Soar With Local Search Engine Optimization

Soar With Local Search Engine Optimization
Make-It-Fly: Entrepreneurs Embracing Change Fall 2009 Conference
presented by seOverflow

Who Is seOverflow?
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 solution providers to offer customized, innovative SEO services to their clients.
We are a Google Adwords Qualified Company, Yahoo Search Marketing Ambassadors, and SEMPO members.

What is Local Search/Local SEO
Why Local SEO is important
Challenges for Local Businesses
Later… Tactics For Local Search Optimization
On-Page Optimization
Off-Page Optimization
Reviews
Citations
Links
Local SEO For $100 or less!
We’ll Talk About…

Local Search Is…
Local Search is any search made with the goal of finding something in a specific geographic area.
This is known as searching withlocal intent.

How Is Local Intent Determined?
The searcher uses geographic modifiers.
The searcher has personalization settings on.
The Search Engine interprets local intent from the search phrase.

73% of activity online is in one way or another “related to local content”
For every one dollar U.S. consumers spend online, another five or six are going to offline purchases that are influenced by online research
97% of Internet users in the U.S. gather shopping information online, and of those consumers 51% explicitly characterize their behavior as “Shop Online, Purchase Offline”
70% of online searchers will use local search to find offline businesses.
Why Local SEO Is Important

Why Local Search Is Important

1.The Google Local Business Center (LBC)
2.Third-Party Data Providers
3.Web Crawling
Where does Google’s Local data come from?

Where Are Your Customers?
Neighborhood?
City?
Nearby cities?
Region?
State?

Where Are Your Customers?
The broader your geographical reach, the more time and money you need to be successful.
Generally, the narrower your reach, the easier it will be to compete online.
Why? There is usually less competition and it is usually less savvy about internet marketing.

Local Business Challenges
Local Directories
Industry
Directories
Niche Search Engines
Secondary Local Search Engines
Local/Social Sites
Internet Yellow Pages
Local 10 pack - Google
Local 3 Pack – Yahoo!
Major
Local Search Engines
Universal Search

Local Directories

Niche Search Engines

Internet Yellow Pages

Local/Social Sites

On Page Optimization for Local
Making Your Website Work in Local Search

On Page Optimization
Build relevance and trust in your location+keywords.
Do all the “usual” things when optimizing site - title, description, h tags, content, good internal linking, etc – but with a geographic slant.

Place your full street address and local phone number on all pages of your website.
Optimize your Contact or About page for your business name and location.
Use the hcardmicroformat to make your location unmistakable to the Search Engines.
Where Are You?

If your business name doesn’t make it very clear where you are and what you do, then use a tagline to communicate that information to both humans and Search Engine spiders.
TIP: Give Your Biz a Tagline

Create a separate page for each location
Use local info on each of these pages
Link internally to location pages, using the location names in link text
Use other terms on the page that will help the Search Engines understand where you are: street intersections, highway exits, what’s nearby, nicknames for neighborhoods, etc.
TIP: For Multiple Locations:

Off Site Optimization For Local
What Else Helps Your Business Rank?

Create free profiles on:
Google Maps www.google.com/local/add
Yahoo Local http://listings.local.yahoo.com/
Bing Local https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx
If you never do anything else, do this!
Create Local Business Listings

A Google Maps Listing

Google Maps Dashboard

Use the same name, address and phone number everywhere online and offline.
Go to the sources of business data and standardize there.
Use a local database directory - check out UniversalBusinessListing.org and GetListed.org
Standardization Builds Trust

Use your main keyword phrase and complementary terms in your profile descriptions
Grab the long tail by including:
Your products and services
The brands you carry
The locations you serve
Anything else important in your niche
Optimize Your Biz Listings

Choose – or create – the right categories
Give your listing attributes
Optimize Your Biz Listings

Citations, aka web references, are web pages that cite or mention your business or web site.
They do not have to contain a link!
Create Citations

Citations are important in building Google’s trust in the information it has about you.
Citations can drive targeted traffic to your business.
Citations are easier to get than links – many are free.
Keep Creating Citations!

“Online reviews are second only to personal advice from a friend as the driver of purchase decisions; user reviews are more influential than third-party reviews. ("Web users and web community," Rubicon Consulting, Inc. October 2008)”
“81% of online holiday shoppers read online customer reviews (Nielson Online, December 2008)”
“86% of consumers read online business reviews before making purchasing decisions; 90% of whom say they trust these reviews. (Kudzu.com survey of 600 users, December 2008)”
“The Trust in Advertising survey of 26,000+ found that Consumer Recommendations are the most credible form of advertising. ("Social Media Marketing: The Right Strategy for Tough Economic Times" Awareness, 2008)”
Statistics from BazaarVoice.com See more at http://www.bazaarvoice.com/industryStats.html
The Impact of Reviews

Ratings and reviews enter into the algorithm on some sites-like Yahoo!Local
The more reviews, the better.
Highly rated items can rise to the top on some sites and poorly rated ones are rarely seen.
Users can sort their results by ratings on some sites, creating their own personalized rankings.
Reviews Influence Rankings

ONLY FROM HAPPY CUSTOMERS!
Have a plan in place.
Use surveys and follow-up emails.
“Bribe” people to submit reviews.
Send reviewers to a variety of web sites.
If a customer has a Gmail address ask them to leave review on Google. Same for Yahoo.
TIP: Ask for Reviews

The right incoming links can help with location trust.
Look for links from local authority sites.
Look for links from sites that rank for what you want to rank for.
Use existing relationships to get local links.
Tip: Get Local Links

Optimize site with geographic slant
Include business name and contact information in HTML (hCardmicroformat) on own website
Claim Listing at Google Maps w/Business URL
Claim Listing at Yahoo Local w/Business URL
Claim Listing at BOTW Local
Claim Listing at Live Search
Submit to Universal Business Listing - $30
Submit to Localeze
Submit to infoUSA
Claim additional portal listings
Link to additional portal listings from own website
ALMOST ALL OF THIS IS FREE AND AVAILABLE TODAY!!!
Local Search For $30 or Less

http://www.slideshare.net/heinivanbergen/smx-london-2008-local-search-blended-results-presentation
David Mihm – “Local Search on a Dime” SES San Jose 2009
Sources

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http://www.seOverflow.com/seoverviewLocal
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