Tag, You’re It!
Meta tags, Alt tags, HTML tags, tags tags tags! There sure are a lot of tags to consider when trying to get your web site listed higher in the search engine results. Well, now there’s another tag on the scene – called a Geo Tag – and it can help your site show up for searches that include specific geographic locations.
As most of us already know, searching on the web is the predominant method of finding information online. In fact, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, about half of all internet users conduct at least one online search every day, up from about a third in 2002. Searching is already the second most popular thing to do on the web, right behind email (about 60% of people use email each day).
We also know that good search engine rankings are important to most businesses today, whether they are large or small. But not everyone can show up in the top 10, 20, or even 30 search engine results – there are just too many web sites for that! So how can you differentiate your web site and improve your chances of ranking ahead of your competitors? One way is to optimize your site for local search terms, and Geo Tags are another technique you can use when optimizing for local search.
Localized Results
Geo Tags are used by search engines to provide localized results for search queries. All of the major search engines have local components, such as Google Maps (formerly Google Local), Yahoo Local, Windows Live Local, and AskCity (part of ask.com). These search engines provide business listings and maps in their results when searchers include a location modifier (like a city name or zip code) as part of the search query.
For instance, if you are searching for an Italian restaurant, do you really want to get results for restaurants in Italy? Probably not. You probably want information on Italian restaurants that are close by, so you would naturally include a location in your search (e.g., “Italian restaurants Hartland Michigan”). When specified, search engines take the location into consideration in an effort to provide you with the most relevant results.
Geographic Locations
Using Geo Tags in your local search optimization takes this a step further. Geo Tags provide the latitude and longitude of your business, giving search engines precise information about your geographic location. So if a searcher uses the term “Hartland Michigan” in a search query, the search engines will basically look for sites that have Geo Tags related to (or matching) the geographic location of Hartland Michigan.
Although there are other ways to optimize your web site for local search (like using your business’ physical address in the footer of each web page), Geo Tags are an additional technique that could be helpful for businesses that want to reach local customers.
Does it Work?
Before you get too excited about the power of Geo Tags, remember that Geo Tags are only one of many, many factors considered by the search engines when ranking web sites. Strategies like inbound links and on-page optimizations still count a lot more than Geo Tags in obtaining higher placements. But if you can provide additional information that may improve your chances of higher rankings in the search engines, why wouldn’t you?