1.
How to AdaptYour Dealership to a
Radically Different Local Search
Environment
Darren Shaw
Founder,Whitespark
@DarrenShaw_

2.
Local Search Has
Changed

3.
Tightening of proximity
in local results
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

4.
Google is sending less
traffic to websites
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

5.
Proximity to searcher

6.
clothing stores

7.
restaurants

8.
pest control

9.
Dealerships often cluster
on the edges of the city

10.
So people living centrally
likely won’t see those
dealerships in their results

11.
With the extreme emphasis
on proximity, every
businesses will rank
somewhere

12.
But it might only be at the exact
point of your location

13.
You can overcome proximity
bias and expand your radius
with strong local search
signals

14.
This dealership is
doing much better

15.
Even when you zoom
out to 500m

16.
1km

17.
And even at 1kmThey rank well across a
huge area

18.
Compared to Southgate Audi who
is only ranking around their
location

19.
Google is sending
less traffic to websites
from local results

20.
Local pack links
used to go to the
website
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

21.
Now they go to the Local Finder
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

22.
And the Local
Finder has all
the info you
need

23.
Just some of the GMB features
released in the past 2 years.
Google Posts
Description
Services
GMB Websites
Messaging
VideosQ & A
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

24.
These features drive business
In a case study done by
Get Five Stars, they
found that 70% of KPIs
were happening
On Google.
https://www.getfivestars.com/blog/case-
study-key-performance-indicators-local-digital-
marketing/
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

25.
Google is monetizing
everything
PAID
PAID
PAID
PAID
PAID
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

26.
Just Released!
The 2018 Local
Search Ranking
Factors

27.
The Contributors
Adam Dorfman
Andrew Shotland
Andy Kuiper
Andy Monte
Ben Fisher
Blake Denman
Brian Barwig
Brian Smith
Carrie Hill
Casey Meraz
Colan Neilson
Conrad Saam
Cori Graft
Dan Leibson
Dana DiTomaso
Darren Shaw
David Mihm
David Wallace
Dev Basu
Eric Rohrback
Greg Gifford
Gyi Tsakalakis
Joel Headley
Joy Hawkins
Lisa Kolb
Marcus Miller
Mary Bowling
Mike Blumenthal
Miriam Ellis
Nick Pierno
Nyagoslav Zhekov
Phil Rozek
Tim Capper
Will Scott

28.
How the survey works

29.
Local Pack/Finder

30.
Local Pack

31.
Local Finder

32.
Local Pack/Finder Results
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

33.
Signals Increasing in Importance
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34.
Signals Decreasing in Importance
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35.
Local Organic

36.
Local Organic

37.
Local Organic Results
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38.
Foundational Factors
vs
Competitive Difference
Makers

39.
Foundational Factors Summary
Proper GMB Categories
Citation Consistency
Verified and Complete GMB Listing
Mobile-friendly Site
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

40.
Competitive Difference Makers Summary
Links & Reviews
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

41.
How To Win at Local
Search in 2019

42.
Google My Business

43.
Get your categories right
X
X
X
X

44.
Get your categories right

45.
Create separate listings for sales, service, and parts
Different categories
Different phone numbers

46.
Set other listings to be “Located in”
https://www.seroundtable.com/google-my-business-located-in-26446.html

47.
Get your GMB listing is as complete as possible
https://thrivehive.com/grader/

48.
Add tons of photos and videos

49.
Pay attention to Q&A on your GMB listing

50.
Seed the Q&A with your own questions and answers

51.
Google Posts!

52.
Posts appear in the Local Finder

53.
Posts appear in Google Maps

54.
Posts appear in in
branded searches

55.
“Google Posts! We've seen gains for clients in
competitive niches after consistent posting. The
posts don't have to link to their site, but it
appears that they should be topical and posted
consistently.” – Dana Damtaso

