This document summarizes the four-year evolution of FedEx's local search strategy from 2011-2014. It discusses how FedEx established a framework in 2011, expanded its digital retail footprint in 2012, and optimized and tested its local search efforts between 2013-2014. Key aspects of FedEx's approach included maintaining a location database, publishing listings across directories, building store and city pages, launching local paid search campaigns and improving SEO presence with a test-and-learn approach. FedEx created over 100,000 branded pages in directories and 1 million content pages for locations to grow online awareness and optimized pages to support non-brand and long-tail search queries.

1. FedEx and
Local Search
Oct 09, 2014
Sushma Tayur
MarketingAdvisor, FedEx

2. The four-year evolution of FedEx local
2011
Framework established
2012
Digital retail footprint
2013-2014
Optimization/Testing
• Location database
maintenance
• Published listings across
online directories
• Built >2k store pages and
>30k city pages
• Launch local paid search
campaigns/increase SEO presence
• Test & learn approach
influences future investments
2

3. 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine
What do we need for Local pages to rank well?
What was the FedEx approach to creating more awareness
locally?
• Created 128K branded pages in 100
directories and maintained location and
brand accuracy [NAP consistency]
• Created over 1 million content pages for
FedEx Office locations and Ship Centers to
grow online awareness
• Optimized keyword specific pages to support
non-brand and long tail search[page signals]
• Created internal links through optimized page
navigation and external links by linking to off
-site directories [link signals]
3

4. 4
Examples of FedEx local pages
city pages store pages

5. 5
Example of keyword pages on FedEx local
Supports non-brand and long tail search

6. 6
Example of efficient campaign management
through FedEx local pages

7. Building content on the main website for “implicit/ information”
search queries and local pages for “explicit” search queries
Geographic intent
FedEx New York
Average rank – 1.08
Short tail keywords
FedEx passport photos
Average rank – 3.83
Long tail keywords
How to package a shipment
local.fedex.com fedex.com/office
Google can also use the customer’s location to present local results on implicit queries and
average rank of local pages is 1.81

8. 91%
9%
Jun 1, 2012 - Jun 30, 2012
New Visitor Returning Visitor
76%
24%
Jun 1, 2014 - Jun 30, 2014
New Visitor Returning Visitor
8
A few stats on the digital retail storefront of FedEx
• Over 1 million content pages representing FedEx Office and
FedEx Office(R) Ship Center locations
• 171% increase in the number of visits to FedEx local pages from
June 2012 to September 2014
• 76% new visitors with about 18% bounce rate
• Over 76 million page views since June 2012
• Over 28 million users (new and returning) visiting local pages
since June 2012
• About 128K inbound links to fedex.com via offline directories
optimizing brand position and search rankings

9. 9
QUESTIONS?