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Transcript of Local Search Optimization - It's More Than Google Places Preview
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places
Copyright © 2011 by Eric Shanfelt
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical,
photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews
or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Requests for
permission can be submitted online at www.LocalSearchHandbook.com.
Limit of Liability / Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no
representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the
contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation
warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended
by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not
be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the
publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other
professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent
professional should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for
damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website if referred to in this
work as a citation and / or a potential source of further information does not mean that
the author or the publisher endorses the information provided by the Website or
organization. Further, readers should be aware that Websites listed in this work may
have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.
Trademarks: All trademarks are acknowledged as belonging to their respective
companies.
Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Shanfelt, Eric.
Local search optimization – it’s more than google places : a business owners guide
to getting customers from the search engines / by Eric Shanfelt.
p. cm.
ISBN: 1452898340
ISBN 13: 9781452898346
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010907932
CreateSpace, North Charleston, SC
Individual copies of this book may be purchased at www.LocalSearchHandbook.com.
Bulk quantities of this book in either print or digital format are available at special
quantity discounts for professional and local business associations, trade media / event
organizations, etc. Please contact the author at [email protected].
Contents Preface ........................................................................................................... vi
About the Author .......................................................................................... viii
Introduction to Local Search ........................................................................... 9
What Is Local Search? ...................................................................................... 10
How People Search for Local Businesses ......................................................... 12
The Search Engine Results Page (SERP) ........................................................... 13
Business Search, Maps, and Mobile ................................................................. 17
Constant Change .............................................................................................. 20
Local Search Fundamentals ........................................................................... 21
What Qualifies As a Listing? ............................................................................. 22
Professional Listings ......................................................................................... 23
How a Business Gets Listed .............................................................................. 25
The Local Search Optimization Process ........................................................... 27
SEO the Right Way ........................................................................................... 29
A Quick Assessment ......................................................................................... 30
Google Places ............................................................................................... 34
Anatomy of a Google Business Listing ............................................................. 35
Starting the Listing Process .............................................................................. 39
Basic Business Information .............................................................................. 41
Choosing Your Business Categories ................................................................. 46
Additional Business Information ...................................................................... 49
Photos and Videos ........................................................................................... 51
Custom Attributes ............................................................................................ 53
Validating Your Listing ...................................................................................... 54
Yahoo Local .................................................................................................. 57
Anatomy of a Yahoo Local Listing .................................................................... 58
Submitting Your Business ................................................................................. 62
Completing the Listing ..................................................................................... 66
Basic vs. Enhanced Listings .............................................................................. 69
Bing Local ..................................................................................................... 72
Anatomy of a Bing Local Listing ....................................................................... 73
Starting the Listing Process .............................................................................. 76
Business Details and Categories ....................................................................... 81
Mobile, Photos, and Additional Details ........................................................... 83
Verification ....................................................................................................... 85
Data Providers .............................................................................................. 88
What Data Providers Do .................................................................................. 89
Localeze ............................................................................................................ 91
Universal Business Listing ................................................................................ 92
InfoUSA ............................................................................................................ 93
Acxiom .............................................................................................................. 94
Other Important Sites ................................................................................... 96
Which Sites Are Important? ............................................................................. 97
Yellowpages ..................................................................................................... 98
Yelp ................................................................................................................... 99
Superpages ..................................................................................................... 100
Citysearch ....................................................................................................... 101
Insider Pages .................................................................................................. 102
Citations ...................................................................................................... 104
The Importance of Citations .......................................................................... 105
How to Develop Citations .............................................................................. 107
Competitive Citation Research ...................................................................... 111
Should You Pay for a Listing? ......................................................................... 112
Customer Reviews ....................................................................................... 115
The Importance of Customer Reviews ........................................................... 116
Top Customer Review Sites ............................................................................ 117
Responding to Reviews .................................................................................. 120
Positive Reviews ............................................................................................. 122
Negative Reviews ........................................................................................... 122
Fake Reviews .................................................................................................. 125
Soliciting Customer Reviews .......................................................................... 127
Optimizing Your Web Site ............................................................................ 131
Why Optimize Your Web Site ......................................................................... 132
Domain and Hosting Optimization ................................................................. 135
Website Optimization Guidelines .................................................................. 138
Location‐Specific Pages .................................................................................. 141
Helping Search Engines Find Your Site ........................................................... 147
Links to Your Site ............................................................................................ 149
Importance of Site Design .............................................................................. 153
Conclusion ................................................................................................... 155
Search Optimization Doesn’t Stop ................................................................. 155
Reputation Management Tools ..................................................................... 157
GetListed.org Local University ....................................................................... 158
Local Search Consultants ............................................................................... 158
The Next Steps ............................................................................................... 160
Appendix A: Free Local Search Tools ........................................................................ 161
Appendix B: Local Search Bloggers .......................................................................... 169
Appendix C: Local Search Ecosystem ........................................................................ 170
Appendix D: Google Ranking Factors ....................................................................... 171
Table of Figures ........................................................................................... 173
Index ........................................................................................................... 177
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places vi
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
PrefaceNearly 80% of U.S. consumers use the Internet to find a local business. It doesn’t
matter if you’re an accountant, lawyer, doctor, landscaper, or salon owner or
operate any other local business—your customers are looking online for a
business like yours right now. Will they find you?
