Insertion of Google Maps entries into organic search?

Are businesses w/G maps entries getting better serps in organic search

[earlpearl]

I'm seeing something recently and am looking for confirmation or help.

Certain businesses that have been entered into Google Maps are now getting some higher rankings for specific organic searches that look for the business and specific town/city in which the city is located.

Specifically w/ regard to certain businesses in certain towns I'm seeing these businesses ranked first in serps for queries with business and town name along with a map from google maps.

What do you see and when did G start doing this?

Dave

[Robert Charlton]

Dave - This started happening around Aug 1 of this year, with some variants of this (ie, on a search for exact business name and location) appearing in regular serps before that.

I'm going to post a blog link and a link to discussion with feedback from Google, because you'll never find them by general search. If the mods need to take them down please Sticky me and I'll send the references...

AdWords in Google Web Search Versus Google Maps
[seroundtable.com...]

AdWords in Google Maps
[forums.searchenginewatch.com...]

There may also be references on WebmasterWorld, but I don't remember seeing them.

I'd love to see some follow up discussion here on best ways to achieve this special prominence... which I assume has got to be helpful to a local business.

[Robert Charlton]

Dave - A PS to the above. I realize that I was talking about Adwords ads appearing with maps, whereas you're talking about organic.

As I mentioned, I have seen organic results with maps "on... search[es] for exact business name and location," but I haven't seen them for anything other than that. These are usually accompanied by a second indented result or a second indented result and a group of 5 "Sitelinks," as Google is now calling them.

This suggests that a local search whose #1 result has either the extra indented result or the 5 Sitelinks and is also listed in Google Maps may be likely to display up at the top with a map.

Just to double check... are you seeing the results with the maps for organic rankings or for an AdWords listing up at the top?

I wonder what happens if a site had both an organic result and an an AdWords listing would qualify for a map. ;)

[earlpearl]

I'm referencing organic results. Businesses/sites with listings in Google maps are getting a #1 ranking for a search query with the business name or major term and the town or city in which it is located. The #1 serp is accompanied by a small map from google maps and references back to the google maps description and entry and to the site itself.

It is very powerful.

[earlpearl]

I've seen it on queries with a very close approximation to the essential business service (but not the specific name). This was referenced at the last pubcon and I've started to see it recently.

Here is where it can be powerful. Have a couple of competing businesses in a metro region, say Pittsburgh with one competitor located in the city and 1-several others located in suburbs. Say its a nursing school and all the sites are entered in Google Maps. Do a search for Nursing School Pittsburgh or Pittsburgh Nursing School and the site located in Pittsburgh will show first in the serps based on the usage of Google maps into the algo.

That is powerful. My experience is that relevant and potentially conversion search phrases in the region will be something like Pittsburg Nursing School, PA Nursing School, Pennsylvania Nursing School, or Western Pennsylvania Nursing School, etc. There will be a lot of searches for Pittsburgh Nursing School--or Nursing School in Pittsburgh etc. A huge advantage IMHO.

[earlpearl]

I'm seeing select examples where a map from google maps shows in the G organic serps in conjunction with a #1 serps ranking. The ranking can accompany a strong search phrase that does not have to reflect the exact name of the business.

In fact I've seen it with strong money terms for different types of businesses.

I've some feedback that covers 3 different business types in 2 different major cities. Where the site and business show for an excellent long tail geo term for the business--calls and leads are up and strong.

The maps show in G serps after inserting the business/site in G maps through the google business center. In so doing it is critical to enter the site with all key money terms.

This is extraordinarily effective with businesses located within cities. Searches with city names will capture a lot of traffic.

If there are more than one such businesses entered into G maps then a G onebox will show at the top of the serps typically referencing several businesses entered within G maps.

The evolution of G maps information into organic G serps can be extremely powerful either to vault a business to the #1 serps ranking for searches associated with that city or ALTERNATIVELY as a way to prevent a competing business from obtaining that coveted map next to their serps ranking.

Dave