Google Maps/Local biz listings: How to improve or rank for it at all?

[LegitAM]

I'm trying to find methods to rank for this, but am having trouble. What are you guys using to improve your clients rankings if they are already on it for certain key terms?

From what I've read this is all determined by the businesses with the most positive review, is this correct?

 

[mont7071]

While total number and velocity of reviews is important, positive reviews are easily gamed, most people in the field consider that just one minor factor out of many. For a pretty good breakdown , go google/read David Mihm's "Local Search Ranking Factors", he pretty much wrote the book on it.

 

[LegitAM]

thanks I will definitely look into it. I need to read up on this as fast as possible and understand it.

 

[ChinaSearchAds]

While total number and velocity of reviews is important, positive reviews are easily gamed, most people in the field consider that just one minor factor out of many. For a pretty good breakdown , go google/read David Mihm's "Local Search Ranking Factors", he pretty much wrote the book on it.

Seriously, read this. The link:

Local Search Ranking Factors | Local SEO Best Practices for Google, Bing, Yahoo

The top ten factors are:

1. General Importance of Claiming Place Page / Local Listing
2. Business Address in City of Search
3. Associating Place Page with Proper Categories
4. Volume of Citations from Major Data Providers + IYP Portals
5. General Importance of Off-Page / Off-Listing Criteria
6. General Importance of Customer Reviews
7. Quality of Citations from Major Data Providers + IYP Portals
8. Product / Service Keyword in Place Page Business Title
9. Volume of Customer Reviews associated with Your Business
10. Quality of Unstructured Citations

In short (A) describe what you do, (b) say where you are, (c) show through citations that you exist and (d) get some reviews. As long as you don't have much competition that's 90% of it.

 

[070707]

thanks I will definitely look into it. I need to read up on this as fast as possible and understand it.

... wait, don't you sell a service for this in BST??? Seems a little ass backwards?