Search results with location information

When someone searches for a topic like a restaurant in Atlanta, Google displays the usual paid Adsense ads and the usual natural results but there is also a block of search returns that display with location information, star ratings and are listed with little balloons marked A, B, C, D etc.

What are these blocks of results? Where do they obtain the listings and can the position of "A" be achieved through some influence similar to increasing backlinks for influencing natural search results positions?

TIA for any help

 

You can optimize your website either for organic results(Google.com) or Google maps. The balloons marked results are from Google maps(maps.google.com), you can optimize for local SEO if your business is targeted for a particular location, like a city or town. Google doesn't list Google maps results in organic(Google.com) results unless and until you have included a location's name in your search query. Try to search with variations of query in Google maps as well as Google.com and the picture will be clearer for you.

Hope this helps.
Let me know if you still have anymore doubts.

 

To appear in the local listings block, you need a Google Places for Business account. Go here: http://www.google.com/business/placesforbusiness/ .

To rank well in local listings, learn this exhaustive information on the subject:
http://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors