How local search results are ranked – key for successful internet marketing!

Posted: Jun 23, 2011
Author: WordJack Media

I received this Yelp business owners update the other day as an owner of a business listing on yelp’s business centre:

How are Yelp's search results ranked?

That’s the million dollar question. Every business owner wants to land on the first page of Yelp’s natural search results, but not everyone will. Did you know, however, that similar searches can yield very different results (see “Pizza”in Chicago, vs. “Best Pizza Ever”in Chicago?)
Potential customers use a variety of search terms, and natural search aims to get users the most relevant results. These results are based on factors which include review text, ratings, number of reviews, and business information content on each listing. If you want to be more relevant in search results, start by adding content to your Yelp listing.

So basically, there position is that there’s not much you can do to influence the rankings, but it’s always worth updating your listing! That’s never bad advice, and here are 3 reasons:

Claimed listing boost - All local search portals (google, yelp, bing, and plenty of yellow pages sites) encourage you to claim your listing and provide business info. Most keep their algorithm for ranking a secret, but suffice to say, there seems to be evidence that if 2 listings are “equally relevant” to the search and one is claimed, you are better off being the one that is claimed!

Click through rate – this principle applies to all sorts of web marketing and local search optimization is no different! A listing ranked first with very little detail, then a second listing that’s claimed with lots of useful info for the reader, will encourage searchers to “pick me!”

Optimization of your specific page – I remember an example of putting up a full description for a restaurant on one of the local search sites. Then later when checking their traffic sources through google analytics, a few searches had come from google for the phrase “ahi tuna tacos”. Strange thing to search, I know, but the fact is this – the added description on the page contained a search term that took a searcher directly to this business page on the local site. The result was a direct referral to their business information, without even having to show up with a ton of competitors!

Added features for conversion – often with claimed listings come added features, like the ability to add a coupon, or add some photos or a logo to your listing.  A coupon or key piece of information may be exactly what a searcher is looking for in making a decision which business to choose.

Claiming your listing is such a small step you can take as part of your web marketing. And it’s not just on yelp – check everywhere and put good info about your business up there!