Local search optimization helps ensure these potential customers will find you
whether they search from their desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and no
matter what site or service they happen to use.
I wrote this book for you, the local business operator, to demystify local search,
separate fact from fiction, and tell you in plain English what you really need to
do to generate business from Internet search engines.
Isn’t this information available for free on the web?
Much of the information in this book is indeed available for free on the
web, but it is scattered over hundreds of different websites,
disorganized, and written in industry jargon rather than plain English.
The Internet also presents a wide variety of opinions—some of which
can actually get your business into big trouble.
Shouldn’t I just hire a local search consultant?
I’m a big fan of local search consultants. The good ones can do
everything in this book and more—and can cost thousands of dollars
every year. But even if you do outsource your local search optimization,
this book will help you understand what your consultant should do for
you and give you the framework to select the right professional at the
right price.
All I need to do is claim my listing on Google Places, right?
This is a good start, but Google accounts for only 41% of local searches.
You need to ensure your business is properly optimized for the other
59% of local searches and that your Google Places listing itself is
optimized for the best results.
What if my business doesn’t have a website?
Having your own website certainly helps, but even if you don’t have
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places vii
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
one, there is plenty you can do to optimize your business for local
search and be found by potential customers.
I already have a great website. What more do I need?
Many businesses have websites that don’t show up well, or even at all,
when people search. The best website in the world won’t help you if
people can’t find it, and creating a website is only a small step toward
truly optimizing your business for local search.
What if my business already shows up in the search engines?
That’s great! But are you sure you’re showing up in all the ways
potential customers might search for you? And is your position in the
search results safe once similar businesses start competing with you
online too?
Do I have to become a search engine expert?
No, but you at least need to understand how search engines work and
what you can easily do yourself to get more customers. This book will
show you—in plain English, not jargon.
What if I don’t have the time to do this?
The fundamentals outlined in this guide can be done with minimal time
commitment, and you don’t have to do everything at once. But even if
you don’t want to do all the work yourself, you can’t afford not to
understand the information in this book.
This book is not about running after every search engine trick and rumor or
trying to “game” the system and cheat your way to the top. It’s about doing the
fundamentals of local search optimization well and getting more customers as a
result. As you read this book and have comments or ideas, please contact me at
www.LocalSearchHandbook.com. I constantly post local search tips and answer
reader questions on a regular basis. I wish you all the best as you grow your
business by optimizing it for local search!
Eric Shanfelt
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places viii
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
AbouttheAuthorEric Shanfelt began his career in
online media nearly twenty years ago.
He has worked at interactive ad
agencies and held executive positions
at several consumer and business
media companies including Penton,
Virgo, Interweave, and Thomas
Nelson. He has served as a consultant
for the past several years helping
dozens of media companies grow
their online businesses.
Many of the companies Eric works
with produce magazines and trade
shows for small business owners.
These companies often ask Eric to
write articles or speak at conferences to help their small‐business‐owner
readers with online marketing—especially optimizing their businesses for local
search.
Eric has a passion for teaching businesses how to use the Internet to grow
revenues and get new customers. He emphasizes simple, practical techniques
and has a unique ability to demystify technology and explain it in plain English.
Eric resides in Colorado and is a private pilot/general aviation enthusiast and an
avid proponent of adoption and orphan care.
