Ranking #1 for Local, Not for National

[AliveWired]

A client with both a web and brick and mortar store is ranking well for normal web searches locally for many terms but less so nationally. I'm aware that results change due to location and other factors. Specifically, client is wondering if his retail location and corresponding places page are hurting his web results in non-local areas.

[RyanKent]

That's the right idea.

He may provide the best shrimp pizza or whatever product offering locally, but on a national level he is competing with everyone else in the country.

[AliveWired]

It's a niche business so the terms are fairly unique and not extremely competitive. Client is probably asking the wrong question.  It's not that his places page is hurting his national ranking, it's that his location is helping his local rankings.  Don't ya think?

[blu42media]

What terms are you trying to rank for nationally?  Unless the terms are particularly unique, it will be more competitive for sure!

[RyanKent]

His retail location does not hurt his web results in non-local areas.

If you have a hardware store in Omaha, then you might be one of ?25 stores in that area. It is not difficult to rank well locally in this case. But to rank well nationally for the term "hardware" you would be competing with many thousands of stores across the country. Then consider wholesalers and other terms such as "pc hardware" that compete for the term, and it really is a completely different world.

Bottom line, when you compete locally, you often remove a lot of your competition so you can rank higher. His local directory listings would not hurt him on national searches.

[AaronSchinke]

That shouldn't be the case. Local efforts should only help local, not necessarily hurt national. It also depends on if you and/or visitors are logged in at the time of search.