Presented at the Austin SEM Meetup by Laura and Adam Alter. www.seo.meetup.com/107 References: http://www.davidmihm.com/blog/ http://blog.kelseygroup.com/ http://www.localseoguide.com/ http://www.localpoint.com/ http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/ http://blumenthals.com/blog http://stephenespinosa.com/ http://gesterling.wordpress.com/ http://www.convertoffline.com/

1. Adam and Laura Alter Created for the Austin SEO Meetup seo.meetup.com/107 July 2, 2008 Local SEO: How to Totally Own in Google

2. What is local search?

3. [austin car wash] Local search is a search term + geo modifier.

4. What is local SEO?

5. Local SEO is on-site and off-site optimization, that makes your website more relevant to local search queries. (PS. it's also reputation management)

6. Local is somewhat new and not perfect. Google is still trying to automatically handle interpret searches, but they aren't there yet.

7. Austin Texas house painting Google believes this searcher is looking for local referrals and shows the map.

8. Austin Texas house paintER Google believes this searcher is not looking for local referrals and does not show the map. Why?

9. Why should you care about local search?

10. You should care because most searches have local intent (eventually).

11. How many businesses are losing sales because they can't be found online? Online search influenced $471 billion worth of offline sales last year versus only $136 billion in e-commerce sales. (eMarketer, 2008)

12. 90% of purchases are made within 50 miles of a person's home. (Kelsey) Local visibility mandatory for mom and pops. Product research and comparison shopping happen online. (69%, 68%) But 67% of those purchases happen offline . (Accenture)

13. Many searches result in a local event - even if they don't start that way. Every SEO must understand the power of local search and the nuances in searcher intent to be more relevant to their searches.

14. Local SEO is a supplement to standard SEO. Make sure the SEO basics are done first. You know you need it, so let's go over how to do it.

15. First, how are local results displayed?

16. There are 3 result formats: 1. Google 10-Pack 2. Authoritative Onebox 3. Integrated Map

17. 10-Pack Google moved from 3 to 10 results in Feb. 08. Some searches still show 3. Clear attempt to inject more local results among the "big boys." Can be shown lower, too.

18. Authoritative Onebox The Holy Grail of local search. Google believes that this one result is the exact match for your query.

19. Integrated Map Shows as a blended result. Can expand your search results to get more info without leaving page.

20. Are your local websites showing up in any of these formats?

22. It's no one step that matters - it's the aggregate result of all of them. Local SEO starts with a series of basic steps.

27. So how to do you get into the Google 10-Pack?

28. But it does seem like there are several factors that may affect which sites are listed in the 10-pack. But first... Obviously, Google doesn't divulge the secret sauce.

29. Mom and Pop shops can compete on a more "even" turf. People weren't clicking past the old 3 listings. It also pushes IYP-type sites to paid search. (intentionally? :D) Why does the 10-pack exist?

31. The importance of reviews cannot be overemphasized. Not just for SEO, but for every local business. Reviews: No Longer Optional.

32. Favoring the city center:

33. Where does Google get their reviews? Google prefers different sources for different industries. Do your research and get reviews where Google shows they matter.

37. What's on the horizon? The Future of Local Search