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 9
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
IntroductiontoLocalSearchBefore we begin the process of optimizing your business for local search, it
helps to understand exactly what local search really is, how it works, and how
we’ll go about the process of getting more customers through the search
engines.
What Is Local Search?
How People Search for Local Businesses
The Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
Business Search, Maps, and Mobile
Constant Change
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 10
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
WhatIsLocalSearch?Nearly all of us have used Google or another search engine to look up
something of interest, personally or professionally. American idol results,
symptoms of swine flu, and network security tips are examples of typical
searches.
Increasingly, consumers and other small businesses also use search engines and
online directories to find businesses in specific geographic locations. When a
person looks online for a local business like pediatricians in atlanta or virginia
beach appliance repair, this is local search.
Local search is critically important to your business. Increasingly, it is how new
customers discover your business and how you keep your business in front of
existing customers. The first place most of today’s consumers and small
businesses look to find a local business is an Internet search engine or directory.
79% of U.S. consumers use the Internet to find local businesses.1
82% of those say they use search engines to find local companies.2
23% fewer people use the Yellow Pages vs. two years ago.2
25% fewer people use local newspapers vs. two years ago.2
The three most important search engines are Google, Bing (Microsoft), and
Yahoo. Together, they account for over 95% of all searches in the United States.3
1. BrightLocal Consumer Review Survey (November 2010)
2. Nielsen and Webvisible research via Marketing Charts (January 2009)
3. comScore Explicit Core Search Report, Total U.S. Home/Work/University Locations (May 2011)
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 11
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Figure 1 ‐ Search Engine Market Share
In the summer of 2009, Microsoft and Yahoo announced a ten‐year partnership
where Bing (owned by Microsoft) would drive all of Yahoo’s search results. This
integration has already begun, and the new partnership means Bing/Yahoo now
powers nearly 30% of all Internet searches.
But the major search engines are not the only place where people look online
for local businesses. They also use Internet yellow page directories (IYPs),
mapping sites, city guides, and customer review sites. In addition, consumers
search for businesses on computers and laptops, in‐car GPS units, and,
increasingly, on mobile devices. And many people now use popular social media
applications like Facebook and Foursquare to “check in” to local businesses.
Figure 2 – Local Search Market Share
Google65.5%
Yahoo15.9%
Bing14.1%
Other4.5%
Google41%
Bing11%
Yahoo10%
Yellowpages9%
Superpages9%
Yellowbook9%
Other8%
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 12
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
You can see that Google accounts for 41% of all local business searches.4 With
59% of all local searches done elsewhere, you cannot focus on Google alone
when optimizing your business for local search.
Your job as a local business owner is to ensure that your business appears in all
of these places and that your business information is correct and complete so
that it appears high up in the search results when consumers search for a
business like yours in your geographic area.
HowPeopleSearchforLocalBusinessesWhen a person looks for a local business on a search engine, they typically ask
two questions: what and where. Here are some examples of what people enter
into a search engine when looking for a local business:
cleveland self storage
tanning salons in portland oregon
scottsdale landscaping
chinese restaurants near nashville
albuquerque insurance agents
Notice the variety in the way people search. They may put the “what” before
the “where,” may or may not include the state name or abbreviation, and may
be general in their search (restaurants) or more specific (chinese restaurants or
even dim sum). The user may even use local colloquialisms to identify the
“where” in their search:
daycare in philly
bay area churches
denver tech center hotels
In these examples, philly, bay area, and denver tech center are not actual city
names but terms that locals use. The good news is that the search engines have
become pretty intelligent about figuring out what a person intended, and they
are constantly making adjustments to make search results even more relevant.
4. TMP / comScore Local Search Usage Study (October 2010)
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 13
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
TheSearchEngineResultsPage(SERP)When someone does a search, the results are displayed in a Search Engine
Results Page, or SERP for short. Each site has its own way of displaying search
results, but all have three distinct types of results:
Sponsored results: These are paid ads that businesses purchase to show
up when someone searches for specific terms or specific geographic
locations, typically located at the top right side of the SERPs. Paid search
engine advertising is a different marketing discipline from local search
optimization and will not be covered in this book.
Local business results: These are pulled from a search engine’s local
business directory. A map of the local area is also typically displayed
with the results or close to them on the SERP. Local business results are
usually located below paid ads and either above or mixed in with web
search results.
