In the pursuit of an ever-optimized search engine presence, millions of webmasters have sought out exposure in key local search results as a way to reach targeted audiences. In the past, many simply ran paid advertising campaigns in various geographical niches to reach these desired audiences, but Google and other search engines have made it increasingly more possible in recent algorithm updates to reach these individuals via search engine optimization efforts. If you are already engaged in local SEO, then you probably understand how important various elements of optimization like Facebook pages, address listings and keywords are for proper placement. There are several tools out there that can help you even more, but few have yet to use them. Below, we will discuss three of these services and explain how each can help you.

OpenStreetMap

This is an excellent program that has been used by dozens of companies for several years. The OpenStreetMap system is – as it sounds – an open source map system that allows for quick and easy edits to be made by anyone. Many different companies have utilized OpenStreetMap in their map functions due to the fact that it is free and usually one of the most updated map systems available. When you are pinging networks with local information about your business, you exponentially increase the likelihood of various search engines grabbing this information and customers finding you online. OpenStreetMap can be quickly downloaded and edited by anyone – but do keep an eye on your edits to ensure that the most up-to-date information is listed.

Wikipedia

One of the most trusted sources for information (although perhaps it shouldn’t be), Wikipedia can be a big boom for local SEO efforts if utilized properly. It is free and easy to create a Wikipedia account that will allow for edits to be made to various pages and for new pages to be created. One big caveat to using Wikipedia is that all of your information listed on Wikipedia needs to be factual and sourced when it pertains to something other than contact information. If you do not follow these guidelines, then your edits and creations could be purged from the directory.

Facebook Places

The editor for the biggest social media platform in the world can certainly come in handy and help you boost local SEO potential. As Facebook continues to become a more popular form of search that is pinging networks for an ever-increasing amount of information, it only makes sense to utilize this platform for fast and accurate edits. Users can quickly correct information about their websites or physical venues, needing only nominal approval from Facebook for the edits to be implemented. After you have made enough edits and have a high enough approval rating, your edits will go through automatically and you will be able to instantly interact with your brand’s local representation on the social network.

Conclusion

Local SEO potential can be boosted through free, simple utilities available to just about everyone. OpenStreetMap is a great way to assign authority to your address and its reflection in local search results, Wikipedia is a trusted entity that search engines love and Facebook Places may very well one day replace major search engines as a source of information. With these three utilities, you are sure to gain momentum in the world of local search.