A Google search returns a single list of results, but that list is usually made up of two very different types of results: organic and local. The local results can occur whether or not the searcher enters geographic terms. The likelihood of your Web site being included in those local results increases with the confidence Google has about your company's location and the degree to which your location matches the searcher's.

Optimizing a web site for local search used to mean simply displaying a business address on every page. These days, this is only a minor part of the process. Ranking well for local search requires an optimized Google Places page, listing in local directories, numerous external citations, and much more.

But what about good old on-site SEO? Is it really all that minor of a factor in local ranking? There is not universal agreement on this, but many experienced SEOs warn not to ignore this area.

Steve Hatcher of "GeoLocalSocial" says, "Your own website should be a strong citation for your listing. Good onpage SEO for your website strengthens those quality signals from that citation."

At a minimum, you'll want to list the cites and communities where the business operates. But there are many more ways to use location-based content to to make your site more visible in Google's increasingly location-dominated search results. And besides, location-based keywords can improve your organic ranking as well.

In his searchenginewatch.com article titled, "The Importance of Localized Content - Local SEO Takes Center Stage", Ray Comstock suggests creating dedicated pages that highlight content unique to your geographical area. Possible topics include:

• Shipping rates
• Sales tax differences
• Warranty repair locations
• Dealer locations
• How products/services are adapted to local climate

Obviously, this only scratches the surface. Why not:

• Add written driving directions noting streets and landmarks by name;
• Include city and state along with every testimonial or customer quote;
• List drive times from various surrounding locations;
• Find ways to incorporate your state, city, or community frequently in page copy, such as "We are the first company in [location] to...", or, "We serve more customers in [location] than...", etc.

All of the above techniques have the additional advantage of making your content even more valuable to your customer, and do it in a way that is non-spammy and integrated seamlessly into your content. Comstock nicely sums up the motivation and the benefits of making these efforts:

"The key is to provide true value to these end users by surfacing very relevant information that is specific to them based on their city or state. By doing so you not only increase your propensity to show up in organic search queries in those places, but you also potentially improve your conversion rate by creating a more custom experience for those users..."

Be creative and think beyond the "Contact Us" page to make your site a rich target for location-aware searching.