Web search results: Also called “organic search results,” these are
pages around the web that closely match what was searched for.
When you search from the Bing and Yahoo home pages, local business results
and web search results are displayed in separate sections. Google handles
things a bit differently. Depending on what search term the user enters, Google
will sometimes separate local business and web search results and at other
times will blend them together.
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 14
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Figure 3 ‐ Bing Primary Search Results Page
Figure 4 ‐ Yahoo Primary Search Results Page
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 15
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Figure 5 ‐ Google Primary SERP (Separated Business / Web Results)
Figure 6 ‐ Google Primary SERP (Blended Business / Web Results)
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 16
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Of course, Google, Bing, and Yahoo aren’t the only sites with local business
search results. Internet yellow page directories, city guides, and other sites that
feature local businesses also have their own search results pages (SERPs).
Figure 7‐ Superpages Search Results Page
Figure 8 ‐ Citysearch Search Results Page
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 17
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
BusinessSearch,Maps,andMobileIn addition to the primary search results pages, Google, Yahoo, Bing, and many
other search sites have several other ways people can search for local
businesses including:
Specific local business search pages
Map search pages
Primary, local business, and map search optimized for mobile devices
iPhone, Droid, and BlackBerry applications that users can download
Don’t let all of these variations overwhelm you. If you optimize your business
for the primary Google, Yahoo, and Bing search results, your business will
automatically be optimized in their maps, mobile websites, and mobile
applications as well.
Local business search pages remove web search results and focus the SERP only
on local business listings. These often look like map search results pages, but are
actually different pages.
Figure 9 ‐ Google Places Search Results Page
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 18
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Figure 10 ‐ Bing Local Search Results Page
The major search engines also have dedicated map search pages, which are
organized a bit differently. Another popular dedicated map site, MapQuest, also
offers business searches.
Figure 11 ‐ Google Maps Search Results Page
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 19
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Figure 12 ‐ MapQuest Search Results Page
Of course, with the proliferation of smartphones, people increasingly are
searching for local businesses right from their iPhone, Droid, BlackBerry, or
other web‐enabled device instead of using their desktop computer.
To address this, Google, Yahoo, and Bing—as well as most other local business
search sites—offer websites that are optimized for display on mobile devices. As
with their full‐size desktop cousins, these mobile search sites display a
combination of sponsored, local business, and web search results.
Figure 13 – iPhone Versions of Google, Bing, and Yahoo
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 20
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Search engines also offer native applications for iPhone, Droid, and BlackBerry
that people can download to their phones to make it even easier to search for
local businesses.
Figure 14 – BlackBerry Google Maps Application
ConstantChangeIt’s important to be aware that local search is constantly changing:
Search sites continually change search, results, and business listing page
designs to improve the user experience. This happens on their “full size”
websites, mobile‐optimized websites, and smartphone apps.
Search sites (especially Google) often change which businesses to
display to end users and in what order. They do this to improve results
for users and to combat people who try to abuse the system.
Search sites occasionally update how businesses claim, set up, and
update their business information to make it easier for business owners,
more secure for business owners and to provide additional information
to people searching for businesses.
In just the time that I’ve been writing this book, there have been several major
changes to the local search landscape that have caused me to go back and
rewrite sections of the book. There already may be some changes from the time
this book was published!
However, despite changes that may happen to specific page designs or
processes to submit and update your information, the fundamentals of local
search remain the same. Follow the process outlined in this book, and you will
generate more customers from the search engines.
