Originally shared at LocalU in Austin, TX on November 4, 2014, this presentation from Tommy Landry of Return On Now highlights the basics of how to optimize your website for local ranking.

1. Local Search Engine
Optimization Basics
Training for LocalU
November 4, 2014

2. About Tommy Landry
President, Return On Now
Specialty: Internet Marketing
SEO, SEM, Content, Social, Websites, Online Advertising, Web
Analytics, Metrics
20+ Years Marketing
13 Years SEO
9 Years SEM
Lifetime of Content & Social
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
2

3. Agenda
Basics of SEO
How Keywords Work
SEO Elements
How to Select Keywords
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
3

4. What is Search Engine Optimization?
SEO is the practice of enhancing your online visibility so you
can be found as easily as possible via the search engines
without paying for placement.
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
4

5. Reminder: SERP Placement
1. Local Business Listings
2. Your Website
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
5

6. 32.8%
11.8%
3.5%
7.3%
10.7%
2.9%
0.7% 0.9%
1.7%
0.5%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Aim to Rank High on Page One
Top 4 organic positions
account for 63% of page 1
clicks
11/5/2014 Source: http://blog.mediative.com/en/2014/10/06/organic-click-through-rates-2014/
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Position 2014 CTR
1 32.8%
2 11.8%
3 10.7%
4 7.3%
5 3.5%
6 2.9%
7 1.7%
8 0.7%
9 0.9%
10 0.5%

7. How Keywords Work
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
7

8. The Role of Keywords
Search engines operate on matching algorithms
Users search with strings of text / numbers
Keywords are where the searches and algorithms meet
Pick keywords that real users look for (forget “ego” terms)
Combine with location when targeting:
Austin Marketing Agency
Boston Pizza Restaurant
Skating Rinks in Springfield, IL
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
8

9. SEO Elements
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
9

10. SEO Elements
On-Page
Items you control on the actual website that impact ranking
Off-Page
Who links to you and how much authority that drives for
your own website
Social
Social shares and the authority of the sharer, how
trustworthy you are to Google as an individual
Technical
Performance, site structure, crawler management, etc.
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
10

11. SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
11

12. SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
12

13. SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
13

14. SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
http://returnonnow.com/2013/08/bid-adjustment-google-adwords-enhanced-campaigns/
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
14

15. SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
Include in Persistent Content – Header / Footer – If Possible
Employ Semantic Markup (For More info: http://schema.org)
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
15

16. SEO Elements: Off-Page
Crawlers Use Links To Discover Content
Internal Links: Indicate What Pages Matter Most
External Links: Historically, “Votes of Approval”
How Links Impact Ranking
Context + Anchor Text: Brand, Keywords, Location
PageRank / Authority (aka “link juice”) – i.e. Quality vs. Quantity
VERY IMPORTANT FOR LOCAL: NAP Info MUST Be
Consistent Across the Web
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
16

17. SEO Elements: Off-Page
Good Link Sources for Local SEO
Reputable Directories & Websites
Local: Yelp, Kudzu, CitySearch, SuperPages, Manta, Foursquare
Niche Specific: Focused on Your Industry
Local Targeted Sites
Information Sources: Blogs, Newspapers
City/Business Associations: BBB, Chamber of Commerce, SBA
Local Partners: Charities You Support, Referral Partners
Social Media Profiles & Pages
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
Be Sure to Include Location In Bio / Description
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
17

18. SEO Elements: Social Matters Now
Top Variables Influencing Ranking (Search Metrics 2013 Study)
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
18

19. SEO Elements: Technical
Mobile Readiness
Page Load Time / Site Speed (1.5 seconds or less)
Overall Usability
Website Architecture / Ease of Crawl
XML Sitemap
Robots.txt File
404 Errors (Page Not Found) vs. 301 Redirects
Canonical Tags
Google Webmaster Tools Is Your Friend
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
19

