Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 2015 provides tips and strategies for small, local businesses to rank better on Google. Content looks at leading Local SEO ranking factors, display changes, importance of business reviews to win customers, and more. Presentation by Kristopher B. Jones at PubCon Las Vegas, October 2015.

1. Local Search 2015
Presented by:
Kristopher B. Jones
Founder and CEO,
LSEO.com

2. About me
Serial Entrepreneur / Investor
• Founder of Pepperjam – sold to eBay
• KBJ Capital – 15 investments
• Founder / CEO of Digital Marketing
Services and Software Company LSEO.com
• Chairman of Internet Marketing Ninjas
• Contributor to Forbes, Inc., Fast
Company, Business Insider, and others
• SEO Visual Blueprint (100,000 copies sold)

3. What has changed
• New Layout - 7 pack to 3 pack (less
organic real estate dedicated to local)
• Decoupling of Google+ (emphasis of
GMB data)
• Addition of website button
• Google testing pay to play local (Home)

4. What matters less?
• Google+
• Quantity of links; reviews; citations in
favor of quality
• Social queues, especially G+ 1’s and
circles
• Proximity to centroid (location of
search matters more)

5. What matter most?
Local SEO Fundamentals
• Links / Anchor Text
• Geo cues
• Citations / NAP Consistency
• Title Tags
• Domain Authority (History)
• Optimized Google My Business Listing (GMB)
• Reviews and Ratings

6. Links to your website
• Quality matters over quantity
• Anchor text with location and / or business
descriptive keywords is positive
• Link diversity matters
• Generate localized links
• Focus on industry relevant links over non
• Links to your Google My Business page also
appear to be a ranking factor

7. Geographical Cues
• Include City / State in Title Tags
• Include City / State in GMB Landing Page
Title
• Generate relevant content based on your
geography / neighborhood
• Geo keyword in domain
• City / State in H1 / H2 tags on GMB page

8. Citations / NAP Consistency
• Inconsistent NAP information across citations
is a negative ranking factor
• Quality of structured citations more
important than quantity
• Always secure locally relevant citations
• Unstructured citations from media appears
particularly powerful ranking factor
• Ensure your website NAP is consistent with
GMB NAP

9. Title Tags
• Use City / State in web and GMB
landing page titles
• Use business descriptive keywords in
web and GMB titles
• Title tags (and descriptions) must be
unique for each web page
• Google ranks web pages, not websites

10. Domain Authority
• History / age of domain
• Total # of inbound links
• Quality of inbound links
• Business description / geographical
relevance in domain may positively
impact local ranking

11. Optimized Google My Business Page
• Verify your business
• Maintain consistent NAP
• Select appropriate business categories
• Include geography and business
description in business title
• Generate high authority and
geographically relevant links to page

12. Reviews and Ratings
• Reviews / Ratings take up prominent real
estate in local 3 pack and finder
• Positive reviews (4-5 ratings) drive clicks /
calls
• Take proactive approach to getting reviews
• Most recent reviews should express positive
sentiment
• Reviews with geographical and business
descriptive terms is positive

13. Additional considerations

14. Mobile
• 88% of mobile users use the web to
search for local content
• Site must be mobile-friendly
• Pay attention to conversion rates on
mobile versus web
• Focus as much as possible on click to
call functionality

15. Website
• A website button is prominent in the new
3 pack local SERPS layout
• Generate lots of geographically relevant
and business descriptive content
• Keep content fresh, useful, and engaging
• Make certain NAP is crawlable
• Invest in a great (or better) domain

16. Thank you!
Let’s Stay Connected:
- LinkedIn - in/internetceo
- Facebook - /kbjcapital
- Twitter - /krisjonescom
- Instagram - /kbjcapital
- E-mail – kris@krisjones.com
- kbjcapital.com / krisjones.com