Local Results are pushing my best keyword to page 2

[annej]

Basically local results are pushing my best keyword to the second page (#12). Worse yet anyone looking for information will probably leave the search after looking at the 7 local shops listed.

This is so frustrating. I know if I am looking for local shops I will include the town and topic in my search. I suspect more people would do that.

Anyway maybe all I am doing is venting as unless I can become another Wikipedia or about.com I can't see how I could get above all those local links. But I thought I'd ask in case anyone has an idea for me.

(I know, targeting two word search terms solves this problem but I hate to see my site lost to the biggest one word term in my field.)

[tedster]

I wish I had a clue, Anne. If you discover a workable approach that's almost like the holy grail right now. From what I see, if Google decides that a query term has "geographic intent" then the new local/organic mash-up results are what you get.

Yes, if you can establish a strong enough information presence (like a Wikipedia or About.com) then you just might be able to compete. These mash-up results do have "some" room for pure organic results. The only way I can see that happening, however, would be a keyword domain for the query term and a big pile of natural backlinks.

Anyone see another way?

[annej]

I suspected as much. And I have to admit although I get a lot of visitors from the single word query it's very few compared to all the other SE visitors I get. But it was fun to be able to say I was on the first page for such a popular search word. :D

I think I was really lucky to have found Webmaster world and gotten into SEO really early on. I gathered a lot of great links before it got so hard to do. I just checked my profile, I've been here about 9 years. Thank you WW.