Google has a new gadget/widget that any webmaster can embed onto a web page so users can easily get directions from their location to your small business. If, for example, you were planning to drive to Kennewick for a meeting with my wife to talk about the great Tri-Cities real estate market and the joy of living in the same place as us 
, you might find this widget on her web site and quickly be able to get directions to the local real estate office.
It’s functional, it’s easy to use, and it’s a fine addition to your web site. You may think it replaces the need for a Directions page on your web site, and Google would agree. Here’s one line from today’s announcement:
“With the directions gadget, you no longer need to type and update multiple sets of text directions.”
Google advice = FAIL.
A well-written, detailed, and thoughtful Directions/Find Us page is still one of the best local SEO tactics around.
When I speak on local SEO, I often bring up this point because so many web sites have utterly terrible Directions pages. You can’t just grab a JPG/GIF map image, put a little red star where your business is, and post that as your Directions page. Well, you can, but you’d be missing a great opportunity to help users find you and teach search engines where you’re located.
When I talk about writing a good, detailed Directions page to help with local SEO, I always seem to use this text as an example:
XYZ Widgets is located in the Shadow Trails Shopping Center on 4th Avenue in the North Hills area of Happyville, Washington. Our address is 425 4th Avenue, Suite 201, Happyville, WA, 99999.
What I like about this example is that:
- it has the exact address of the business
- it repeats the street, city name, and state a couple times
- it writes out the state name and uses the abbreviation
- it mentions the neighborhood (”North Hills”)
- it mentions a local landmark (”Shadow Trails Shopping Center”)
Do you know what’ll happen if you use text like that as your business location description, and then add written-out directions from all incoming directions — making sure to also mention specific street names, landmarks, cross streets, and any other appropriate location-specific information that would help a traveler? You’ll end up with a killer page telling users exactly how to find you, and telling search engines where you are in relation to a lot of local long-tail keywords.
Be as detailed as you can when writing out a Directions page on your web site. And use that Google widget if you’d like, but don’t use it as a replacement for good, local SEO. It’s not.
Advertisement: Improve your website rankings and traffic in just 15 mins/day! LotusJump will show you how to do your own professional-grade SEO. Find Out How Today!
This is a post from Matt McGee’s blog, Small Business Search Marketing.
Google’s Gadget is Great, But Not for Local SEO
Google’s Gadget is Great, But Not for Local SEO
Related posts:
- 8 Simple Steps to Make a Page More “Local”
- Google Maps adds an Address Book
- Google Maps (Local) creeps further into main SERPs
Go here to read the rest:
Google’s Gadget is Great, But Not for Local SEO
