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The past week brought a few interesting articles related to local search and Google Places that I think would bring value if you once read them. I would like to share some of them here and hope that would become a regular practice.
Beyond Claiming Your Place Page (Google Places Blog)
Quite a Month in Local Search (David Mihm Blog)
Small Business SEO: 46 Experts on the Biggest Mistakes SMBs Make with SEO and Internet Marketing (DIY SEO Blog)
Google Places Turns 1: What’s Working, What’s Not (Matt McGee Blog)
Google Places Citations: 5 More Tactics to Earn Links for Your Local Business (SEOmoz)
Google Expands Offers with Groupon Like Features (Mike Blumenthal Blog)
What Does FB “Social Deals” Mean for SMBs? (Greg Sterling Blog)
Google: 50 Percent Of Those Exposed to Mobile Ads Took Action (Search Engine Land)
Yext Pitches Google Places Tags Customers to Buy PowerListings (Linda Buquet Blog)
If there is something else I’ve missed, I would be more than happy if you could point it out.
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While building links is always essential for organic ranking, is it more important than citations when it comes to Google Places, or are citations more important?
I would say that citations work pretty similarly for Google Places as backlinks do for websites. However, it is very important to know that the website local SEO is a major factor in the ranking of the Google Places listings, therefore these two have to be worked on simultaneously. I’ve heard people backlinking their Google Places, but I personally think this is a loss of time. However, I must say that pointing to your listing via your website and via listings on third-party business directories helps Google associate your citation with your Google Places listing.