Factors in Google Ten Pack rankings

[LJVF]

I stumbled upon this recently, but realized that RJD posted this article back in June of 2008. I felt it important enough to re-post with a different title and some article highlights.

David Mihm, the author of this article, surveyed 20 SEO experts to rank various local search ranking factors on a scale of -5 to +5. -5 having the most harmful effect and +5 having the most positive effect.

Importance of General Factors for Local

1. Local Business Listing Information (4.27)
2. Traditional SEO Criteria (3.06)
3. Customer Reviews (3.00)

Significant Positive Factors

1. Local Business Listing (LBL) address in city being searched (4.13)
2. Proper categorization of LBL (4.00)
3. Product / service keyword in LBL title (3.78)
4. Proximity of business address to city centroid (3.59)
5. Validation of business information with third-party providers (3.57)

Harmful Factors

1. Multiple LBL's with same address (-2.11)
2. Multiple LBL's with same phone number (-2.07)
3. Multiple LBL's with same business name (-0.73)
4. Negative customer reviews (-0.64)
5. 800 number as primary LBL phone (-0.63)

Highest Agreement among Experts

1. Impact of 800 phone number on website (0)
2. Associating a coupon with LBL (0.66)
3. Address information in hCard microformat on website contact page (0.67)
4. Association of photos with LBL (0.93)
5. Product or service included in LBL title (3.78)

Most Disputed among Experts

1. Multiple LBL's with same business name (-0.73)
2. Negative customer reviews (-0.64)
3. Age of LBL (1.81)
4. LBL phone number with local area code (2.00)
5. Location keyword in LBL title (2.90)

Cathy's (CHR) mentioned before that she thinks the business location in relation to the center of the city is playing a more important factor recently. These experts tend to agree:

"*Proximity of business address to city centroid (3.59)"

I think this has played a role in my recent drop in map ranking, the city of San Diego covers a very large radius and I happen to not be located near downtown. For several months my shop and several other had consistently been ranked in the top ten, but a few weeks ago, most of us have dropped out. The new listings are all close in proximity to downtown San Diego.

If it's true that this is now the direction Google is heading, I feel this to be a mistake. IMO listings should be spread more evenly through out the whole radius of a city to give the searcher more options. I'm hoping the local zip search box will play a more prominent role in the near future. This feature could off set the skewed results the new Google Ten Pack formula.

Link to whole article: Local Search Ranking Factors

BTW, since my recent fall from the ten pack, I have been focusing more of my attention to Adwords. Could I be falling into the very trap that Google may had intentionally set? Adwords = more $$$ to Google's bottom line.

 

[duanermb]

I saw that article a while back. I find the maps a strange conundrum that I totally don't understand. Our listing seems to buck the keyword trend for "florist" search, and they changed the size of the map lately - allowing us to fit in. (just before Christmas) Increased our traffic by a lot.

I asked the guy at #1 to take Winnipeg out of his name a while back, and he went from #3 to #1, almost overnight. WEIRD!

 

[LJVF]

Well I'm back in the top ten (at least for now I am), #2 to be exact.

I originally thought that "*Proximity of business address to city centroid (3.59)" was the main reason I wasn't ranking in the top ten anymore. Maybe I should throw that theory out the window, look at the image above, I'm represented by the map pointer peg "B". I'm all by myself while the rest are clustered together at the city centroid.

I did make several changes and tweaks, some recommended by Cathy (thanks!) and some on my own. I have no idea which if any caused google to give me some love again.

I'm more confused than ever :dunno:, but happy for the time being.

I will say this, I made it back in the top ten yesterday, since then I've had many click throughs and a handful of conversions. So IMO, the impact of being in the top ten, at least in my city, is quite significant.

 

[duanermb]

Glad to see you are in there again!

I will say this, I made it back in the top ten yesterday, since then I've had many click throughs and a handful of conversions. So IMO, the impact of being in the top ten, at least in my city, is quite significant.

It does play a significant role in free clickthrough rates on Google. It's unfortunate that Google doesn't police it better. Typically on Google.ca, we are surrounded by 2 people who don't play by the rules in the top 4.

Proximity must have a huge impact in the algorithm, but how we got in, I am still confused myself. A newcomer (My sister in law), with a 1 month old domain, and a canned FSN site is showing up in the 10 pack for some significant keywords. She is right in the heart of the city, whereas we are on the outskirts.

Don't get me started on the Authoritative Onebox...

 

[LJVF]

Another thing I'd like to point out, I was in the ten pack for several months up until December. In December I dropped to page two and eventually page three where I settled. After some heavy stressing and many tweaks, I'm finally back in for almost every florist related keyword with "San Diego" in it.

