank above it, but I don't have any data to back it up.​

Great point... the pages do tend to have stars and it is Yelp, although the latter part makes it hard to know one way or the other. I've seen Yelp pages take up 1-7 in rare cases..

And thanks for the motivational speech, sarge