Search Engine Optimizationfor Local Search
Mary Bowlingwww.IgnitorDigital.com
http://localu.org/
For Local Businesses
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
SEO is:Making it easy as possible
for people to find information about your
business online
To Achieve That
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Create and improve YOUR WEBSITE
so that it will rank highly on the Search Engine Results
Pages (SERPs) to help potential customers find it
To Achieve That
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Create and improve YOUR LISTINGS
on other sites to help potential customers find information about your
business
What the Search Engines Want
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
To provide the most
USEFUL ANSWERSfor every search
What the Search Engines Want
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
To model the real world
by rewarding BRAND PROMINENCE within a market area
SEO Helps You Rank
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
PAID ADS
LOCAL MAP PAIDADS
LOCALIZED ORGANICRESULTS
LOCAL PACK
Localized Organic Results
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Results from local business websites
The SEO Process
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
• Pick the right keyword phrases• Create high quality pages on your website
all about those terms• Appropriately implement the keyword
phrases in the content of your web pages• Link between your own pages• Gain links and listings on other websites• Eliminate technical problems
The Algorithm
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(Google’s ranking formula)
For Localized Organic Rankings
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Quality of links pointing to your
pages from OTHER sites
Crawlability and usefulness of
content on YOUR site
Google Knows Where You Are
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It searches your DETECTEDlocationunless you tell it to search somewhere else
Usefulness = Relative Location
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Distance from the SEARCHER is key
Have Realistic Expectations
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Concentrate on ranking in the results
of the people who have the most
potential to become YOUR CUSTOMERS
Usefulness = Keywords in
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
HTML titles and headline tags we place on our web pages:HTML page titles appear in the SERPS
Headline tags (aka h tags) appear on the web page
Usefulness = Keywords in
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
The text content we place on our pages
Relevance = Keywords in
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The text in the links that point to our web pages
A link tells Search Engines and humans what the page it points to is about
On-Page Optimization
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
(What we put on our own pages)
Start with Keywords
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
We have total control over what we put on our own pages
Which Keywords?
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Don’t Just Guess
Keyword research = foundation of SEOIt enables you to learn:
• Which topics and terms?• How many searches?• How hard to rank?
What Makes a Good Keyword?
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Is someone searching for that term likely to turn into a customer?
That’s a term to optimize for!
Keyword Research:Brainstorm
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Record all the terms you can think of that people
would use to find a BUSINESS LIKE YOURS
KW Research:Find Related Terms
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KW Research:Use Ubersuggest
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http://ubersuggest.org/
KW Research:Use Google Trends
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Research keywords by location
https://www.google.com/trends/
https://support.google.com/trends/?hl=en#topic=6248052
KW Research:Pare Down Your List
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Concentrate on terms that closely describe
what you DO or SELL
KW Research:Get Volume
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Use Google Keyword Planner to learn search volume and relative competitiveness
https://adwords.google.com/ko/KeywordPlanner/Home
https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2999770
Match Terms to Pages
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Optimize HOME PAGE for top 2-3 terms
Optimize other pages for 2-3 CLOSELY RELATED terms
Create NEW PAGES, where needed
Where to Use Keywords
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Use chosen keywords in the important TEXT areas of your pages:
•HTML Page Titles*•URLs•H1, H2 (headlines and subheads)•Text-based content•Navigation links•Other internal link text•Image file names, alt tags and captions
*Page Title = Keyword + Location + Business Name
Don’t Over-Optimize
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
WRITE NATURALLY about the topic
Include PLENTY OF CONTENT
Google will understand what the page is about
HTML Page title
URL
H1 headline
Content
Image
Navigation Links
H2 subheadlines
Optimize Search Results
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
When a page appears in the SERPs, people usually see:
HTML Page title
URL
HTML metadescription
Page title + Meta description + URL = “FREE AD”
Make Your Ads Enticing
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Focus on the searcher, who’s thinking:•What’s in it for me?•What problem can this help me solve? •Why should I go to this page instead of another?
Include:CALL TO ACTION : call today, get a free quote, get help, learn how, sign up, make an appointment
PHONE NUMBER near the beginning of the metadescription.
LOCATION either in title or metadescription
Check Your Ads!
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
http://www.seomofo.com/snippet-optimizer.html
Google SERP Optimization Tool
Local Tips for Your Web Site
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Make Location Unmistakable
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Business name, full street address and local phone number on all pages in TEXT formUse www.schema.org
Embed a Google Map
Plenty of Content
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USEFUL CONTENT on all of your pages -
show that you are THE EXPERT
Create a Page for Each Service
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Then add MORE pages about sub services
Internal Link Text
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When linking from one of your pages to another, use descriptive link text to
describe what page it points to is about•Replace click here, view more, learn more, etc to location+keyword terms•For a page optimized for Dallas Accounting, change Click Here to See all of our Dallas accounting services or Tax advice in Dallas and Plano•Mix up link text – don’t use the exact same term(s) over and over
Use Barnacle SEO
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Localized Organic Results
GET LISTED
on sites that rank
Use Google Search Console
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Google communicates with you about your website here
PAY ATTENTION
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/home
https://support.google.com/webmasters?hl=en#topic=3309469
Check Web Site Crawlability
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
If the Search Engines can’t find or crawl your pages, they cannot appear in the
Search Results
Is there is a large discrepancy between what Google sees and what you know is on the site?Can you find all of your most important pages?
Use Screaming Frog
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
http://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/
Technical Problems?
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Get PROFESSIONAL
help when needed
Off-Site Optimization
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(What other websites convey about us)
For Localized Organic Rankings
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Quality and usefulness of links pointing to your pages
from OTHER sites
Links Are Just a Proxy
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
For Brand Prominence
The Best Links?
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Those with the most potential to bring NEW CUSTOMERS to your business
Improve Existing Links
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See links with this free tool: http://www.opensiteexplorer.org/
Look at the pages that link to you• Is all the information correct?• Can you add more detail? Description, photos,
videos, services, hours, payment types, etc.• Are you in the right categories?• Can you add a link?• Can you improve the link text?
Links from Relationships
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
• Business groups • Social groups • Charities• Sponsorships• Local school and college websites• Clients and partners• Businesses you already have referral
relationships with
Links from Local Directories
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
• AngiesList• MerchantCircle• JudysBook• Foursquare• Internet Yellow
Pages Pages
• Yelp• Thumbtack• Facebook• Kudzu• CitySearch• InsiderPages
Links from Local Sites
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
•Chamber of Commerce•Convention & Visitor’s Bureau•Better Business Bureau•Local Media-newspapers, magazines, TV•Community business directories•Local city guides•Community blogs•Local and regional tourism sites
Links from Niche Sites
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
• Videos• Images• Coupons• In something• Near something• Kid-friendly• Pet friendly• Veteran-owned
• Free Wifi• ATM• Minority-owned• Woman-owned• Non-profit• Other Languages • Handicapped
accessible
The SEO Process
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
• Pick the right keyword phrases• Create high quality pages on your website
all about those terms• Appropriately implement the keyword
phrases in the content of your web pages• Link between your own pages• Gain links and listings on other websites• Eliminate technical problems
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
THANKS!
LocalU Blog and Forumhttp://localu.org/
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