Comments on: Help Your Clients Reach the Top of the Search Engines with Google Local Search http://vaclassroomblog.com/help-your-clients-reach-the-top-of-the-search-engines-with-google-local-search Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:57:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Craig http://vaclassroomblog.com/help-your-clients-reach-the-top-of-the-search-engines-with-google-local-search/comment-page-1#comment-165 Craig Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:43:14 +0000 http://vaclassroomblog.com/?p=76#comment-165 Mary, Great information - I am going to digg around further to see if submitting that XML file does infact speed the indexing - I would imagine it would. Thanks again! Craig Mary,

Great information - I am going to digg around further to see if submitting that XML file does infact speed the indexing - I would imagine it would.

Thanks again!
Craig

]]> By: Mary Motz http://vaclassroomblog.com/help-your-clients-reach-the-top-of-the-search-engines-with-google-local-search/comment-page-1#comment-164 Mary Motz Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:31:21 +0000 http://vaclassroomblog.com/?p=76#comment-164 Hi Craig - Webmaster Tools has two great features I think are really helpful to any website owner: First, some diagnostic tools to see if there are broken links, lists inbound links and basically an overall "searchability" check on your site. The second is the ability to submit an XML file of your website's pages - which (at least appears to me) to speed Google's indexing of a new website. Submitting an XML file is easy and not at all as "glamorous" as it sounds ;-D. I use a website called (appropriately enough) XML-Sitemaps ( http://www.xml-sitemaps.com ) - you simply type in the web address and it literally gives you a valid file to upload. Larger sites require a modest subscription fee. I'm no SEO expert, but it does appear to speed indexing by Google. It may have no impact on SERP ranking, but it certainly doesn't hurt! ;-) I probably don't scratch the surface of Webmaster Tools... but that's how I use it. If anyone else has tips - I'd love to hear about them! :-) <em>Mary Motz's last blog post..<a href='http://www.provirtualsolutions.com/2008/09/skype-now-supports-caller-id-in-usa/' rel="nofollow">Skype Now Supports Caller ID in USA</a></em> Hi Craig - Webmaster Tools has two great features I think are really helpful to any website owner: First, some diagnostic tools to see if there are broken links, lists inbound links and basically an overall "searchability" check on your site. The second is the ability to submit an XML file of your website's pages - which (at least appears to me) to speed Google's indexing of a new website.

Submitting an XML file is easy and not at all as "glamorous" as it sounds ;-D. I use a website called (appropriately enough) XML-Sitemaps ( http://www.xml-sitemaps.com ) - you simply type in the web address and it literally gives you a valid file to upload. Larger sites require a modest subscription fee.

I'm no SEO expert, but it does appear to speed indexing by Google. It may have no impact on SERP ranking, but it certainly doesn't hurt! ;-)

I probably don't scratch the surface of Webmaster Tools... but that's how I use it. If anyone else has tips - I'd love to hear about them! :-)

Mary Motz's last blog post..Skype Now Supports Caller ID in USA

]]> By: Craig http://vaclassroomblog.com/help-your-clients-reach-the-top-of-the-search-engines-with-google-local-search/comment-page-1#comment-163 Craig Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:12:54 +0000 http://vaclassroomblog.com/?p=76#comment-163 Hi Mary, Thanks for the comment about Google Webmaster Tools. Would you mind sharing a bit more how you utlize webmaster tools for this purpose? Thanks! Craig Hi Mary,

Thanks for the comment about Google Webmaster Tools. Would you mind sharing a bit more how you utlize webmaster tools for this purpose?

Thanks!
Craig

]]> By: Paula http://vaclassroomblog.com/help-your-clients-reach-the-top-of-the-search-engines-with-google-local-search/comment-page-1#comment-162 Paula Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:44:50 +0000 http://vaclassroomblog.com/?p=76#comment-162 What a super-fantastic tip! I have often wondered about how that works. I want to thank my fellow VAClassroom student who took the initiative to ask! I've already passed this on to all of my clients who have brick and mortar businesses. Thanks for sharing Craig!! What a super-fantastic tip! I have often wondered about how that works. I want to thank my fellow VAClassroom student who took the initiative to ask! I've already passed this on to all of my clients who have brick and mortar businesses. Thanks for sharing Craig!!

]]> By: Mary Motz http://vaclassroomblog.com/help-your-clients-reach-the-top-of-the-search-engines-with-google-local-search/comment-page-1#comment-161 Mary Motz Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:21:41 +0000 http://vaclassroomblog.com/?p=76#comment-161 Hi Craig...great post! I have used Google Local along with Google Webmaster Tools for clients with a "brick & mortar" presence of some sort (doesn't have to be retail). It's great for law offices, financial, healthcare, etc.. I can attest that it increases visibility overall and has helped speed indexing as well. You can even add a coupon to a listing! Google Local & Webmaster Tools don't seem to be that widely known (clients are always surprised when I mention them). I have yet to figure out how Google prioritizes the listings within Local (maybe has something to do with click traffic or listing age). <em>Mary Motz's last blog post..<a href='http://www.provirtualsolutions.com/2008/09/skype-now-supports-caller-id-in-usa/' rel="nofollow">Skype Now Supports Caller ID in USA</a></em> Hi Craig...great post! I have used Google Local along with Google Webmaster Tools for clients with a "brick & mortar" presence of some sort (doesn't have to be retail). It's great for law offices, financial, healthcare, etc.. I can attest that it increases visibility overall and has helped speed indexing as well. You can even add a coupon to a listing!

Google Local & Webmaster Tools don't seem to be that widely known (clients are always surprised when I mention them). I have yet to figure out how Google prioritizes the listings within Local (maybe has something to do with click traffic or listing age).

Mary Motz's last blog post..Skype Now Supports Caller ID in USA

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