56.
https://searchengineland.com/google-posts-impact-ranking-case-study-285668

57.
Increase Rankings
Google Posts
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

58.
Increase Engagement
Signals
Google Posts
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

59.
Drive Direct Conversions
Google Posts
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

60.
Use CTAs in your posts
BOOKATEST
DRIVETODAY

61.
Use videos in Posts!
https://searchengineland.com/google-posts-now-accepting-videos-for-some-local-businesses-
297829

62.
Are a Competitive Advantage
Most businesses are taking a nap on
Posts
Google Posts
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

63.
Your competitors when they realize they missed
the Google Posts boat

64.
Remove Spammers

65.
“When spammers are beating you or ranking for
keywords they shouldn't, you can really have a
positive impact on local pack rankings just by
reporting spam.” - Casey Meraz

66.
#DSES @DarrenShaw_
Look at these assholes
I’d be
annoyed if
this was
my client

67.
Look at these assholes
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

68.
Check the website for their actual name
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69.
Find the listing in Google Maps and suggest an edit
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

70.
If you’re a Local Guide, your edit may get approved quickly
I got this
email 2
minutes
after I made
the edit
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

71.
WHO’S THE ASSHOLE NOW?!
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

72.
Reviews

73.
“In the search results I look at regularly, I
continue to see reviews playing a larger and
larger role.”
- David Mihm

74.
Guess which
industry has the
most reviews
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

75.
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

76.
#DSES @DarrenShaw_
After hotels and restaurants, of course

77.
If you’re in
automotive and
haven’t gotten
serious about
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

78.
GOLDEN RULE
Ask every customer

79.
PLATINUM RULE
Always follow up

80.
Diversify. Don’t only ask for reviews on Google.

81.
Incentivize employees, not customers

82.
All the review tips:
https://whitespark.ca/blog/convert-local-searchers-into-customers-with-reviews/

83.
Links

84.
“Good old fashioned link building seems to have
improved pack performance even more this year
than in recent memory” - Cori Graft

85.
Local
Sponsorships

86.
One search to rule them all

87.
Add &num=100 to the query

88.
Export to CSV with the Moz Bar

89.
Local Business
Associations

90.
Industry
Associations

91.
Website

92.
Add some damn content to your homepage

93.
At least 4 solid
paragraphs. Talk
about sales, service,
makes, models, what
makes you different,
financing, frequently
asked questions, etc.

94.
Create a page for each service

95.
Create a page for each brand

96.
Add internal links to all your content pages

97.
Citations

98.
Ensure you have a solid foundation
https://whitespark.ca/top-local-citation-sources-by-country/united-states/

99.
Get listed on industry specific sites

100.
Get listed on city specific sites

101.
Competitive analysis
https://whitespark.ca/local-citation-finder/

102.
Behavioral Signals

103.
The Future of Local Search: Entity Authority
#DSES @DarrenShaw_
Tidings.com/vault/local-ranking-2020.html

104.
The Future of Local Search: Entity Authority
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

105.
The Future of Local Search: Entity Authority
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

106.
Stars in the search results = more clicks

107.
How to do it
https://whitespark.ca/blog/how-to-use-aggregate-review-schema-to-get-stars-in-the-serps/

108.
More reviews = more clicks
Whoa

109.
More photos and videos = more engagement

110.
“Tell people to search for a business on Google
to get a coupon/discount/add-on that you're
offering via Google Posts on your Local
Knowledge Panel.”
- Mary Bowling

111.
Where is Google
headed in the future?

112.
Increased emphasis on
behavioral factors
#DSES @DarrenShaw_
The Future of Local

113.
More saturation of the
SERPs with ads
#DSES @DarrenShaw_
The Future of Local

114.
Keeping users on Google
and sending less traffic to
websites
The Future of Local
#DSES @DarrenShaw_

115.
Implementing more
features to take a cut
of transactions
#DSES @DarrenShaw_
The Future of Local

116.
This just
came out
yesterday

117.
“Court”
- Phil Rozek
Any comments about where you see Google is
headed in the future?

118.
Thank you!
Darren Shaw
Founder,Whitespark
@DarrenShaw_
#DSES