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 173
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
TableofFiguresFigure 1 ‐ Search Engine Market Share ................................................................ 11
Figure 2 – Local Search Market Share .................................................................. 11
Figure 3 ‐ Bing Primary Search Results Page ........................................................ 14
Figure 4 ‐ Yahoo Primary Search Results Page ..................................................... 14
Figure 5 ‐ Google Primary SERP (Separated Business / Web Results) ................. 15
Figure 6 ‐ Google Primary SERP (Blended Business / Web Results) .................... 15
Figure 7‐ Superpages Search Results Page .......................................................... 16
Figure 8 ‐ Citysearch Search Results Page ............................................................ 16
Figure 9 ‐ Google Places Search Results Page ...................................................... 17
Figure 10 ‐ Bing Local Search Results Page .......................................................... 18
Figure 11 ‐ Google Maps Search Results Page ..................................................... 18
Figure 12 ‐ MapQuest Search Results Page ......................................................... 19
Figure 13 – iPhone Versions of Google, Bing, and Yahoo .................................... 19
Figure 14 – BlackBerry Google Maps Application ................................................ 20
Figure 15 ‐ Professional Listings on Google ......................................................... 24
Figure 16 ‐ Business Listing Information Sources ................................................ 25
Figure 17 ‐ The Local SEO Process ........................................................................ 28
Figure 18 – GetListed.org Listing Snapshot .......................................................... 31
Figure 19 – GetListed.org Local Business Listing Overview ................................. 32
Figure 20 ‐ GetListed.org Google Listing Detail .................................................... 33
Figure 21 – Google Blended SERP for Japanese Restaurant ................................ 35
Figure 22 ‐ Google 7‐Pack SERP for Japanese Restaurant ................................... 36
Figure 23 – The Fort Restaurant Place Page ........................................................ 37
Figure 24 ‐ Google Places Home .......................................................................... 40
Figure 25 ‐ Enter Country and Phone in Google Places ....................................... 41
Figure 26 ‐ Edit or Add Listing in Google Places ................................................... 41
Figure 27 ‐ Entering Basic Business Information in Google Places ...................... 42
Figure 28 – Mike Blumenthal's Google Business Category Preview Tool ............ 48
Figure 29 ‐ Entering Business Categories in Google Places .................................. 49
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 174
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Figure 30 – Entering Additional Business Information in Google Places ............. 49
Figure 31 ‐ Service Areas in Google Places .......................................................... 50
Figure 32 – Adding Photos and Videos in Google Places ..................................... 52
Figure 33 – Custom Attributes on Google Places ................................................ 54
Figure 34 ‐ Validate Your Listing on Google Places .............................................. 55
Figure 35 ‐ Enter PIN to Validate Listing .............................................................. 56
Figure 36 ‐ Yahoo SERP for Golf Courses in New York, NY ................................... 58
Figure 37 ‐ Yahoo Local SERP for Golf Courses in New York, NY ......................... 59
Figure 38 ‐ Yahoo Local Mini‐Listing .................................................................... 59
Figure 39 ‐ Yahoo Local Full Business Listing ....................................................... 60
Figure 40 – Yahoo Local Sign Up .......................................................................... 62
Figure 41 ‐ Yahoo Local Submission Form ........................................................... 63
Figure 42 ‐ Yahoo Local Submission Form (Continued) ....................................... 64
Figure 43 ‐ Yahoo Local Edit Listing or Add Listing ............................................... 65
Figure 44 ‐ Yahoo Local Categories ...................................................................... 66
Figure 45 ‐ Yahoo Local Preview .......................................................................... 67
Figure 46 ‐ Yahoo Local Verification and Terms of Service .................................. 68
Figure 47 ‐ Yahoo Local Listing Thank You ........................................................... 69
Figure 48 ‐ Yahoo Enhanced Listing Promotion ................................................... 70
