This is my BrightonSEO 2014 presentation. It covers a unique case study on the local performance of Geico for auto insurance keywords.

2. LOCALIZING SEO
PERFORMANCE
To develop a winning SEO strategy

3. Rob Bucci
Founder, CEO

4. @STATrob
#BrightonSEO

5. LOCALIZATION & SEO

6. LOCALIZATION, WHAT?
The move towards SERPs that are modified by the
location where the query is performed.
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7. WE’RE CURIOUS.
How does localization impact searcher behaviour?
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8. HOW DO PEOPLE MODIFY THEIR
SEARCH QUERIES TO FIND
LOCAL SERVICES?
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9. HOW DO PEOPLE SEARCH FOR
LOCAL SERVICES THAT AREN’T
BRICK-AND-MORTAR?
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10. HOW DOES SEARCHER
BEHAVIOUR CHANGE STATE-TO-
STATE?
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11. ULTIMATELY, THE QUESTION IS:
How can localized analysis help us to build better SEO
strategies?
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12. SO, WE DID A CASE STUDY.
On one of the largest providers of auto insurance in
America.
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13. REVENUE (2012): $16.74 BILLION

14. INSURANCE IS A BIG BUSINESS.
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15. VEHICLES INSURED BY GEICO IN
THE UNITED STATES.
20 MILLION
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16. THE DATA SET

17. WE PICKED A BASIC SET OF 33
SHORT-TAIL QUERIES.
33 KEYWORDS
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18. SEARCH VOLUME > 100
• auto insurance
• cheap auto insurance
• auto insurance quotes
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19. WE USED 5 DIFFERENT TYPES
OF GEO-MODIFICATION.
5 VARIANTS
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20. GEO-MODIFICATION?
Modifying a query with a place-name. For example
[auto insurance] becomes [california auto insurance].
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21. UNMODIFIED
Example: [auto insurance]
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22. SUFFIX
Example: [auto insurance california]
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23. PREFIX
Example: [california auto insurance]
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24. FOR SUFFIX
Example: [auto insurance for california]
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25. IN SUFFIX
Example: [auto insurance in california]
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26. 33 KEYWORDS MULTIPLIED BY 5
VARIANTS GAVE US 165
QUERIES TO TRACK.
165 QUERIES
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27. WE TRACKED EACH SET OF 165
QUERIES WITHIN EACH STATE.
Example: [california auto insurance] tracked on a
california localized SERP.
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28. 33 SHORT-TAIL KEYWORDS
MULTIPLIED BY 5 VARIANTS
ACROSS 51 U.S LOCALES.
8,415 QUERIES
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29. WE COLLECTED THE FOLLOWING DATA
• Geico’s organic ranking
• local search volume (localized to the state)
• advertiser competition
• cost-per-click
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30. WE CREATED A WEIGHTED
RANKING SCORE.
Based on organic ranking and search volume. The
score indicates the relative value of a ranking.
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31. RANKING WEIGHTS
Rank Weight
1 1.0
2 0.9
3 0.8
4 0.7
5 0.6
… …
10 0.1

32. SIMPLE MULTIPLICATION
Ranking weight x search volume = ranking score
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33. EXAMPLE: RANKING #2 WITH
SEARCH VOLUME OF 6,600
Ranking of 2 = weight of 0.9
0.9 x 6,600 = ranking score of 5,940
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34. SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN?
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35. QUERY STRUCTURE

36. TOTAL SEARCH VOLUME
Unmodified
Suffix
Prefix
In Suffix
For Suffix
0 75,000 150,000 225,000 300,000
30
8,650
10,730
18,530
251,430

37. UNMODIFIED QUERIES WIN.
Most searchers don’t geo-modify queries for local
services without a brick-and-mortar location.
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38. AVERAGE COST-PER-CLICK
Unmodified
Suffix
Prefix
In Suffix
For Suffix
$0.00 $12.50 $25.00 $37.50 $50.00
$0.11
$5.08
$5.46
$7.15
$46.06

39. UNMODIFIED QUERIES ARE
EXPENSIVE.
The average CPC of a unmodified queries is
commensurate with their total search volume
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40. GEICO’S TOTAL RANKING SCORE
Unmodified
Suffix
Prefix
In Suffix
For Suffix
0 75,000 150,000 225,000 300,000
30
8,650
10,730
18,530
251,430
18
2,522
4,575
8,889
104,705

41. UNMODIFIED QUERIES DRIVE
GEICO’S ORGANIC TRAFFIC.
It’s clear that the majority of Geico’s SEO traffic
comes from unmodified searches.
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42. QUERY STRUCTURE MAKES A
DIFFERENCE.
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43. WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US?
Based on the previous data, one could use a PPC
channel to drive a small wedge into Geico’s business.
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44. BUT, WE’RE ALL ABOUT SEO.
When we break out the data into state-by-state
markets, we can spot cracks in their armour.
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45. MARKETS MATTER

46. BUT NOT ALL MARKETS
0
200
400
600
800
Alaska North Dakota Vermont
201
261
340
630
590
700
Total Search Volume Total Ranking Score

47. FOUR MARKETS MATTER.
California, Florida, Texas & Michigan are Geico’s major
source of organic traffic for auto insurance terms.
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48. TOTAL SEARCH VOLUME & RANKING SCORE
0
12,500
25,000
37,500
50,000
California Florida Texas Michigan
9,798
13,62815,138
18,816 16,870
31,04029,070
40,580
Total Search Volume Total Ranking Score

49. TOTAL MARKET COVERAGE
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
California Florida Texas Michigan
58%
44%
52%
46%

50. DON’T TRY TO COMPETE IN
THESE MARKETS.
Granted, they don’t have anything close to 100%
coverage, but why chase them?
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51. “I SKATE TO WHERE THE PUCK
IS GOING TO BE, NOT WHERE IT
HAS BEEN.”
-Wayne Gretzky
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52. LOOK TO THE MARKETS
THEY’RE MISSING.
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53. THREE OVERLOOKED MARKETS
0
3,500
7,000
10,500
14,000
New York Illinois Washington
7472,0411,445
6,180
10,720
12,370
Total Search Volume Total Ranking Score

54. TOTAL MARKET COVERAGE
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
New York Illinois Washington
12%
19%
12%

55. THE DEMAND IS THERE, BUT
THEY LACK COVERAGE.
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56. HOW DO WE FORM A STRATEGY
AROUND THIS INSIGHT?
If we’re going to compete with Geico, we should first
challenge them where they’re weak.
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57. SUMMING IT ALL UP

58. QUERY STRUCTURE MATTERS.
Make sure you understand how people are searching
for your products/services.
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59. EVERYTHING IS LOCAL.
Even searches that aren’t geo-modified are impacted
by localization.
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60. LOCALIZED ANALYSIS EXPOSES
OPPORTUNITIES.
By going deeper, you can find areas your competition
is missing.
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61. EVEN THE BIG GUYS HAVE
EXPLOITABLE WEAKNESSES.
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62. YOU CAN DO ALL THIS
RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN.
You just need partners who can provide the data.
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63. STAY TUNED FOR MORE!
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64. rob@getSTAT.com
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