Optimising for Local Search Get practical advice from SEO experts: Claire Carlile Head of Pencils at Claire Carlile Marketing and Fiona Soum - SEO Consultant at Builtvisible. In this short ~20 minute talk they present bite-sized actionable local search engine optimization advice for SEOs and the wider SEO community working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. Watch a recording of the stream to go with these slides here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFRvf_h6Oe4

2. Optimising for Local Search
● Claire Carlile
● Fiona Soum
AUTHORITAS
● SEO Jo Blogs - Growth Marketer
● Carrie Shepherd - Marketing Executive

3. Hi, my name is
Fiona Soum, SEO Consultant
● SEO Consultant at Builtvisible, joined 2 years ago
● Recently shared an Excel Formula cheat sheet
for SEOs available on Builtvisible blog
● Work across a variety of accounts, most owning
local businesses

4. • The focus is often on Google My Business (and for good reasons) however, don’t forget
Bing Places and Apple Maps Connect are available and provide an opportunity to boost
your visibility across those platforms.
• Bing Places has a big advantage: the competition is lower compared to Google which means you have
better chance to gain local visibility faster. Bing also has better integration with services/categories
and social networks.
• Apple Maps is used by default on iPhone, iPad and Mac - three out of four iOS users use Apple Maps,
not Google! Another benefit: DuckDuckGo search engine uses Apple's mapping data and just recently
enhanced its capabilities
Tip #1:
Use Google My Business AND other platforms

5. • Search for your competitor’s name on Google Maps. Make a note of the primary category, which is
listed directly under the review stars under the business name. Then, go to the source code
(Control-U) and search for all the business categories section using Control-F > [primary_category].
Tip #2:
Use your competitors to establish your business
categories
Primary category
Google Maps listing
Source code

6. Besides improving your listings on local platforms like GMB, strengthen the local
signals on your site for consistency. For instance:
• Create local pages (i.e. example.com/shops/london)
• Use local and long-tail keywords (i.e. targeted keywords + location and/or ‘near
me’ terms)
• Ensure information like business name, address, working hours, contact details
are accurate across the site
• Embed your business location’s Google map listing on the homepage or wherever
it makes sense if possible
• Improve your link profile by ensuring external sites like directories are linking to
your site correctly
Tip #3:
Strengthen local signals on your site

7. Schema markup helps displays
data that is specific to certain
businesses and appear as a single
entity across the SERPs. Examples
of schema you can use are:
• LocalBusiness Schema
• PostalAdress Schema
• GeoCoordinates Schema
• Reviews Schema
• Event Schema
• Website Schema
Tip #4:
Use Schema markup
Local listing
Local Snack Pack
Organic Results

8. “In the USA, 94% of people with smartphones search for local information on their
phones. Interestingly, 77% of mobile searches occur at home or at work, places where
desktop computers are likely to be present” (Source: Google).
• Improve page load time to hold users’ attention
• Use large, easy-to-read text and high-quality images and videos with minimum file
size
• Ensure your site design is responsive so it adapts for mobile use
• Provide the same information (and interactions) available on desktop
Test your site using the Mobile-friendly test tool and Page Speed Insights tool from
Google.
Tip #5:
Ensure your site is mobile friendly

9. Resources
• Need local search information on new features or a case study? Check Blumenthals and Local
Marketing Institute.
Lost? Keep track of everything
• Create a sheet from the very beginning with all locations listed, details for each listings and record
all (okay, the most important) actions taken. Do so for all platforms.
Fake listings
• Problems with competitors showing up with fake listings? Use the Business Redressal Form to get
them removed.
Assistance
• In doubt? Need assistance? Contact Google via their live chat here.
Need help?

10. Hi, my name is
Claire Carlile
● Head of Pencils ✏ at Claire Carlile Marketing
● Wrote a guide to UTM tagging for GMB - it’s on my website 💌
● Work with a range of lovely small and medium sized business in the
UK and elsewhere 🌍
“Covid-19 - Keeping your Google My Business listing
accurate and updated”
Communicating effectively with your clients...are you open? If so, when? Have you pivoted in terms of service
or product delivery? What safety or distancing measures are you taking?

11. • Communicating closures and opening times (if any) of businesses becomes a priority as well as service and
product delivery changes
• From March 20th - new reviews aren’t showing, businesses can’t respond to new reviews , and review
responses to older reviews aren’t publishing. If your listing is ‘temp closed’ ppl can’t leave a review. NB
businesses can respond to old reviews as of 7th April & slow rollout of new reviews from April 9th.
• Q&A section completely removed from listings
• GMB phone support & chat not in operation, best to send a message via the form (link below)
See https://smallbusiness.withgoogle.com/intl/en_uk/news/resources-for-smbs-impacted-by-coronavirus/ and the form
is here https://support.google.com/business/gethelp?visit_id=637206472639838389-179328225&rd=2
Tip #1:
Understand how Covid-19 has impacted GMB

12. See https://support.google.com/business/answer/9773423 for more details
Tip #2:
Communicate your OPEN / CLOSED / special hours
status

13. Tip #3:
Communicate your Covid-19 messaging via GMB

14. Tip #4:
Implement structured data for Covid-19
announcements
More details here - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/data-types/special-announcements and
here https://whitespark.ca/blog/covid-19-special-announcement-schema-markup-for-local-businesses/

15. Tip #5:
Include your Covid-19 statement on your website, include details of, or links to, your
‘pivots’, and add to GMB (posts, products etc)
More ideas here - http://www.localvisibilitysystem.com/2020/04/03/doable-examples-of-online-remote-
services-offered-by-local-businesses/

16. https://www.clairecarlilemarketing.com/resources/local-seo-resources-master-list/
Love local SEO and want to learn more?

17. Thank you - over to Q and A
● All great tips from 2 experts
● Claire Carlile - @ClaireCarlile
● Fiona Soum - @FionaSoum

18. “How to build a community around your brand"
● Luis Navarrete Gómez
● Anton Shulke
● Sarah Marks
Wednesday 22nd April 2020 @ 4 p.m. SEO Advice, tea and cake with...