Figure 49 ‐ Local Search Results on Bing.com ...................................................... 73
Figure 50 ‐ Local Search Result on Bing Maps ..................................................... 74
Figure 51 ‐ Search Results on Bing Local .............................................................. 74
Figure 52 ‐ Bing Local Business Listing ................................................................. 75
Figure 53 – Bing Business Portal Home Page ....................................................... 77
Figure 54 ‐ Check If Listing Exists on Bing ............................................................ 77
Figure 55 – Enter Security Characters to Proceed with Bing Sign Up .................. 78
Figure 56 ‐ Sign in to Bing or Sign up for a New Account .................................... 79
Figure 57 ‐ Bing Business Portal ........................................................................... 80
Figure 58 ‐ Bing Business Portal ........................................................................... 80
Figure 59 ‐ Enter Business Details on Bing ........................................................... 81
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 175
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Figure 60 ‐ Business Profile (Additional Categories) in Bing ................................ 82
Figure 61 ‐ Mobile Site Creation on Bing ............................................................. 84
Figure 62 ‐ Adding Photos on Bing ....................................................................... 84
Figure 63 ‐ More Business Details on Bing ........................................................... 85
Figure 64‐ Verification Options for a Bing Listing ................................................ 86
Figure 65 – How Business Data Flows Throughout Local Search ......................... 90
Figure 66 ‐ Localeze Home Page .......................................................................... 91
Figure 67 ‐ Universal Business Listing Packages .................................................. 92
Figure 68 ‐ ExpressUpdate by InfoUSA ................................................................ 94
Figure 69 ‐ MyBusinessListingManager by Acxiom .............................................. 95
Figure 70 ‐ Unique Visitors per Month for Local Search Sites ............................. 97
Figure 71 – Claim Your Listing with AT&T Yellowpages ....................................... 98
Figure 72 ‐ Claiming Your Listing with Yelp .......................................................... 99
Figure 73 ‐ Claim Your Listing with SuperMedia Superpages ............................ 100
Figure 74 ‐ Claim Your Listing with CityGrid Media Citysearch .......................... 101
Figure 75 ‐ Claiming Your Listing with Insider Pages ......................................... 102
Figure 76 ‐ Citations on a Google Places Business Listing .................................. 106
Figure 77 ‐ Better Business Bureau Citations ..................................................... 108
Figure 78 – Loveland Colorado Chamber of Commerce Business Directory ..... 109
Figure 79 ‐ Tucson Arizona Visitors Guide ......................................................... 110
Figure 80 ‐ Lawyer.com Vertical Industry Directory .......................................... 111
Figure 81 ‐ Citation Research on Google ........................................................... 112
Figure 82 – Customer Reviews on a Google Places Listing ................................ 116
Figure 83 ‐ Percentage of Yelp Reviews by Rating ............................................. 121
Figure 84 ‐ Yelp Example of a Good Reply to a Negative Customer Review ..... 125
Figure 85 – Example of a Web Page Linking to Major Review Sites .................. 128
Figure 86 ‐ Link to Reviews Page on Home Page of Web Site ........................... 128
Figure 87 ‐ Back of Business Card Soliciting Reviews ......................................... 129
Figure 88 ‐ Web Search Results Are Different from Local Business Results ...... 132
Figure 89 ‐ Highlands School Home Page .......................................................... 133
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 176
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Figure 90 ‐ Programming Code behind the Highland School Home Page ......... 134
Figure 91 ‐ Public versus Private Registration on GoDaddy ............................... 137
Figure 92 ‐ Example of a Good 404 Page ........................................................... 139
Figure 93 – Link from Google Places to Location‐Specific Page on Web Site .... 142
Figure 94 – Extra Space Location‐Specific Page ................................................. 143
Figure 95 ‐ Search Engine Sitemap Validated by Google Webmaster Tools ...... 148
Figure 96 ‐ Check Inbound Links on Open Site Explorer .................................... 150
Figure 97 ‐ Compare Two Sites on Open Site Explorer ...................................... 151
Figure 98 ‐ Denver Self Storage Web Site .......................................................... 154
