7 Questions about Google’s Local Business Center
1) What is the Google Local Business Center?
Google has been showing their Local Business Center map and listings for quite some time now. It is a Google map and listings located below the top paid listings and usually above the organic, natural, unpaid listings.

Google's Local Business Center - The potential is AMAZING!
Although the Local Business Center (LBC) is not new, only recently did the marketing potential become obvious to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) practitioners and business owners.
For years the thrust of the industry was to achieve top Google organic, natural listings. This was done by many techniques such as website keyword optimization, back links and directory listings.
The LBC is a completely different animal. The old SEO rules do not apply. Website optimization? Heck you don’t even need a website to rank high in the LBC. Back links? You don’t even need one back link to rank.
New terms have entered the SEO domain. Words such as citations and reviews. It is a brand new world.
2) When does the Local Business Center show?
The LBC usually shows when you search for a business or service. Dentists, lawyers and plumbers are obvious ones. If you live in a very small community (like I do) you probably won’t see it. I searched for “plumbers” and I didn’t get it but when I entered “plumbers Toronto” I got it.
You obviously won’t see the LBC if you search for information such as “sex life of a tsetse fly” or “how do I fix my sink”. There are anomalies however … search for “dog sledding Ontario” and you get the map but if you enter “personal chef Ontario” you don’t – “personal chefs Ontario” you do. Go figure.
3) How do I list my business in the Google Local Business Center?
You might already be listed. Unlike website search engine submission Google adds businesses from many sources – from IYP (Internet Yellow Pages) such as Superpages, Yellowpages or Yellowbot. So if you have a business phone you might very well be listed.
If you aren’t listed – it is sometimes hard to figure out – you have to login to Google with an account and navigate to the Local Business Center and add your listing. It takes up to 30 minutes to fill in the blanks and add your business categories. You can choose up to 5 categories and this is a very important step!
After you have finished with the sign up form Google tries to find your business and if it does it allows you to “Claim” the listing otherwise you add your listing. Next step is to “Verify” your listing. There are two ways, both involve entering a PIN number. You choose between Google phoning you with a computerized PIN number or sending you a postcard. Either way it is hard to “trick” Google because they use either your submitted mail address or phone number
4) How important is a high LBC ranking?
There is a hot debate among the Search Engine crowd whether a high ranking in the Local Business Center is more important than the regular, natural, organic listing below it. There will likely be no consensus without further testing and tracking. Even then there are probably too many variables to make such a general statement.
Either way a high Local Business Center ranking is VERY important! It garners many site visits and it is said that searchers who click on the LBC link convert better because they are ready to buy and are looking for contact information and/or driving directions.
5) How can my business get a high rank in the LBC?
Obviously the first thing is to “Claim” or “Add” and “Verify” your business. The next involves trying to get Google to find many other references about your business on websites throughout the Internet. Website links are optional with these references. Google is looking for what they call “citations” and “reviews”. There are many other factors including keywords in your business title, closeness to the geo center of your city and age of listing. Listing and formatting details are a bit technical and outside the scope of this blog entry but you are welcome to contact me for more information.
6) What is the buzz around the popularity of the LBC?
Once again Google has taken over a niche that many other Internet properties have been filling for many years. I don’t think the hundreds of popular business directories are shaking in their boots just yet. The directories where businesses can list and describe their businesses for free will probably not notice much of a reduction in listings but they will probably see a drop off in users searching for local businesses and reviews. When the eyeballs leave the paid enhanced listings will probably leave.
Google is test marketing PAID Local Business Center listings in two American cities. I feel that the full roll out of this service will be the death knell of many of the other business directories. The thing is Google, with their expertise in gathering data across the web, can do a much better job of showing users ALL the ratings and reviews for a business in one place … why would anyone go anywhere else to find, choose and contact a business.
7) What is the future of Google’s Local Business Center?
Ok … crystal ball time! As already mentioned Google is test marketing paid Local Business Center listings. These paid listings take up more room than the present listings. More room for the LBC means one of two things … the paid listings at the top of the page will be reduced or eliminated or the natural, organic, unpaid listings will be pushed further down the page which will lessen the impact of traditional SEO.
Conclusion
The Local Business Center actually makes total sense. In the dark ages of search engines a local contractor could pay for a well designed website, including dynamite landing pages and keyword optimized pages. He could then hire a Search Engine Optimization expert to take him to Google number 1 for “contractor anycity USA”. He would then get a daily infusion of inquiries and quote many jobs. In reality he was the city’s worst contractor and rarely finished any job but was expert at extracting the maximum down payment. The Internet helped him snare unsuspecting clients. The only recourse was legal or blogging or giving a bad review or rating at a second rate local business directory.
The Local Business Center would reveal this contractor for what he really was because the reviews and ratings would be hanging right out there for anyone to see.
Google’s Local Business Center is here to stay. Any business person who cares about increased business success must embrace this new beast. At least take the initial steps to claim or add your business so that the listing can age. Try to fill as many profile items as you can.
There are urban legends out there that some businesses are moving closer to the city core and changing their legal business name to get higher rankings in the LBC. I don’t think any of us have to go that far but there is no downside to embracing Google’s Local Business Center!