Before you begin your quest for local search domination, and begin working to list your company in the major search engines local searchs and maps results, you will want to identify what data set and what format you will want your company to be listed, and make sure that your information is identical in all places that it is listed. 

In other words, if your business is named My Business, you’ll want to decide if you want to be listed as “My Business” “My Business, Inc.” “My Business, LLC” or “My Business L.L.C. “.  You’ll want your information formatted identically both on your web site and in the local business listings, in the yellow pages, and everywhere that you are listed or identified.

There are MANY factors to consider when trying to rank in and attack the local search market.  One of the first steps is to check to see if you are already listed in Google Business Center, Yahoo Local, and Bing Local.  If you have a current yellow pages listing, or your business is listed on InfoUSA and/or Acxiom, you will most likely get picked up by the three major search engines’ local listings.

If you ARE currently listed, you will want to claim your listing immediately.  You will also want to make sure that your company information is listed as you want it to be, and correct it so that it is in line with how you want to be listed.