Analytics For Local Search

How and What To Track For Local Search

presented by Mike Belasco@belasco

• seOverflow is a search engine optimization and pay per click marketing company in Denver, CO.

• We specialize in offering solutions that enable web design companies, marketing consultants, and other SEO companies to offer high end SEO services to their clients.

• The only company with 2 Local Search Ranking Factors participants. We know Local!

Who Is seOverflow?

• Status Of Tracking Local Search• Track Traffic From The 7 Pack• Other Local Search Tracking Techniques • The Future Of Tracking Local

Today’s Topics

Anatomy of a SERP

Universal Results

Pay Per ClickLocal 7 Pack

State Of Analytics For Local Search

What Sucks And What Doesn’t Suck …. Ok it mostly sucks

• Difficult to identify traffic from local ‘packs’• Search Engines telling you not to use tracking

numbers• Most true local conversions happen offline or

on the phone• Data in LBC Dashboard is incomplete

(keywords are pre-washed) and not exportable

• Most local analytics solutions are hacks• No great rank checkers for 7 pack

Current Road Blocks

Track Local ‘Pack’ Traffic

1. Use a 'local vanity' URL as your URL in your Google Local Business Center listing

2. Create a 'tracking' URL

3. Set up a redirect to 301 redirect your vanity URL to a real 'tracking' URL

4. Update your GA Snippet to allow # instead of ? to denote URL parameters (or use the canonical element)

5. Configure Advanced Segmentation in GA to view results

Track Local ‘Pack’ Traffic

Create Campaign URL

• redirect 301 /vanityurl http://www.yourdomain.com/#utm_source=google&utm_medium=localpack&utm_campaign=google-universal-local

Redirect Vanity URL To Campaign URL

• <script type=”text/javascript”>var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(”UA-XXXXXXXX-X”);pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._setAllowAnchor(true); pageTracker._trackPageview();</script>

• OR• <link rel="canonical"

href="http://www.yourdomain.com"/>

Eliminate Duplicate Content

GA: Create Advanced Segments1. From the Dashboard, click on the Advanced Segments link in the left column

2. Choose Create a new customized segment at the upper right of the next page.

3. Using the Dimensions drop down menu on the left, click on Traffic Sources and you'll get a list of things by which you can filter the segment, including Source, Medium and Campaign.

5. Set up three ‘AND’ rules in this advanced segment.

Rule #1 Source=google

Rule#2 Medium=localpack

Rule #3 Campaign=google-universal-search

GA: Create Advanced Segments

Create An Advanced Segment

Other Ways To Track Local Search

What Google LBC reports: – Impressions.– Visits to website. – Requests for more info on Local Listing page– Requests for driving directions and where

those requests originated (US only?)– Keyword terms used by searchers who saw

your listing (pre-washed).

Google LBC Reports

Google LBC Tracking Data

Local Search Conversions Are Not All About the Website

Google LBC Tracking Data

Show clients they are being found by their potential customers for terms they could never hope to rank for in Universal Search.

Keep an eye on changes in what and how Google is reporting in the

Maps Dashboard.

These are clues to what is important to Google and what it thinks is important to Local searchers.

Google LBC Tracking Data

• Phone call tracking• If you are selling a product add a ‘Buy In

Store’ option. (use discount code)• Add a ‘In Store Pick-up’ option• Coupons• In-store survey (simple as asking)• Simple assumptions based on sales

volume/local website traffic volume

Ideas For Tracking Offline Conversions

The Future Of Tracking Local Search

• Call tracking enabled for at least Google via Google Voice (they’ve done it before)

• A more seamless tie in of LBC report data in Google Analytics

• A good local ‘pack’ rank checking tool• Agency LBC analytics tools to dig deep

into a large amount of listings

My Wish List