Local SEO – Fiona Soum's top tips from Tea-time SEO

1. Local SEO

2. Hi, my name is
Fiona Soum, SEO Consultant
● SEO Consultant at Builtvisible, joined 2 years ago
● Recently shared an Excel Formula cheat sheet for SEOs available on Builtvisible blog
● Work across a variety of accounts, most owning local businesses

3. • The focus is often on Google My Business (and for good reasons) however, don’t forget Bing
Places and Apple Maps Connect are available and provide an opportunity to boost your
visibility across those platforms.
• Bing Places has a big advantage: the competition is lower compared to Google which means you have
better chance to gain local visibility faster. Bing also has better integration with services/categories and
social networks.
• Apple Maps is used by default on iPhone, iPad and Mac - three out of four iOS users use Apple Maps, not
Google! Another benefit: DuckDuckGo search engine uses Apple's mapping data and just recently
enhanced its capabilities
Tip #1:
Use Google My Business AND other platforms

4. • Search for your competitor’s name on Google Maps. Make a note of the primary category, which is
listed directly under the review stars under the business name. Then, go to the source code (Control-U)
and search for all the business categories section using Control-F > [primary_category].
Tip #2:
Use your competitors to establish your business
categories
Primary category
Google Maps listing
Source code

5. Besides improving your listings on local platforms like GMB, strengthen the local signals on your site for
consistency. For instance:
• Create local pages (i.e. example.com/shops/london)
• Use local and long-tail keywords (i.e. targeted keywords + location and/or ‘near me’ terms)
• Ensure information like business name, address, working hours, contact details are accurate across the site
• Embed your business location’s Google map listing on the homepage or wherever it makes sense if possible
• Improve your link profile by ensuring external sites like directories are linking to your site correctly
Tip #3:
Strengthen local signals on your site

6. Schema markup helps displays data that is
specific to certain businesses and appear as a
single entity across the SERPs. Examples of
schema you can use are:
• LocalBusiness Schema
• PostalAdress Schema
• GeoCoordinates Schema
• Reviews Schema
• Event Schema
• Website Schema
For more detailed information, you can visit Google’s
local business structured data documentation, the
Schema.org site and Search Engine Journal guide.
Tip #4:
Use Schema markup
Local listing
Local Snack Pack
Organic Results

7. “In the USA, 94% of people with smartphones search for local information on their phones.
Interestingly, 77% of mobile searches occur at home or at work, places where desktop computers are
likely to be present” (Source: Google).
• Improve page load time to hold users’ attention
• Use large, easy-to-read text and high-quality images and videos with minimum file size
• Ensure your site design is responsive so it adapts for mobile use
• Provide the same information (and interactions) available on desktop
Test your site using the Mobile-friendly test tool and Page Speed Insights tool from Google.
Tip #5:
Ensure your site is mobile friendly

8. Resources
• Need local search information on new features or a case study? Check Blumenthals and Local Marketing Institute.
Lost? Keep track of everything
• Create a sheet from the very beginning with all locations listed, details for each listings and record all (okay, the
most important) actions taken. Do so for all platforms.
Fake listings
• Problems with competitors showing up with fake listings? Use the Business Redressal Form to get them removed.
Assistance
• In doubt? Need assistance? Contact Google via their live chat here.
Need help?