There is nothing more irritating than knowing a place exists and searching for it on Google, only to have it not show up on the location search. So when our Marketing Manager, Colin, asked me to write a post about the 5 most important ranking criteria for Google local business listings, I was thrilled. I could finally figure out just why my favorite little shops were leaving me high and dry when I tried to find their locations.

It appears Google has recently changed its algorithm for Local Business Listings by only giving the top spots to those feeding the search engine’s ever increasing need for content. Keep reading to learn what are Google Local Business Listings, what’s changed recently, as well as how to optimize so your local business is on top of the map.