1. Location: Distance from "Centroid" (the geographic center of the area searched) - the closer your business is, the higher you rank -- well kind of. This factor has been reduced in weight recently as in many cases relevancy has been proven arbitrary to fixed geographic center points. However new geolocation tools based on user IP addresses and mobile apps delivering hyper-local results could have future implications on this location factor. At a minimum, claim your basic listing and make sure business name, address and telephone numbers are accurate and complete to take advantage of this location factor. Only a few days ago Google updated their Maps and Local Business Center to include expanded areas served and location settings - this being particularly important for service-orientated businesses targeting customers outside their established locale.

2. Information: Listings containing more robust information and links rank higher in results (e.g., a website link, keyword-rich content, media, etc). Enhance your listing with keyword-rich content targeting the top keyword phrases prospective consumers may use to find you. Consider using variations of the most popular terms like "painters" and "painting". Listing "brands carried" is a good way to target popular keywords. Businesses with product/service keywords in their LBL title get an extra boost (some businesses actually change their name specifically for this reason). Run some tests using Google Analytics available in the GLBC (Google Local Business Center) to narrow down your keyword focus. Be sure to add media to your listing: a company logo and multiple store/product photos go a long way - video is a bonus. I also suggest supplementing your listing with as many "extras" as possible. One example would be adding a custom coupon, which is available on many IYP sites. Many of these "extras" may not directly influence ranking, however if they can successfully draw clicks/conversions they are certainly worth adding.

3. Corroboration: How many other local search engines or directories have your same listing published? Each time the information contained in your listing matches the NAP and description on other "relevant" sites, your listing gets a "citation" (award) -- the more citations you have, the higher your business ranks. This corroboration between relevant sites builds trust, and the the trust factor is critical to high-ranking. Build out your LBL with enhanced content on at least one site, and use this as a template to manually distribute your information to as many relevant sites as possible (see my list of notable sites below). Remember, online local consumers are fragmented -- the use of robust, broad content distribution will maximize reach. Here's an example of a business with multiple citations.

4. "Objective" Consumer Input: How many consumer reviews/ratings or other sources of user input does your business have on "relevant" sites? How many are positive/negative? To maximize citations and achieve the highest possible ranking you need to get as much positive feedback as possible. Encourage your happy customers to go online and give you a positive review on multiple sites. Here are four easy tips on how to get more reviews. Be aware that Google favors citations differently across various industries so it is important to solicit reviews on sites specific to your vertical. The top three review sites for restaurants (based on Google citations as of today) are Citysearch, TripAdvisor and Zagat, while businesses in the service industry are benefiting mostly from Citysearch, InsiderPages and Kudzu. And yes, Google recognizes unique and non-unique URL's within the review section - so don't think you can get carried away with rating your own business.

Negative ranking factors: Avoid using an 800# or multiple phone numbers across listings for tracking purposes (consistency in NAP is key); non-local area code; use of a P.O. Box; multiple LBLs with same phone number and/or DBA and/or address; stuffing geo-targeted keywords into non-related categories or fields; high percentage of bad reviews.

 

To avoid getting bogged down with explaining the step-by-step process of claiming your business, I'll point you to a recent blog on that very topic: How To Claim Your Google Maps Listing. You can start with your Google Maps listing and in a similar fashion work your way through the roughly 100 other search engines, IYP directories, maps, mobile sites and niche local/social sites. And yes, this is a laborious process which requires time and some web expertise - prior SEO knowledge a plus.