how to create a killer strategy by spying on your competitors

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

How to Create a KILLER Local SEO Strategy by Spying on Your Competitors

PRESENTED BY: JOY HAWKINS

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Position 5 Position 1 Position 1 Position 2

Position 25Position 18Position 31Position 17

Yesterday Today

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

From 1st to 31st

OVERNIGHT

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Tip #1

Ranking trackers are not enough. You need screenshots.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

BEFORE AFTER

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

1 Change on 1 Listing Caused the entire list

order to change.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Tip #2

Be VERY careful when authorizing 3rd parties to make changes to your

Google My Business listing!

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Air Conditioning Repair Service (changed to)

Air Conditioning Contractor

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Tip #3

You need to know which categories your competitors are using.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

● Choosing the right GMB categories was the #3 ranking factor in Moz’s Local Search Ranking Factors in 2017

● I voted it as #2

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

There are currently 3921 GMB Categories

Some of the new ones that were added: ● Specialist Hospital● Korean Beef Restaurant● Drivers License Training School● Cooking School

In July 2017 there were 3901

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

THE DAY AFTER FIXING THE CATEGORY

ISSUE

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Things your competitors do can [hugely] impact your listing’s ranking!

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Tip #4

If you’ve been filtered from the local results you need to figure out who

filtered you and how they are beating you at local SEO ranking

factors.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

When listings are very close together and are in the same industry, Google can pick the stronger of the 2 and filter the other.

The Possum Filter

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

1. Organic Ranking2.GMB Categories3.Content in GMB

Reviews

Top Factors to Look at

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Tip #6

Check who ranks high when searching from an area far from your office for

additional competitive analysis.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Why do I rank so great in NYC but so poor in every

other state?

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

● This business dropped from 1-3 to 11-12 once the searcher’s location was not in the NYC area.

● The top ranking business out-of-state didn’t rank anywhere in NYC (he was filtered)

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Ranked 1st when searcher’s location was in the rest of the USA

Ranked in the NYC area

When Enzo Custom ranked 1st, it changed the order of the rest of the listings.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

The local ranking factors are different when the searcher’s

location

is NOT local.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

“Auto Insurance Philadelphia”

Proximity to searcher is the #1 ranking factor.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

IDENTICAL!

Proximity to searcher is not a ranking factor

when the searcher’s

location isn’t local.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Enzo was losing the local fight against Possum because he

moved a year ago.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Tip #5

Check competitor listings to see if they have reviews that don’t belong to them.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

BEFORE AFTER

Reviews are GONE!

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Tip #7

Do a site: search for a competitor site then click Tools > Any Time and select “past month” to see new content they

have produced in the last month.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Use Ahrefs to find featured snippet opportunities

Tip #8

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Total clicks on the page went from 288to 1747

Total impressions of the page in the search results went from 2,065 to 22,490

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Tip #9

Regularly check for competitor listings that violate the guidelines & report them on the

Google My Business forum or directly to GMB.

Less competition = More visibility.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

➔ 17 removed (ineligible)➔ 2 are permanently closed➔1 was keyword stuffing➔ 8 were legit/eligible

28 Businesses

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

National Brands

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

● A national security company using cell phone stores in malls

that sold their product. Google removed 1040 listings.

● A national phone company that had tons of listings for their security service as a separate listing located inside their retail stores (*note: it didn’t have a department)

● A national security company that was using virtual offices to get listed in major cities across the US.

National Brands

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Spammy Duplicates

When a business creates several keyword-stuffed listings to rank multiple times.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Virtual Offices are not allowed.

If your business rents a temporary, "virtual" office at a different address from

your primary business, do not create a page for that location unless it is

staffed during your normal business hours.

@joyannehawkins#StateOfSearch

Questions?Want more advanced local SEO

training? Use promo code SOS15 to save* 15% off my 200+ page training

manual.http://localu.org/experts-guide-local-

seo/*Offer expires October 31, 2017