20. How to Select Keywords
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
20

21. Keyword Research 101
Step 1: Identify Possible Topics
Step 2: Expand the List
Start Here: Google Keyword Planner
Other Research Tools
Ubersuggest or Similar Online Tools
Google Suggest / Autocomplete
Google Trends
Step 3: Filter the Results
Target High Volume, Low Competition Keywords
Add Local Modifiers to Reduce Competition
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
21

22. Types of Keywords to Pursue
Source: Elliance / SEM Group under
Creative Commons Attribution License
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
22

23. Build Keywords Into Architecture
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
23
Home Page
Target Brand + Money Keyword
Category Page
Target More Competitive
Keywords
Category Page
Target More Competitive
Keywords
Category Page
Target More Competitive
Keywords
Category Page
Target More Competitive
Keywords
Detail Page
Target “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail Page
Target “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail Page
Target “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail Page
Target “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail Page
Target “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail Page
Target “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail Page
Target “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail Page
Target “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Most Powerful Page
Least Powerful Pages

24. Sample Architecture Table
Level Page URL Page Title Target Keywords
0 Home Page / COMPANY: Big Data Predictive Analytics Software for Oil and Gas Predictive Analytics, Big Data
1 Products / Solution /complete-solution/ Predictive Modeling Software for Oil and Gas Industry - COMPANY Predictive Modeling, Oil and Gas Industry
1 Coverage /coverage/ Shale Plays Coverage - Where We Operate - COMPANY Shale Play, Shale Plays
2 Bakken /coverage/bakken/ Bakken Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Bakken Shale
2 Barnett /coverage/barnett/ Barnett Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Barnett Shale
2 Eagle Ford /coverage/eagle-ford/ Eagle Ford Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Eagle Ford
2 Marcellus /coverage/marcellus/ Marcellus Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Marcellus Shale
2 Permian /coverage/permian-basin/ Permian Basin Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Permian Basin
2 Other /coverage/other/ Other Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Other Shale
1 Partners /partners/ Technology, Science, and Engineering Partners - COMPANY Partners
2 TIBCO Spotfire /partners/tibco-spotfire/ TIBCO Spotfire is a Partner of COMPANY TIBCO Spot
1 Blog /blog/ COMPANY Blog - Oil & Gas Predictive Modeling and Analytics COMPANY Blog
1 Company /company/ Company Information - COMPANY COMPANY Company Information
2 About Us /company/about-us/ About COMPANY - Revolutionary Sub-Surface Oil and Gas Insights About COMPANY
2 Leadership /company/leadership/ Management Team - Leadership - COMPANY Management Team
2 Events /company/events/ Upcoming Industry Events - COMPANY Upcoming Industry
2 Press /company/press/ Press Releases, Company News Coverage, Media Mentions - COMPANY Press Releases, News Coverage
2 Contact Us /company/contact-COMPANY/ Contact COMPANY Contact COMPANY
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
24

25. How to Audit Your Own SEO
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
25

26. How Should I Audit My Website?
You Have Two Options:
1. Learn SEO and audit everything manually (page titles, meta
descriptions, body copy, image alt-tags, etc.)
2. Use a free SEO audit tool (see next slide)
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
26

27. Free SEO Audit Tools
On-Page Audit Tools
http://www.seoptimer.com/
http://www.seoworkers.com/tools/analyzer.html
Off-Page Link Audit Tools
http://moz.com/researchtools/ose
https://ahrefs.com/
Website Crawler
http://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
27

28. Key Takeaways: Local SEO
1. Pick the Right Keywords and Target Local Derivatives
2. Optimize Where You Use Those Keywords on Your Website
3. Ensure Consistent Contact Information Across the Web
4. Pursue Opportunities to Earn Relevant Links to Your Website
5. Don’t Overlook the Impact of Social and Technical Factors
11/5/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
28

29. Thank you!
Tommy Landry, Return On Now
Where to find me:
Twitter
Me: @tommy_landry
Business: @ReturnOnNow
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tommylandry/
Email: tommy@returnonnow.com
Website: http://ReturnOnNow.com