Local Search for SEO Copywriters - Mary Bowling - Ignitor Digital

Local Search for SEO
Copywriters
Mary Bowling
Blog: www.MaryBowling.com
Small 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 Listings
Where 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’ts
1. Don’t give the business a keyword rich name – use real biz name
only
2. Don’t put location terms or category terms in the description
3. 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
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
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 Help
Use Google Support Options
• Report/Edit using Mapmaker
• Directly from listing
• Find answers
•http://support.google.com/places/bin/
answer.py?hl=en&answer=176504
• Report using trouble shooter
•http://productforums.google.com/foru
m/#!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_g
eneral.html
•Make sure info on your
site matches info you
submit

Local Resources
Who to Listen To
Mike Blumenthal
http://blumenthals.com/blog/
LocalU
http://localu.org/blog/
Phil Rosek
http://www.localvisibilitysystem.com/blog/
Andrew Shotland
http://www.localseoguide.com/
Matt McGee
http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/

Thanks!
Mary Bowling
Blog: 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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