Local Search for SEO Copywriters

Mary Bowling

Blog: www.MaryBowling.comSmall Biz Marketing: www.IgnitorDigital.com

Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + MaryBBowling@gmail.com

Optimized!

LocalU.org

About Me

www.IgnitorDigital.com

MaryBowling.com

Local Search Definitions

SERPs: Search Engine Results Pages

NAP: Business Name, full street Address with ZipCode and local Phone number with area code. This combination of data is the “thumbprint” of a local business online.

Citations: Mentions or cites of a business that Google can identify as such. Most citations come from listings in structured directories, like Internet Yellow Pages, Yelp, CitySearch, etc.

Google Places: The database where business owners can claim, verify and add/edit information about their company.

Google+Local for Business: Local business listings appearing on the Google+ platform.

Local Search: Any search made with the intention of finding something within a particular geographic area. Google tells us 1 of every 5 searches has local intent.

Explicit local search: When the searcher uses a geo-term in the query

Implicit local search: When no geo-term is used, but the Search Engine interprets local intent

Google knows where you are!

Local Search results: Results appearing in Maps results, in Local Packs , in organic results with Map pins, as carousel images, and in personalized organic results w/o Map pins.

Local Packs: Clusters of local search results with Map pins that appear within the Google organic results.

Maps Local Pack

Local Carousel: New form of Local Pack listings which appear as images across the top of the organic SERPs

Localized Organic Listings: Organic results w/o Map pins that appear as regular-looking listings (no Map pin), but are personalized for the searcher’s location

Los Angeles Denver

Google Local Business ListingsWhere Does the Information Come From?

EC: Enhanced Content: This can include reviews, photos, business hours, payment methods, and other details. This mostly comes via feeds from other websites.

Public Directories:Information scraped from public directories or created and licensed from 3rd parties, like IYPs and data providers

UGC + WEB: User Generated Content & other websites. Both these sources are either submitted to Google directly or crawled, just like other web search results

Google Places: Information submitted by the business and verified as individual listings OR as a bulk feed by a brand of multiple locations.

More Info: http://moz.com/blog/how-business-listings-made-whiteboard-friday

Local Search Data Distribution

From David Mihm :http://www.davidmihm.com/blog/local-seo/local-search-ecosytem-fall-2012/

Google+Local is Only Half-Baked

Google Says WAIT, Don’t Merge!Places page in Plus clothing Places page and Plus merged together

If You Must Merge….

http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/business/need-advice/I0Royu8V9x8

Read this First!

Business Listing Quality Guidelines

It’s Easy to Do It Wrong – Don’t Think SEO

Read the official guidelines here: https://support.google.com/places/answer/107528?hl=en

Read the guidelines with my notes on them here: http://localu.org/blog/rules-for-google-plus-local-for-business-listings/

The Big Don’ts1. Don’t give the business a keyword rich name – use real biz name

only2. Don’t put location terms or category terms in the description3. Don’t keyword stuff the description in any way

Places Listing Website

Keyphrase Research for Local

•Most searches are for the obvious fat head terms•Optimize most important pages for terms that match Google categories and subcategories •Tools to Use:• Google Keyword Planner• Google Trends• Google Suggest• Google Related Terms

Don’t Make This Harder Than It Is

Location Terms in On-Page Opti

Use Location Terms in Page Titles, Meta Descriptions, H1s, Image Alt Tags, Text Content and Internal Linking

Page titles and meta descriptions usually show up as your ads in the SERPs. Tell people where you are!

Location Pages

Visitors Can Enter the Website Through Any Page

•Make sure people and the Search Engines can tell who you are, what you do and where you are no matter which page they land on

•Individual location pages are very often the entry points for local searches in Google

•Make them good landing pages with all the info someone wants/needs

•Include a prominent phone number above the fold

• Include multiple calls to action

Content for Location Pages

What the Heck Can I Put on All Those Location Pages?

•Name, Address, Phone in text format (Schema.org micro format is better)•Prominent phone number with CTA•Embedded Google Map•Contact Form•Symbols of trust•Unique description of that location•Driving directions from different areas (let’s you add landmark terms)•Bios of managers and/or featured employees •Photos of that building exterior, interior, staff, products, services •Testimonials from happy customers for that locale•Case studies of work done in that locale•Lists of past customers in that location•Any info unique to that location or provider • pest control=common bugs and rodents in that area & how they are dealt with• plumber=licenses, insurance & bonding, certifications, experience

For many locations - whether you have actual stores/offices/shops or want to try to rank for multiple towns, you must make them UNIQUE:

Twitter @MaryBowling

Great Location Landing Page

Prominent phone & Call to action

User Generated Content

Unique content Areas served (not overdone)

Address

Symbols of trust

Contact form

Google Map

( Page created by Nifty Marketing )

Responding to Bad Reviews

Most Businesses Need Help

• Most business owners/managers are too emotionally involved

• Understand Terms of Service at important review websites• Use responses to reassure future prospects• Take the conversation offline ASAP• Facebook and Twitter comments need responses, too

Responding to Bad Reviews

Advice Worth Listening To

https://support.google.com/places/answer/184271?hl=en

https://biz.yelp.com/support/responding_to_reviews

http://searchengineland.com/5-tips-for-responding-to-negative-customer-reviews-online-102136

From Google:

From Yelp:

From Andrew Shotland:

From Miriam Ellis:http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=502

http://www.reviewtrackers.com/case-studies-business-owners-respond-bad-yelp-reviews/

From Review Trackers

Where to Go for HelpUse Google Support Options

• Report/Edit using Mapmaker • Directly from listing

• Find answers• http://support.google.com/places/bin/a

nswer.py?hl=en&answer=176504• Report using trouble shooter

• http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/business

• Get a call back-talk to support!• login to Google account• https://support.google.com/business/c

ontact/business_c2c

Google Support has IMPROVED!

Where to Go For Help

Bing Local Business Listings

• To submit a listing https://www.bingplaces.com/

• Support is available from within your account

• Use IE or Firefox – not Chrome

Where to Go For Help

Yahoo! Local Business Listings

• To submit a listing• http://smallbusiness.yah

oo.com/local-listings/• Listing Removal Form

http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/local/personal_info.html

• Help forum http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/ysm/ll/local_general.html

• Make sure info on your site matches info you submit

Local Resources

Who to Listen To

Mike Blumenthalhttp://blumenthals.com/blog/

LocalUhttp://localu.org/blog/

Phil Rosekhttp://www.localvisibilitysystem.com/blog/

Andrew Shotlandhttp://www.localseoguide.com/

Matt McGeehttp://www.smallbusinesssem.com/

Thanks!

Mary BowlingBlog: www.MaryBowling.com

SMB Marketing: www.IgnitorDigital.com

Local Search Class information: http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/local-search-classes-at-planet-ocean/

Local Search for SEO Copywriters - Mary Bowling - Ignitor Digital

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