Mary Bowling Searchfest Local Search Presentation

OptimizingOptimizing for for

Local Search Local Search SuccessSuccess

byby Mary BowlingMary BowlingseOverflow.comseOverflow.com

seOverflow.comseOverflow.com Cost-effective help you can count on for:Cost-effective help you can count on for:

Web Designers/Developers In-House Marketers Web Designers/Developers In-House Marketers

SEOs and SEMs Businesses Marketing AgenciesSEOs and SEMs Businesses Marketing Agencies

MaryBowling.com SEOverflow.com

We’ll Talk About…We’ll Talk About…

►Challenges for Local BusinessesChallenges for Local Businesses

►On-Page Optimization On-Page Optimization

►Optimizing Your Business Listings Optimizing Your Business Listings

►The Impact of Reviews on Local The Impact of Reviews on Local SearchSearch


Local Business Local Business Challenges:Challenges:

Optimizing for Local Search is differentOptimizing for Local Search is differentYou need to:You need to:►Rank well in Rank well in Universal SearchUniversal Search►Rank well in the Rank well in the Local 10 PackLocal 10 Pack►Rank well in Rank well in Local Search EnginesLocal Search Engines►Be in the Be in the Internet Yellow PagesInternet Yellow Pages►Be on Be on Local/Social web sitesLocal/Social web sites►Be in Be in vertical directories vertical directories for your for your

industry and locationindustry and location


Local Business Local Business Challenges:Challenges:

To be present wherever potential To be present wherever potential customers are looking for youcustomers are looking for you


Universal Search

Secondary Local Search Engines

Local 10 pack - GoogleLocal 3 Pack – Yahoo!

Major Local Search Engines

Local/Social Sites

Internet Yellow Pages

Local Directories

IndustryDirectories

Niche Search Engines

On Page OptimizationOn Page Optimizationfor both Universal Search and Local for both Universal Search and Local

SearchSearch

►Build relevance and trust in your Build relevance and trust in your location+keywordslocation+keywords

►Do all the usual things when Do all the usual things when optimizing - title, description, h optimizing - title, description, h tags, content, good internal linking, tags, content, good internal linking, etc – but with a geographic slantetc – but with a geographic slant

►Use hcard format for location info Use hcard format for location info on pageson pages


On Page OptimizationOn Page Optimizationfor multiple locations for multiple locations

►Create a separate page for each Create a separate page for each locationlocation

►Use local info on each of these pagesUse local info on each of these pages►Link internally to location pages, using Link internally to location pages, using

the right link textthe right link text►Use other terms on the page that will Use other terms on the page that will

help the Search Engines understand help the Search Engines understand where you are: street intersections, where you are: street intersections, highway exits, what’s nearby, highway exits, what’s nearby, nicknames for neighborhoods, etc.nicknames for neighborhoods, etc.


What’s Wrong with This What’s Wrong with This Page?Page?


TIP: Give Your Biz a TIP: Give Your Biz a TaglineTagline

If your business name doesn’t make If your business name doesn’t make it it veryvery clear where you are and clear where you are and what you do, then use a what you do, then use a tagline tagline to to communicate that information to communicate that information to both humans and Search Engine both humans and Search Engine spiders.spiders.


Standardization Builds Standardization Builds TrustTrust

standardize your information across the standardize your information across the webweb

►Use the same name, address and Use the same name, address and phone numbers everywhere online and phone numbers everywhere online and offlineoffline

►Go to the sources of business data and Go to the sources of business data and standardize there (see standardize there (see ResourcesResources))

►Use a local database directoryUse a local database directory►Check out Check out UniversalBusinessListing.org UniversalBusinessListing.org

and and GetListed.orgGetListed.org


Optimize Your Biz ListingsOptimize Your Biz Listingsto help them rankto help them rank

►Use your main keyword phrase Use your main keyword phrase and complementary terms in and complementary terms in your profile descriptionsyour profile descriptions

►Grab the long tail by including:Grab the long tail by including:

Your products and servicesYour products and services

The brands you carryThe brands you carry

The locations you serveThe locations you serve


Optimize Your Biz ListingsOptimize Your Biz Listingsto help them rankto help them rank

►Choose – or create – the right Choose – or create – the right categoriescategories

►Give your listing attributesGive your listing attributes


Optimize Your Biz ListingsOptimize Your Biz Listingsto attract customersto attract customers

►Enhance your listings to attract Enhance your listings to attract attention, answer questions and build attention, answer questions and build trusttrust

►Use photos, videos, reviews, coupons, Use photos, videos, reviews, coupons, experience, certifications, experience, certifications, memberships, education, awards, memberships, education, awards, languages spoken, etc, etc, etclanguages spoken, etc, etc, etc

►Learn from your competitors and from Learn from your competitors and from those in your niche in other locationsthose in your niche in other locations


Create CitationsCreate Citationswhat are they?what are they?

Citations, aka Citations, aka web web references, references, are are web pages that web pages that cite or mention cite or mention your business or your business or web site. web site.

