Thread: Can you Geo Target SEO?

I know you can geo target Adwords, but what about SEO? Is there any way to have a local business come up in google without typing in "place" and "city"...

Like if I live in Atlanta and type in "dayspa" without the city, is there a way to do some kind of SEO so goolge knows your dayspa website is in that city? I know you would get adwords results without typing in the city, but what about regular ole search results?

This sounds confusing...sorry.

Some local searches will give you a boost based upon the address listed in your WHOIS record.

You will also want to get listed in Google maps for Atlanta.

Google lets you set a geographic target in Google Webmaster Tools, but you can only set it to a country level, so that's not going to help you on this site.

The last, and probably still best, option is good old-fashioned SEO. Create a page with Atlanta in the filename, title, h tags, etc...

Heck, Atlanta is big. You'll probably want to do another page just for the part of Atlanta you're in.

Originally Posted by Will.Spencer

Some local searches will give you a boost based upon the address listed in your WHOIS record.

You will also want to get listed in Google maps for Atlanta.

Google lets you set a geographic target in Google Webmaster Tools, but you can only set it to a country level, so that's not going to help you on this site.

The last, and probably still best, option is good old-fashioned SEO. Create a page with Atlanta in the filename, title, h tags, etc...

Heck, Atlanta is big. You'll probably want to do another page just for the part of Atlanta you're in.

I am trying to figure out how to offer local offline companies SEO services. I thought localized SEO would be the best.

Originally Posted by writtenstyle.com

I am trying to figure out how to offer local offline companies SEO services. I thought localized SEO would be the best.

I definitely concur, if your clients are targeting customers in the local market.

Out of very recent experience, I can confirm that all what Will said here really helps . I've set up a geo targeted site about a month ago and now people (potential customers) are starting to call me for this service. I will write a 'how to' here soon when i've reached some of the projects' goals, I will be happy to share this information. The project is still in an early stage so untill then, please feel free to pm and i will give you more details.

A few additional tips to get localized results...

Be sure to have your address listed all on one line as that is how the mapping applications process data.

Be sure to have driving directions to your business from each direction using well known roadways and landmarks

Se sure to list a local phone number

Be sure to get links to your site from regional directories

In Google's 'Webmasters/Site owners Help - Geotargeting' 4th parahraph, last sentence:

If no information is entered in Webmaster Tools, we'll continue to make geographic associations largely based on the top-level domain (e.g. .co.uk or .ca) and the IP address of the webserver from which the context was served.

Doesn't it confirm that the IP can be a factor in local serps?

Full text here:

Geotargeting - Webmasters/Site owners Help

Originally Posted by Loko

Doesn't it confirm that the IP can be a factor in local serps?

Damn... that's new -- and it's going to be irritating for people who host their servers remotely.

Yeah, i visited that page before not too long ago and I thought it wasn't there then.

Must be annoying for some webmasters but can work in our advantage too.