Is Your Business Number One In Seo?

No doubt remains, local search is huge and getting bigger. Google Places is the fastest and easiest way to get on the first page of Google for your local business. For now, its the most important piece of the Small Business SEO marketing equation.

Google Places is a big deal, but it's only a part of the equation. The other two major elements are local SEO through organic listings and pay per click (PPC). PPC can work very well, but you will need to pay to use. There's no permanent listings. Local SEO will give you both organic listings and a boost to your Google Places ranking.

Some markets are already ultra competitive for Google Places listings on the first page. Competition wil only increase with time. There are only seven Places listings that display on the first page of results. In many local areas, a lot more than seven are competing to be number one, or at least in the first seven results. As more and more small businesses become aware and attempt to get their spot in the top seven listings, competition will become fierce.

What's the best way to get at the top of both organic listings and Google Places? Two things are necessary. First, for Google Places you will need reviews and local SEO. For local SEO you will need great content, enough pages to compete and enough backlinks to those pages to rise in the rankings.

Within a year, easy Google Places placement will be gone in almost all markets. Then we will come full circle again to the absolute need for local SEO to drive visitors to your site and business.

What do you do now?. First, secure a listing in Google Places. Second, convince, bribe or reward people to post positive reviews for your Places listing. Third, start or enhance your local SEO program. Do whatever is necessary to get your business on the first page of ranking for your major keyword phrases. Fourth, every day without exception do something to market your business.

The future is here. Internet marketing is working today and will work in the future. It is a major tool for finding new customers and keeping existing customer coming back. You need to make the decision to determine where you will be in the ranked now and in the future.

Let's be blunt. You business future depends upon it. You need local SEO for the long term survival of your business. The trend is clear. Newspaper, magazine and television audience are in decline, while internet time increases. We have seen the future and it's here now.