Local SEO Backlinks Question

9 replies
  • SEO
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Alright, so I'm dipping my toes into the pool of local SEO with Google Places. Here's my question. When I'm building backlinks for my client's site, do I backlink their site or the Google Places Page? Or a combination of the two?

Because here's the thing. I have their site ranking on page 1 already. But this is just their site, not the Google Places page. So it's below all the Google Places results. But it is on page 1.

The keyword is electricians charlotte nc. Here's the link to the google search:
Code:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=electricians+charlotte+nc&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=
His site is currently number 6

electricianscharlottenc(dot)gbhosts(dot)com

(yes it's a subdomain I set up for free. Like I said hes my test client.)

in the results underneath the places results. And also his yelp page is a couple places below (#8 I think)

So to get his places page listed in the top 7 (Places A - G) should I be backlinking his site or the places page. So far I've backlinked his site from the citations. Should I also include links to the places page?

Note: I know backlinks are not the only factor in Local SEO. But I know it's part of it. If you want to discuss any other factors that you have found to be helpful (besides "you need a lot of reviews"), that would be helpful too!
#backlinks #local #question #seo
  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    I would not back link the Google Places listing, because that is owned by Google and it is Google you are trying to influence.

    But I might build back links for other resources online such as the Yelp reviews, etc., although that may look incredibly unnatural to Google and raise red flags in their algorithms.

    If you have articles or blog posts that linked to the client (even if only the blog comments link to the client), then building back links for those items would be natural and easily within the scope of what I would do to improve the clients' ranking.

    I'd be interested in hearing what others thing about linking to Yelp or Google Places. But until I hear someone say they have tested that and found it beneficial, I would avoid doing that.
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    • Profile picture of the author bigalan6622
      Originally Posted by tpw View Post

      I'd be interested in hearing what others thing about linking to Yelp or Google Places. But until I hear someone say they have tested that and found it beneficial, I would avoid doing that.
      I have heard of social bookmarking them simply to get them indexed. This is only if the client you are ranking has no listing on the sites. Sometimes they have old listings that just need to be edited. But any further backlinking than getting them indexed with SB's I have not heard about. Like you said, I don't want to throw up any red flags.

      Perhaps this would have gotten more response in the offline forum...
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  • Profile picture of the author ann1986
    you might want to have citations and reviews for google place
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    • Profile picture of the author bigalan6622
      Originally Posted by ann1986 View Post

      you might want to have citations and reviews for google place
      Originally Posted by bigalan6622 View Post

      Note: I know backlinks are not the only factor in Local SEO. But I know it's part of it. If you want to discuss any other factors that you have found to be helpful (besides "you need a lot of reviews"), that would be helpful too!
      LOL yeah working on getting him those reviews too. But that can be tricky also.
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      • Profile picture of the author NumbersJunkie
        I have a local SEO business and wrote an online course on Local SEO for Doctors and it is broken into 5 sections. 1) client's homepage, 2) google place page text, 3) reviews, 4) citations and 5) backlinks. These are the five things that matter. I find that the text on the Google place page is the most overlooked item. Be sure to max out all the optional text areas. For citations, I always submit a new client to UBL. For linking, I link mostly link to the client's page and also to facebook pages, yelp pages and other medical directories. The most effective links come from other local sites and must be requested manually. Do a search for inurl: Charlotte + blog + wordpress Get some inbound links from bloggers in Charlotte.

        I'm new to the Warrior forum, but not new to SEO. If anyone wants to look inside my Local SEO course, PM me. Trying to establish credibility.
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        • Profile picture of the author bigalan6622
          Originally Posted by NumbersJunkie View Post

          I have a local SEO business and wrote an online course on Local SEO for Doctors and it is broken into 5 sections. 1) client's homepage, 2) google place page text, 3) reviews, 4) citations and 5) backlinks. These are the five things that matter. I find that the text on the Google place page is the most overlooked item. Be sure to max out all the optional text areas. For citations, I always submit a new client to UBL. For linking, I link mostly link to the client's page and also to facebook pages, yelp pages and other medical directories. The most effective links come from other local sites and must be requested manually. Do a search for inurl: Charlotte + blog + wordpress Get some inbound links from bloggers in Charlotte.

          I'm new to the Warrior forum, but not new to SEO. If anyone wants to look inside my Local SEO course, PM me. Trying to establish credibility.
          I took a look at UBL.org the other week. Do you use the $75 listing service? Do they get your citation out to all the proper sites effectively? Do you add that on as a charge fro your client or just factor it into your pricing?

          And that is a GREAT tip about finding locally related sites! Thanks for that one!
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          • Profile picture of the author rbrShorty
            I don't really think you need services as the UBL's one. Submitting your business information to 15-20 of the most important directories would not take more than 2-3 hours. Of course if you know where to submit in the first place.
            I think these are one of the most important directories:
            Yahoo Local
            Yelp
            City Search
            Angie's List
            Local.com
            Yellow Pages
            Manta
            Merchant Circle
            Judy's Book

            Definitely a back link from a local or business niche oriented directory would have much higher value, but generally Google crawls and indexes these pages much slower. However, you definitely need to build up a strategy for your client to be getting reviews, because this is crucial in the Google Places ranking. Check an article by Catalyst eMarketing on this issue in order to get some ideas how to get reviews by the clients (I'm sorry but as I am a new user I cannot post links).

            Furthermore, a factor would be the proximity to the so-called "city centroid". It is the geometrical midpoint of the town in which the business of your client is located and is also a vital part of the Google Algorithm for local search.

            P.S. @NumbersJunkie, I hope you would read this thread once again, because I am a new user in this forum and because of that I cannot send PMs, but please, provide me a link to your local SEO course. I would be very interested to learn from your experience.
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            • Profile picture of the author 88Bot
              Andrea,

              I'm also very new to the local search game. Can you send me a link to your Local SEO course? I don't have enough posts to PM you.
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  • Profile picture of the author kad77
    I would also be interested in this course, plz send me a link
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