• SEO Book , Monday, September 8, 2008 12 PM

"As you may have noticed, the search engine results pages on Google's geo-targeted search services frequently display different rankings than those you experience on Google.com," Aaron Wall says. "In order to make search results more relevant to local audiences, Google uses different sorting methodologies than those used on Google.com." And Wall offers tips for optimizing your copy, domain and overall strategy for regional searchers.

First, decide whether you need a local domain extension for your top-level domain (TLD). "There are exceptions, but the local TLD tends to trump .com when it comes to local result sets," Wall says. Don't forget to specific your country association in Webmaster tools, as this can be done on a domain, sub-domain and directory level, include local contact info on the page, and maybe even consider a local hosting service.

As for the on-page factors, be mindful of regional spelling and grammar differences (i.e. optimize vs. optimise), as well as the tone of voice you use in the copy. "For example, the sales language used in the US is usually more direct than that typically used in the UK, Australia or New Zealand," Wall says. "Familiarize yourself with local approaches to marketing, or engage local copywriters."

Then, get started with link building--targeting local directories and Webs ites (particularly those that have the country's TLD)--as well as broader tactics like press release distribution and offline efforts.

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