A presentation on the Google SEO challenges faced by local directories/yellow pages sites with some ideas on how these sites can take on Google.

1. Andrew Shotland
CEO, LOCALSEOGUIDE.COM
How Local Directories Can
Stay Get Relevant in
Search
ADP INNOVATION DAY
04.16.18

2. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 2

3. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
DO NO
EVIL
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4. TL;DR
• How To Maintain & Grow Organic Traffic
• Relevance
• Authority
• Testing & Tweaking
• Thinking Outside of Your Website
• #1 Google Ranking Factor
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 4

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6. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
http://web.archive.org/web/20040606030011/http://www.insiderpages.com:80/
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11. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
“We’re going to redesign the
site to better reflect our brand
promise and customer journey”
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http://web.archive.org/web/20170622144022/http://www.insiderpages.com/
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14. Where Do Customers Come From?
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
Channel Fortune 500
“Brands”
“Who?”
Media
“Who?”
eCommerce
SEO 41% 77% 20%
Direct 33% 12% 16%
Paid 14% 5% 46%
Email 11% 4% 17%
Social 1% 2% 1%
Source: LocalSEOGuide.com Channel Study 2017
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15. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
Channel Fortune 500
“Brands”
“Who?”
Media
“Who?”
eCommerce
SEO $ $$ $$
Direct $$$$ $ $$
Paid $$$$ $$$$ $$$$
Email $$$$ $$$$ $$$$
Social $$$ $$$ $$
So Where Do We Invest?
Source: LocalSEOGuide.com Conversations w Cheap Clients 2006-2017
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16. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
DO NO
EVIL
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Knowledge Panel

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Local Packs

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Images

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Reviews

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Instant Answers/
Related Questions

22. IYPs Lagging in Key “Content”
Features
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
SERP Feature Top 5 Local
Directories
Average*
MozCast
(All Sites)**
Knowledge Panel 47% 51%
Local Packs 26% 22%
Reviews 22% (14% w/o Yelp) 37%
Images 15% 18%
Instant
Answers/Related
Questions
2% 26%
*Source: SEMRush SERP Features for Yellowpages.com, Yelp.com, Mapquest.com, Superpages.com & Manta.com
**Source: Mozcast SERP Feature History
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24. The Best SEO Investment Is
Creating a Product That
Your Customers Want
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
…and then knowing how to squeeze every last
drop of SEO out of it.
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25. #1 Google Ranking Factor: Technical SEO
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28. #1 Ranking Factor: Relevance
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 28

29. You Are Getting Outplayed By
Pipsqueaks…
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 29

30. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
And SEO-Focused Media Sites…
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31. And SEO Focused B2B Sites…
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
http://www.localseoguide.com/how-to-
update-your-internet-yellow-pages-
listings-for-free/
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32. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
Site # of Articles
Avvo 15,000+
Angies List 12,000+
Home Advisor 2,000+
Manta 1,000+
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33. #1 Ranking Factor: Mobile
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 33

34. #1 Ranking Factor: Authority (aka
Links)
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
Source: Majestic.com referring domains to Thumbtack.com
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35. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
https://www.thumbtack.com/tx/dallas/#/2016/1
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41. #1 Ranking Factor: Content
Optimization
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 41

42. Rewriting Product Descriptions
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
“The primary SEO lift comes from adding to a non-existent
description and enriching a poor description. The average lift
is 15%. High ~30%, low ~3%, depending on type of content
and demand.”
-Former Head of SEO, Walmart.com
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43. Your Biz Profile Page is 95% Not What
the Consumer is Looking For…
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 43
utility
AdAd
utility
content

44. This Page is 90% Not What the
Consumer is Looking For, But…
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 44
content
content
more stuff below
for biz owner
Content targeted at
business owners
Ad
Ad
utility
“unique“
content

45. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
http://www.myyp.com/Uniondale,NY/Taxi-Latino-of-Long-Island/profile
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http://www.showmelocal.com/profile.aspx?bid=365755
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https://www.thumbtack.com/tx/dallas/tree-trimming/

48. Are Your Titles The Best?
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49. Are You Selling Me In The SERPs?
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50. Are You “Near Me”?
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
http://www.localseoguide.com/near-local-seo-ranking-factors/
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51. Need A Lift?
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018 51

52. Are You Fighting For Your Share?
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https://www.yellowpages.com/dall
as-tx/bars-showing-the-
mayweather-fight-tonight-in-
newark-delaware

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54. Think Outside Your Box
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55. How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
•Book luxury hotels on JetSetter
•See expert hotel photos on Oyster.com
•Book the best restaurants with TheFork
•Book tours and attraction tickets on Viator
•Read cruise reviews on Cruise Critic
•Read travel guides at SmarterTravel
•Get airline seating charts on Seat Guru
•Find airfare deals at Airfarewatchdog
•Find vacation rentals on FlipKey
•Search for holiday rentals on Holiday Lettings
•Find a vacation home on Vacation Home Rentals
•Plan a family vacation on Family Vacation Critic
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56. Think Outside Your Local Box
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57. Things To Do…
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1. Get Attention
2. Answer Questions
3. Understand What Your Customers (Consumers and Advertisers) Are Searching For
4. Always Be Testing & Tweaking
5. Don’t Just Rely On a Single Website, or a Single SEO Tactic
6. Go Responsive!

58. SEO Is Always The Lowest Priority…
Until It’s Not.
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
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59. Thank You!
How Local Directories Can Get Relevant in Search | ADP Innovation Day 2018
Andrew@localseoguide.com
https://twitter.com/localseoguide
http://www.localseoguide.com/contact/
PRESENTATION AVAILABLE AT
http://www.localseoguide.com/adp2018
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