result

A Maryland business with local customers has the ability to jump above all the other search results on Google, Yahoo and MSN in Maryland because local map listings now appear in Universal Search.Universal search shows different media outlets in search results. For instance, when "Baltimore Law Firm" is searched, not only do map listings appear at the top of the page, there are also video results and news results.Some search results show as many as ten local businesses above the first natural listing. Any local Maryland business can take advantage of these local map listings to get better search placement on the first page of results. The following tips will help local Maryland businesses do just that.1. Sign Up For Google Local and other local map listingsPut your business in Google Maps because Google has more than 75% of the search market right now, and Google maps are free. Any Maryland business with a mailing address can sign up for Google Maps here: /local/add/. If yo ur listing is already appearing on Google maps, you should still claim it so that you have control over edits to it.Make sure you put your listing into all appropriate categories.Also include phrases that you think people will search for in the title of the listing, for instance "ABC Company Baltimore Chimney Sweep" would be a better title than merely the company name.You should also sign up for a local map listing in Yahoo and Bing.These work much the same way, and Bing in particular needs to be confirmed by having a letter sent from Bing to the postal address on the listing.2. Add city, county, state, and nearby locations to your pagesSearch engines use visible text on web pages to create their content indexes.It makes sense that people searching for a local business will search by city, state, county or nearby attraction.For instance, they may search something like "Inner Harbor hotel" or "chimney sweep Baltimore" because they are looking for local businesses. By adding t ext about nearby cities and attractions on your web pages, your pages will appear more often on local search results.You can really improve local indexing by creating a page for a nearby city, titling it something like "Baltimore Chimney Sweeps" and giving directions from the city to your address on this page, while explaining how close you are to the city.It is also a very good idea to include the company address on the footer of every page of your website. This will make it easier for customers to find you, and also helps search engines index your pages for your town. You may include your exact address and a phrase like "minutes away from Baltimore" for better search rankings in nearby cities.3. Add your listing to local directoriesSearch for local directories and add your listing to them because in many cases these directories will show above natural search results, and your company should be listed there. It is easy to find free local directories - simply search for the state name + directory or the city name.It is also important to submit your website to the DMOZ.org directory because humans will review your submission before placing your site in the correct category, and search engines will trust this directory submission accordingly.4. Advertise on Google AdWords locally.Local advertising on Google can be very cost effective. For instance, you would not purchase the keyword "Chimney Sweep" because it is just too expensive, however "Baltimore Chimney Sweep" is a much less expensive term that reaches your target market.5. User ReviewsAlways ask your clients to give you a review on Google maps or city search listings because search engines gather data from these reviews that affects your business' listing placement. Client reviews also help increase trust. Pursuing good reviews is well worth your time.6. Add Google Analytics to Measure ResultsIn addition to the data that Google local displays showing how visitors get to the local listing in Google Maps, additional information can be ascertained by adding Google analytics to all your web pages, so that you can track the effectiveness of your advertising strategies.