Webcraft Webmaster Services

SEO in Google Places Local search engine optimization has been gaining momentum. This bears out with the statistic that currently, around 20% of all search is localized search. As more small businesses are going online, they are realizing that their goal is not to reach the world but their next-door neighbors. One of the better tools for local SEO is Google Places. Formerly known as Local Business Center, Google opened up this platform upon recognizing that "97% of consumers search for local businesses online." It doesn't cost anything to be included in Google Places, but you do need to register by adding a profile of your business. Making some common mistakes when filling out your profile form can have unfavorable consequences on your local SEO campaign, so take time to do it correctly. Here are a few tips. In the Category field, be specific as to what your business is. If it's a restaurant, put down "restaurant" instead of

Known Places to Score Backlinks We all got the memo that great content is important. Google's Panda update made that abundantly clear. But let's be honest: backlinks are still the name of the game when it comes to ranking in the SERPs. Hunting down quality links from websites with the right online street cred will not only help you rank; each link also has the potential to deliver waves of extra traffic to your website as long as the link exists. Not too shabby. Sounds great in theory, but in practice? It's a bit harder. Just about every SEO on the planet is on the bandwagon right alongside you, on the prowl for the almighty backlink. That makes competition a whole heck of a lot tougher – regardless of your niche. Webmasters far and wide are inundated with guest post requests, link purchase queries, and emails that are generally begging for a shout-out. Many website owners have already learned to tune out the begging, considering it nothing mo