Getting listed in Google Places has become very important with Google’s recent algorithm change for local results. Taken from Axandra’s news archive http://www.free-seo-news.com/newsletter446.htm#facts

If you offer local services, you should make sure that your website is listed correctly. This week’s article will help you to improve your results.

In the news: Google Places causes problems, Google seems to support anonymous reviews, Google’s position on slow websites and more.

If you offer your products or services in a particular area, it is very important that your website is listed in Google Places.

How to optimize your Google Places listing

How your website is listed in Google Places depends on several things. For example, bakeries in Los Angeles are listed differently than Honda dealers in Knoxville. The location of your business, the industry that you’re in and the keywords that you are targeting and other things influence your listing in Google Places.

You can submit your website to Google Places by going to http://www.google.com/local then click on
You can submit your website to Google Places by going to http://www.google.com/local then click on
Put your business on Google Maps

Read the rest of this entry

It’s been an interesting week.  I get a weekly update from HiTechEdge and this week they had a link to a video and article on how not to get your site banned by Google. Read what they said below.

No one wants to get banned from Google, but unfortunately, it does happen. As Michael Stebbins of Market Motive explains, it is important to understand why some websites do, in fact, get banned from Google in order to prevent it from happening to you.

First of all, he suggests using Google’s Webmaster Tools to know for sure if you are banned. The dashboard offers very helpful information in this type of situation.

To make sure that your site doesn’t get banned, Stebbins tells WebProNews that you should think like a search engine. In other words, you have to realize that they are looking for genuine relevance and genuine popularity. If you try to fake either of these elements, Google will not want to partner with you.

Some people fake relevancy and popularity by linking to questionable websites, taking advantage of JavaScript redirects, and selling links. All these factors could result in Google banning your site.

To get re-included in Google’s index, Stebbins says you need to first decide if it is worth investing time in the re-inclusion process. There are some cases in which users commit so many “mortal sins” that is nearly impossible to rebuild a relevant and popular website.

At this point, he advises users to invest in another a site and apply a 301 redirect from the old site to the new one.  However, if you have not violated many of the guidelines, Stebbins says you could send a letter detailing what you did wrong and how you have fixed it. By doing this, it increases your chances of getting back into the index.

Are you taking preventative measures to make sure your site doesn’t get banned?

Watch the video at http://videos.webpronews.com/2010/07/20/how-not-to-get-banned-from-google/