The document discusses strategies for local businesses to improve their online visibility and attract more local customers. It outlines five common challenges that businesses face, such as not being visible in local search results or having good rankings but not in the desired city. For each situation, it provides 25 tips across categories like optimizing online listings, getting reviews, paid search campaigns, and encouraging customer feedback. The strategies aim to help businesses effectively target their marketing efforts based on their specific needs.

1. Hauling in More Local Customers
…Even When Your Wheels Are Spinning
March 2015
#mnsearch
Phil Rozek
@philrozek

2. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
About me

3. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
A problem as old as the Internet…

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Online marketing never seems to get easier

5. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
Should help launch
word-of-mouth
Should boost your
online reputation
Should not burn up
all your time
It should be a launching pad

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5 common situations
x 5 ways to get traction
Focus on the highest-payoff activities
…for your specific situation

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Situation 1: Not visible in the local results

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Situation 1: Not visible in the local results

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#1: Research your categories

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Pop quiz:
How many Yelp categories can you select?

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#2: PILE on the Google+ reviews

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Use Whitespark’s free review-handout generator

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#3: Make a page for each service

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#4: Get (good) links the lazy man’s way
• Chamber of Commerce
• BBB accreditation
• Industry associations
• Meetup.com sponsorships

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#4: Get (good) links the lazy man’s way

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#5: Pare down your citations list

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Situation 2: Good local rankings
– but not in the city you want

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#6: Try to “stretch the map”

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#7: Create a few good “city pages”

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#7: Create a few good “city pages”

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#8: Target cities w/ “portfolio” pages

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#9: Consider targeting the state

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#10: Know when it’s time for PPC

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Situation 3: Visible, but no customers

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Pop quiz: Yelp feeds reviews to
which 3 local search engines?

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Tip #11: Diversify your reviews

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Tip #11: Diversify your reviews

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Tip #12: Mine your reviews

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#13: Create an epic FAQ page
and study it with CrazyEgg

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#14: Make your main pages EPIC

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#15: Use Qualaroo to get feedback

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Situation 4: Bleeding money in AdWords

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#16: Use wildcards for KW research

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#17: Bid on “reviews” terms

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#18: Put reviews / testimonials on
landing pages

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#18: Put reviews / testimonials on
landing pages

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#19: Test with Bing Ads

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#20: Find similarly-named businesses &
add their locations as negative KWs

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Situation 5: Happy customers don’t speak up

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#21: Give reviewers choices

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#22: Give instructions and a reminder

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#22: Give instructions and a reminder

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#23: Expose customers to reviews
everywhere you can

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#23: Expose customers to reviews
everywhere you can

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#23: Expose customers to reviews
everywhere you can

46. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
#23: Expose customers to reviews
everywhere you can

47. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
#23: Expose customers to reviews
everywhere you can

48. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
#24: Consider asking non-customers
Like whom?
• Recipients of pro
bono work
• Free-consultation
people
• Other business
owners
• Peers

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#25: Experiment fearlessly

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Best of: 7 quick wins you can use
today in any situation
Use wildcards for
KW research
Create a page for
each specific service
Show off your reviews
Diversify your reviews
Mine your reviews
Lengthen stubby pages
Create giant FAQ page
& study it with CrazyEgg

51. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
Thanks!

52. moz.com/local/categories – Moz.com
whitespark.ca/review-handout-generator – Darren Shaw
Google Now Showing Local Results for State Wide Searches
– Mike Ramsey (via Search Engine Journal)
Designing Business Location Website Pages: Part One – Single Location Business
– Aaron Weiche (via LocalU.org)
The Lazy Man’s Way to Find Meetup.com Local Link Opportunities – me
Which Local Review Sites Are on Your Side? – me
Mining Your Online Reviews: 25 Nuggets You Can Use to Get More Local
Customers – me
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
Resources and further reading

53. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/11/technology_history_internet_computers_phones_1994.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_h/5508738002
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shellysblogger/15182177065/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wcdumonts/15720336980
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanenglish/1702377971
https://www.flickr.com/photos/meddygarnet/4374410040
https://www.flickr.com/photos/30181898@N06/5450514108
http://www.secretsafebooks.com/blogs/secret-safe-blog/8677501-huge-book-covers-contain-electrical-works
http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1305_volvo_xc60_iihs_small_overlap_crash_test
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dbgg1979/4080562904/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/5917022647
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_see/7666374400/photo_11.html
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch
Image credits