Figure 99 ‐ Local Search Optimization Process .................................................. 155
Figure 100 ‐ Marchex Reputation Management Dashboard ............................. 158
Figure 101 ‐ Creating a Google Account ............................................................ 162
Figure 102 ‐ Google Analytics ............................................................................ 163
Figure 103 ‐ Google Webmaster Tools .............................................................. 164
Figure 104 ‐ Creating a Windows Live ID ........................................................... 165
Figure 105 ‐ Your Own E‐mail Address for Windows Live ID ............................. 165
Figure 106 ‐ Creating a Yahoo Account .............................................................. 166
Figure 107 ‐ GetListed.org .................................................................................. 167
Figure 108 ‐ Open Site Explorer by SEOMoz ...................................................... 168
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 177
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Index301 Redirects. See Redirects
404 Pages, 139
Acxiom, 92, 94
Adobe Flash, 140
Angie's List, 97
Anti‐SLAPP Laws, 124, 126
AT&T. See Yellowpages
Backlinks, 149
Best of the Web, 97
Better Business Bureau (BBB), 107
Bing. See Microsoft Bing
Black Hat, 29
Blacklisting. See Suspended Account
Blumenthal, Mike, 48, 169
Business Descriptions, 46
Business Name, 42, 63, 81
Categories, 46, 65, 81
Chambers of Commerce, 108
Chatmeter, 157
Citations, 28, 76, 104
CityGrid Media, 102, 119
Citysearch, 101, 118
Claiming, 25, 32
Cloaking, 135
Crawling, 147
Custom Attributes, 53
Customer Reviews, 28, 32, 115
Fake Reviews, 125
How to Respond, 120
Negative Reviews, 122
Positive Reviews, 122
Soliciting Reviews, 127
Data Providers, 25, 89
DexKnows, 97, 120
Domains, 135
Domain Registrars, 136
Private Registration, 136
Email Addresses, 44, 63, 81
Facebook, 54, 81, 152, 157
Federal Trade Commission, 126
Flash. See Adobe Flash
Foursquare, 159
Frames, 140
FTC. See Federal Trade Commission
GetListed.org, 30, 158, 166, 170
Google, 10, 31
7‐Pack Search Results Page, 36
Blended Search Results, 35, 132
Google Account, 161
Google Analytics, 162
Google Maps, 144
Google Places, 34
Webmaster Tools, 148, 163
Gowalla, 159
Groupon, 159
H1 Tag, 144
Hijacking, 26
Hours of Operation, 50, 65, 85
HTML Code, 133, 139
Hyper‐Local Web Sites, 106
iFrames, 140
Industry Directories, 110
InfoUSA, 92, 93
Insider Pages, 102
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 178
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Internet Yellow Pages, 25
IYP. See Internet Yellow Pages
Javascript, 138, 140, 141
Judy's Book, 97
Kudzu, 119
Large Organizations, 22
Links, Inbound. See Backlinks
LivingSocial, 159
Local Business Results, 13
Local Search, 10
Local Search Optimization, 21
Localeze, 91
Map Locations, Fixing, 46
Maps, 17
Marchex, 157
MerchantCircle, 97, 119
Meta Tags, 145
Microdata. See Microtags
Microsoft, 10
Bing Local, 72
Bing Webmaster Tools, 148
Microsoft Bing, 10, 31
Microsoft Windows Live ID, 165
Microtags, 145
Mihm, David, 30, 166, 169, 171
Multimedia, 32
Multiple Locations, 22, 141
MyRepMan, 158
NAP (Name, Address, Phone), 41
Nofollow Tags, 153
Off‐Site Businesses, 22
Open Site Explorer. See SEOMoz
Organic Search Results. See Web Search Results
Page Title, 143
Paid Listings, 69, 112
Paid Results. See Search Engine Advertising
Payment Methods, 50, 65
Payment Types, 85
Permalink, 143
Permalinks, 138
Phone Numbers, 44, 63, 81
Toll‐Free, 44, 63, 81
Tracking, 63, 81
Photos, 52, 84, See Multimedia
Professional Listings, 23
RDFa. See Microtags
Real Estate, 23
Redirects, 138, 141, 153
Reputation Management, 157
Reviews. See Customer Reviews, See Customer Reviews
Rich Snippets. See Microtags
Search Engine Advertising, 13
Search Engine Optimization. See Local Search Optimization
Search Engine Results Page, 13
Search Engine Sitemaps, 147
SEO. See Local Search Optimization
SEOMoz, 167
Open Site Explorer, 149, 168
SEOMoz Toolbar, 168
SERP. See Search Engine Results Page
Service Areas, 50
Sexton, Patrick, 30, 166
Sitemaps. See Search Engine Sitemaps
Local Search Optimization: It’s More than Google Places 179
Copyright © 2011, Eric Shanfelt. All Rights Reserved www.LocalSearchHandbook.com
Specialized Services, 23
Sponsored Results. See Search Engine Advertising
Street Address, 43, 81
Normalization, 43
Style Sheets, 140
SuperMedia. See Superpages
Superpages, 100
Suspended Account, 29
Toll‐Free Phone Numbers, 144
Twitter, 54, 81, 152, 157
UGC. See User Generated Content
Universal Business Listing, 24, 92
Uptime, 138
User Generated Content, 25
vCards. See Microtags
Videos, 53, See Multimedia
Web Search Results, 13
Web Site Addresses, 45, 63, 81
Web Site Hosting, 137
Web Site Navigation
Breadcrumb, 144
Web Site Optimization, 29
White Hat, 29
Windows Live ID. See Microsoft Windows Live ID
XML, 147
Yahoo, 10, 31, 118
Account, 166
Yahoo Local, 57
Yellow Book, 97
Yellowpages, 98
Yelp, 99, 118, 120
Yext, 157
YouTube, 53, 54, 152, 161
YP.com. See Yellowpages