local search for seo copywriters - mary bowling - ignitor digital
DESCRIPTION
Learn how to take local search into consideration as you work to write excellent copy for your own website. This presentation outlines the importance of name, address and phone number issues as well as some tips for troubleshooting issues.TRANSCRIPT
Local Search for SEO Copywriters
Mary Bowling
Blog: www.MaryBowling.comSmall Biz Marketing: www.IgnitorDigital.com
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Optimized!
LocalU.org
About Me
www.IgnitorDigital.com
MaryBowling.com
Twitter @MaryBowling IgnitorDigital.com + [email protected]
Local Search Definitions
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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 Definitions
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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 Definitions
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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 Search Definitions
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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?
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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/
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Google+Local is Only Half-Baked
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Google Says WAIT, Don’t Merge!Places page in Plus clothing Places page and Plus merged together
If You Must Merge….
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http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/business/need-advice/I0Royu8V9x8
Read this First!
Business Listing Quality Guidelines
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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
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•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
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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
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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
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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:
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Great Location Landing Page
Prominent phone & Call to action
Hours
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
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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
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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!
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Where to Go For Help
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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
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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
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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!
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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/