I have no idea if my diligent efforts through out the whole month of January had anything to do with it...maybe I wasted my time and would have made it back in regardless.

I swear, Google has a little inanimate man running around the search results getting his jollies off of messing with our rankings. :boggles:

 

[LJVF]

In my never ending quest to get even the slightest clue into the logic of the google map top ten, I got to thinking, what will show up if I search for a whole state like "flowers California"?

This is what shows up:

Most are clustered in Fresno. Things that make you go hmm.....?

Fresno = state centroid?

 

[goldfish]

Darrell, these "top ten" lists include all the local shops, some of whom don't even have web sites. So the logic behind it must not be web parameters. I think it's basically a random list.

 

[LJVF]

goldie, you lost me. Please clarify.

If completely random, why would google choose only Fresno florists for the top ten for California? It seems that the relation to a city or state's center point plays a heavy factor.

 

[theRKF]

Darrell, these "top ten" lists include all the local shops, some of whom don't even have web sites. So the logic behind it must not be web parameters. I think it's basically a random list.

It's hardly random - what Google is listing are the LBC profile pages. Some of those profiles link to the business' website.

Web parameters certainly play a part, as they can reinforce what Google knows in their LBC - but it's a ranking of businesses in the local box, not just websites.

Ryan

 

[mikec]

A little off subject, but if there are placements in the ten pack that don't merit being there, does Google have a process in place that we could send a notification to? Kabloom was here in Asheville, went out of biz about a year ago, they were in the ten pack for about 6 months after the store closed, they went away from the 10 pack and now they are back. They are using the old address, but this is now a restaurant. I even have pictures that I could attach to a Google report. Another florist did buy the phone number but I can tell you that she isn't sitting in the restaurant waiting for the phone to ring.

 

[duanermb]

Call the restaurant and get them to grab their listing.

A little off subject, but if there are placements in the ten pack that don't merit being there, does Google have a process in place that we could send a notification to? Kabloom was here in Asheville, went out of biz about a year ago, they were in the ten pack for about 6 months after the store closed, they went away from the 10 pack and now they are back. They are using the old address, but this is now a restaurant. I even have pictures that I could attach to a Google report. Another florist did buy the phone number but I can tell you that she isn't sitting in the restaurant waiting for the phone to ring.

I would call the restaurant and get them to claim that listing before someone else does. Maybe offer to do it for them, and all they have to do is answer the phone and enter the code. Or go have coffee and do that for them too.

Make sure they are in the right categories and they should disappear.


On thinking more... WILL THAT WORK?

 

[LJVF]

mikec,

Check out the google maps group forums: http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps?hl=en

There's a lot of good info there.

 

[goldfish]

goldie, you lost me. Please clarify.

If completely random, why would google choose only Fresno florists for the top ten for California? It seems that the relation to a city or state's center point plays a heavy factor.

I wasn't clear so I'll try to clarify...

Google top ten also lists the bussinesses with no web presence (such as chinese take-out restaurants).

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=chinese+restaurants+in+huntington+ny&btnG=Search

From that, I think we can conclude that a website is at least not a requirement for being listed.

Do geographic parameters matter? I'm sure it does. But how?

Let's look for "florists in huntington ny". Then move onto page 2, 3, 4, and 5.

You will see that the shops listed move away from Huntington and go to neighboring towns. They are no longer in the village of Huntington at all.

It tells you something, in terms of how Google rank each shop in the list. I'm guessing that Google does i) arbitrarily determines the "center" of the city, ii) creates a zone around the center, such as within 5 miles, 10 miles, etc, and iii) assign a certain weight to each zone.

Within each zone, Google might use some parameters to rank each shop. I don't know what these parameters are. On the other hand, I still believe Google does use "random" as the parameter, too. it makes sense because without "randomness", a certain shop would always end up being #1, which may or may not be relevant.

 

[clay]

Another thing I'd like to point out, I was in the ten pack for several months up until December. In December I dropped to page two and eventually page three where I settled. After some heavy stressing and many tweaks, I'm finally back in for almost every florist related keyword with "San Diego" in it.

I have no idea if my diligent efforts through out the whole month of January had anything to do with it...maybe I wasted my time and would have made it back in regardless.

I swear, Google has a little inanimate man running around the search results getting his jollies off of messing with our rankings. :boggles:

Yes, after reading this whole thread....it is still mind boggling to me on how some much 10-pack changes go on, without any local florists altering their Google account listing/settings. We were 1st listed in the 10 pack in the fall , then fell to #2 about the time that the last Google PR rating update...and some time in Jan/Feb I fell to 5th place .