They do not have They do not have to contain a link!to contain a link!


Create CitationsCreate Citationswhy you need more citationswhy you need more citations

►They’re important in building They’re important in building Google’s trust in the Google’s trust in the information they have about information they have about youyou

►They can drive targeted traffic They can drive targeted traffic to your businessto your business

►Citations are easier to get Citations are easier to get than linksthan links


The Impact of ReviewsThe Impact of ReviewsReviews + Local Search = perfect Reviews + Local Search = perfect

match.match.Reviews are exactly what people want!Reviews are exactly what people want!““Online reviews are second only to personal advice from a friend as Online reviews are second only to personal advice from a friend as

the driver of purchase decisions; the driver of purchase decisions; user reviews are more user reviews are more influentialinfluential than third-party reviews. ("Web users and web than third-party reviews. ("Web users and web community," Rubicon Consulting, Inc. October 2008)” community," Rubicon Consulting, Inc. October 2008)”

““81% of online 81% of online holiday shoppers read online customer reviewsholiday shoppers read online customer reviews (Nielson Online, December 2008)” (Nielson Online, December 2008)”

““86% of consumers read online business reviews 86% of consumers read online business reviews beforebefore making making purchasing decisions; 90% of whom say they purchasing decisions; 90% of whom say they trusttrust these reviews. these reviews. (Kudzu.com survey of 600 users, December 2008)”(Kudzu.com survey of 600 users, December 2008)”

““The Trust in Advertising survey of 26,000+ found that Consumer The Trust in Advertising survey of 26,000+ found that Consumer Recommendations are the Recommendations are the most credible form of advertisingmost credible form of advertising. . ("Social Media Marketing: The Right Strategy for Tough Economic ("Social Media Marketing: The Right Strategy for Tough Economic Times" Awareness, 2008)”Times" Awareness, 2008)”

Statistics from Statistics from BazaarVoice.com BazaarVoice.com See more at See more at http://www.bazaarvoice.com/industryStats.htmlhttp://www.bazaarvoice.com/industryStats.html


The Impact of ReviewsThe Impact of ReviewsRatings and reviews influence rankings Ratings and reviews influence rankings

►Ratings enter into the algorithm on Ratings enter into the algorithm on some sites, like Yahoo!Localsome sites, like Yahoo!Local

►Highly rated items can rise to the Highly rated items can rise to the top on some sites and poorly rated top on some sites and poorly rated ones are rarely seen.ones are rarely seen.

►Users can sort their results by Users can sort their results by ratings on some sites, creating ratings on some sites, creating their own personalized rankingstheir own personalized rankings


The Impact of ReviewsThe Impact of ReviewsRatings can influence personalized Ratings can influence personalized

rankings rankings


The Impact of ReviewsThe Impact of ReviewsRatings and reviews influence CTRRatings and reviews influence CTR

►Who wants to do business with bad Who wants to do business with bad businesses?businesses?

►Users can sort their results by ratings, so Users can sort their results by ratings, so they may never see youthey may never see you

►Highly rated items can rise to the top on Highly rated items can rise to the top on some sites and poorly rated ones are some sites and poorly rated ones are rarely seen.rarely seen.


TIP: Ask for ReviewsTIP: Ask for Reviewsbut only from happy customersbut only from happy customers

►Have a plan in place Have a plan in place ►Use surveys and follow-up Use surveys and follow-up

emails emails ►Bribe people to submit reviewsBribe people to submit reviews►Send reviews to a variety of Send reviews to a variety of

web sitesweb sites


TIP: Get Local LinksTIP: Get Local Links►The right incoming links can help The right incoming links can help

with with location trustlocation trust. . ►Look for links from local authority Look for links from local authority

sites.sites.►Look for links from sites that rank for Look for links from sites that rank for

what you want to rank for. what you want to rank for. ►Use existing relationships to get Use existing relationships to get

local links.local links.


ResourcesResources►SES Training in Local Search-DenverSES Training in Local Search-Denverhttp://http://www.searchenginestrategies.com/training/denverwww.searchenginestrategies.com/training/denver//

#local#local

►Local Search Engine Marketing Local Search Engine Marketing Manual Manual http://www.blizzardinternet.com/whitepapers/local-http://www.blizzardinternet.com/whitepapers/local-search-engine-optimization-white-paper/search-engine-optimization-white-paper/

►Optimized! Optimized! http://www.marybowling.com http://www.marybowling.com

►Local Search Column at ClickZ Local Search Column at ClickZ http://www.clickz.com/3630485 http://www.clickz.com/3630485

►Email: Email: [email protected]@comcast.net

►Phone: Phone: (970) 309 7840(970) 309 7840MaryBowling.com SEOverflow.com

ResourcesResources


Updated White Paper:

SEO for Wordpress Blogs A Non-Techie’s Guide

available at Optimized!http://www.marybowling.com

Mary Bowling Searchfest Local Search Presentation

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Transcript of Mary Bowling Searchfest Local Search Presentation