Comments on: Google Places and Service Areas http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/ In the trenches of local search Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:18:58 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Chotrul SEO http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-611 Chotrul SEO Sat, 05 Mar 2011 12:34:39 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-611 Hi there ... many thanks for your reply that service areas are no longer killing off rankings, and for the useful link. It is extremely problematic having a business with locations over an entire country, yet unable to show the address. Some businesses simply operate that way, and contact needs to be by phone. Ultimately that doesn't seem to fit very comfortably with Google Places' model. Hi there … many thanks for your reply that service areas are no longer killing off rankings, and for the useful link. It is extremely problematic having a business with locations over an entire country, yet unable to show the address. Some businesses simply operate that way, and contact needs to be by phone. Ultimately that doesn’t seem to fit very comfortably with Google Places’ model.

]]> By: Yelp Beats Google to Service Area based Rankings | GEO Local SEO http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-588 Yelp Beats Google to Service Area based Rankings | GEO Local SEO Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:37:45 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-588 [...] a year ago Google added the ability to set a service area for local businesses in Google Places. At the time there was speculation as to how it might influence rankings and many local SEO’s [...] [...] a year ago Google added the ability to set a service area for local businesses in Google Places. At the time there was speculation as to how it might influence rankings and many local SEO’s [...]

]]> By: Stever http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-587 Stever Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:35:30 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-587 @Chotrul, or Mark Carter Service areas still do nothing to influence rankings, but you can still include it. <del datetime="2011-03-01T22:41:32+00:00">Just don't opt to hide your address location as that can kill your rankings.</del> actually, seems hiding your location no longer tanks your rankings >> http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/11/03/google-places-search-hiding-address-no-longer-buries-listing/ @Chotrul, or Mark Carter

Service areas still do nothing to influence rankings, but you can still include it. Just don’t opt to hide your address location as that can kill your rankings. actually, seems hiding your location no longer tanks your rankings >> http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/11/03/google-places-search-hiding-address-no-longer-buries-listing/

]]> By: Chotrul SEO http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-586 Chotrul SEO Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:18:15 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-586 I have a business that pretty much falls inbetween the two categories for service areas and business locations, and am wondering which is the best route to go, rankings wise? Would you recommend putting your locations into service areas rather than actual business locations in orde to get higher Google Place rankings for them? many thanks indeed for sharing this post. I have a business that pretty much falls inbetween the two categories for service areas and business locations, and am wondering which is the best route to go, rankings wise?

Would you recommend putting your locations into service areas rather than actual business locations in orde to get higher Google Place rankings for them?

many thanks indeed for sharing this post.

]]> By: Stever http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Stever Tue, 18 May 2010 17:35:06 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-65 @Jason, at this time the new service area function appears to have ZERO influence on rankings inside or outside the immediate city name location for that business. But I expect that to change at some point in the future (one month, 6 months, 2 years, who knows??). My initial thoughts are to build up your citations such that you are a very strong listing inside your actual city and by the time Google starts using service area to show businesses that may service once city but are actually located in the city next door then your super strong listing may stand a chance at ranking for those searches in other locations you service. If and when Google goes that route. @Jason, at this time the new service area function appears to have ZERO influence on rankings inside or outside the immediate city name location for that business. But I expect that to change at some point in the future (one month, 6 months, 2 years, who knows??).

My initial thoughts are to build up your citations such that you are a very strong listing inside your actual city and by the time Google starts using service area to show businesses that may service once city but are actually located in the city next door then your super strong listing may stand a chance at ranking for those searches in other locations you service. If and when Google goes that route.

]]> By: Jason http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Jason Tue, 18 May 2010 17:02:57 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-64 Any thoughts on building citations with a company set up as a service area? Any thoughts on building citations with a company set up as a service area?

]]> By: Chris Silver Smith http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Chris Silver Smith Mon, 10 May 2010 17:32:06 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-58 Actually, some IYPs have had an equivalent to "service area" options for a great many years already, which is why Google Maps' lack in offering the product stood out so strongly. Superpages.com allowed businesses to purchase additional "geographic reach", allowing them to appear county-wide, state-wide, multi-city, multi-state, etc. Actually, some IYPs have had an equivalent to “service area” options for a great many years already, which is why Google Maps’ lack in offering the product stood out so strongly.

Superpages.com allowed businesses to purchase additional “geographic reach”, allowing them to appear county-wide, state-wide, multi-city, multi-state, etc.

]]> By: Brian http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Brian Mon, 10 May 2010 16:43:25 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-57 When the IYP sites follow suit, it seems we'll lose the address portion of the name-address-phone citation combo that previously led to reinforcing feedback among these sites. When the IYP sites follow suit, it seems we’ll lose the address portion of the name-address-phone citation combo that previously led to reinforcing feedback among these sites.

]]> By: Stever http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Stever Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:10:13 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-51 Keyword relevancy is exactly what I thought would remain a hindrance to ranking in other nearby cities. Besides having those location keywords on the website, the additional information fields in the Places page for that business should be used to list those cities so that maps listing has the keyword relevance in it as well. On top of that, I suspect the number of citations, reviews, user content, etc... would need to be higher to create a stronger profile for that business helping it to rank in the other cities. Keyword relevancy is exactly what I thought would remain a hindrance to ranking in other nearby cities.

Besides having those location keywords on the website, the additional information fields in the Places page for that business should be used to list those cities so that maps listing has the keyword relevance in it as well.

On top of that, I suspect the number of citations, reviews, user content, etc… would need to be higher to create a stronger profile for that business helping it to rank in the other cities.

]]> By: Chris Silver Smith http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/google-places-and-service-areas/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Chris Silver Smith Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:24:25 +0000 http://www.geolocalseo.com/blog/?p=93#comment-50 One would really hope that the service area setting would allow a company equal chance to rank for a city search, along with the other companies which have a physical store within the city. However, I expect that keyword relevancy will also continue to play into it heavily, so I don't believe merely opting into service area will do the job alone - it will still be advantageous to actually list the city names on your site where you'd like to be found within search. This would also give the added benefit of enabling ranking within regular keyword search results. As you indicate, this is an area for ongoing testing and observation. Too early to really base much on assumptions! One would really hope that the service area setting would allow a company equal chance to rank for a city search, along with the other companies which have a physical store within the city.

However, I expect that keyword relevancy will also continue to play into it heavily, so I don’t believe merely opting into service area will do the job alone – it will still be advantageous to actually list the city names on your site where you’d like to be found within search. This would also give the added benefit of enabling ranking within regular keyword search results.

As you indicate, this is an area for ongoing testing and observation. Too early to really base much on assumptions!

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