Google New Organic Recipe

When looking for a home the old real estate mantra has always been Location. Google has applied this core principle to the new Google Location Based Organic Search Algorithm. Google formally rolled out the new organic local search on October 27th. It should not be that much of a surprise that Google eventually has rolled this feature into Organic Search results. Google filed the search patent for this technology back in 2005. Surprise, surprise, surprise, it’s no longer just a patent! The change to the algorithm now puts more emphasis on your Google Places location. The new Google Places algorithm, combined with your traditional SEO optimization relevancy, now creates a new organic hybrid that is one part location based (defined by Google Places, and local optimization) and one part organic optimization relevancy (meta tags, content relevancy, and link equity strength-external/internal).

According to an Inc.com survey conducted in June 2010, 70% of searchers when looking for business information go to online search engines. Of those 70% around 33% go to traditional engines to get results, followed by 23% for the old fashion Yellow Pages directory (yes, the phone book), and 22% look to IYP’s (internet yellow pages) like Yelp.  Now, Google has integrated both of these behaviors into their search algorithm.
What you are seeing is Google trying to take a stronger hold on local search. I think Google’s initial vision was to create this anyway. However, I imagine they are thinking that Yelp, Yellow Pages, and mainly Facebook are getting so localized, they needed to increase local relevance even more so. Also, this change makes Google places more relevant as a local listing engine as well.  Google is looking to become the complete location based engine.
What is the impact of this change? It's quite significant, if your business was originally optimized for a term you necessarily don’t have location based relevancy to match, then you might now be second page rather than first.  Below, I have listed a few examples of traditional Organic results as of less than a month ago vs. the New Location Organic Search Launch. Some of the sites from the September 2010 results have gone on hiatus from the first page, since the change.


SEO Local Meet Traditional SEO
Now my page has disappeared off the first page, and my competitors business listing that wasn’t anywhere to be found is out ranking me. What am I to do? Well, the answer is simple. Look at pages, websites, or physical locations you may have similar to your competition. Next begin to optimize your site with both traditional SEO tactics, and make sure your pages are relevant for local results as well. Below, I have listed a simple SEO formula to follow that can help you build up local relevancy to support your existing SEO.

Google Places Algorithm Formula for Business Success

• A business must claim their local business listing in Google places (aka Google Business Listing) and verify the physical location by mail or phone
• Optimize your website or page listed for the location based business for keywords and links relevant to your location.
• A business obtains local business relevancy in Google places by being listed (cited) in multiple local directories such as: kudzu, yellowpages.com, citysearch, superpages.com, Yahoo Local, local.com, insiderpages.com etc…
• Reviews from users listed from above directory sites and others such as: Yelp and Yahoo local can add to your relevancy and ranking for local search
• Use RDF microformats  tags to clearly identify to Google Places of your location base

The new Google Organic Location Search will  have a major impact on traditional sites that have ranked well for years, but are not necessarily location based businesses. These types of sites might see a huge dip in traffic do to this change.  Big brands that are well optimized (on page and link building) for both general head terms such as computers, cell phones, etc… and for local locations (brick and mortars) in local directories could see some huge gains. Only time will tell how big or how long this new change lasts. I have to believe at this point, this will probably become a mainstay of Google Search.