Search Engine Optimization For Local Search

1. Search Engine Optimization For Local Search Mary Bowling Twitter: @MaryBowling Blog: www.MaryBowling.com Google+: MaryBBowling@gmail.com Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

2. For Local Businesses, SEO is • Making it as easy as possible for prospective customers to findinformation about • YOUR BUSINESS • wherever they may be looking online for you or for the goods and services you sell! Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

3. To Achieve That, We Need To: • Create and improve yourwebsite so that it will rank highly on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) tohelp potential customers find the business’ website. • Create and improve businesslistings inimportant local places across the web to help potential customers find the business’ information on other websites. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

4. SEO Helps You Rank in 2 Ways LOCAL MAP PAID ADS PAID ADS ORGANIC RESULTS LOCAL RESULTS Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

5. Who Gets The Clicks? US Search Engine Market Share January 2013 Other 5% Bing 16% BingHoo 28% 67% GOOGLE 12% Yahoo Bing provides organic search results for Yahoo! Search Source: ComScore Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

6. Aim for Ranking on Page 1 ! #1 - 42.13% #2 - 11.90% #3 - 8.50% #4 - 6.06% #5 - 4.92% #6 - 4.05% #7 - 3.41% #8 - 3.01% #9 - 2.85% #10 - 2.99% Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

7. The SEO Process • Pick the right keyword phrases • Decide which pages on our website to optimize for which terms • Implement the keyword phrases within the content of your web pages appropriately • Link between your own pages • Gain links and citations from other websites • Eliminate technical problems Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

8. The Algorithms(What’s the secret formula?) Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

9. Google Algo Super Simplified! On page Keyword Use Incoming Links Everything Else Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

10. Google Says: • “People often talk about “the Google results” but the truth is there is no single “Google” — at any given time there are 50-200 different versions of our core algorithm out in the wild. Millions more when you realize your search results are personalized to you and you alone.” • In other words, we are all seeing differing results all the time. • Source:http://www.google.com/insidesearch/playground/underthehood.html Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

11. What Search Engines Want • To return the most relevant and useful results for every search query. • So, we have to demonstrateand reinforce the relevance and usefulness of our pages to searchers. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

12. Relevance=Location • Google knows where we are: • via automatic detection • via our settings and info in our Google account • The business’ location and distance from the searcher help Google determine usefulness. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

13. Relevance = Keywords in HTML titles and headline tags we place on our web pages: Page titles appear in the SERPs Headline tags appear on the page Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

14. Relevance = Keywords in The text content we place on our pages Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

15. Relevance = Keywords in The textin the links that point to our web pages Link text: insurance agent Link text: Cannizzaro Insurance Link text: austin renters insurance Link text: car policy Link text: affordable auto coverage A link tells Search Engines and humans what the page it points to is about. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

16. Recap on Relevance Signals • Our location in relationship to searcher’s location • Keywords in • page titles and html tags • website text • text in links pointing to pages Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

17. On-Site Optimization(What we put on our own web pages) Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

18. Start with Keywords We have total control over what we put on our own pages On-page Keyword Use Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

19. Which Keywords? Don’t Guess! Keyword research = foundation of SEO It enables you to learn: • What terms? • Howmany searches? • How hard to rank? Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

20. What Makes a Good Keyword? • Issomeone searching for that term likely to turn into a customer for your business? Those are the terms to optimize for! Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

21. Use Google Suggest Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

22. Research Local Keywords Google Trends Tool Add search terms Choose location Choose time period http://www.google.com/trends/explore Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

23. Keyword List Tips Put your terms into a free tool* to get an idea of how many people are searching for it and how hard it might be to rank for it *See your handouts for a list Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

24. Keyword Mapping • Create a plan of how your keywords will be used to optimize your website. • Critical step that will guide all of your ongoing search engine optimization efforts • Begin by reviewingyour site structure. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

25. Map Your Site Structure • The higher up a page is in the site structure the more natural potential ranking power it has. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

26. Match Pages to Keywords What is that web page about? What keyword term(s) best describe it? How many people are searching for the term(s)? How hard will it be to rank for the term(s)? How much potential ranking power does that page have? There is no exact formula for doing this! Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

27. Sample Keyword Map Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

28. Where to Use Keywords • Use assigned keywords in the important TEXT areas of your pages: • URLs • HTML Page Titles • H1, H2 (headlines and subheads) • Text-based content • Navigation links • Other internal link text • Image file names, alt tags and captions Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

29. Page Title URL Navigation Header (h1) Subheader (h2) Where to Use Keywords Content Image

30. Optimize Your Search Results When a page appears in the SERPs, people usually see: HTML Page title URL HTML metadescription Page title + Meta description + URL = “Free Ad” in the SERPs Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

31. Check Your Own Ads! Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

32. Make Ads Enticing • Focus on the searcher, who’s thinking: • What’s in it for me? • What problem can this help me solve? • Why should I go to this page instead of another? • Include a call to action : call today, get a free quote, get help, learn how, download , etc. • Ads read better if they are not cut off in the search results • Page Title: No more than 65 characters • Meta Description: No more than 150 characters. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

33. Local SEO Tips for Your Website Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

34. Make Location Unmistakable Place your business name, full street address and local phone number on all pages of your website in text form Consider using www.Schema.orgmicrodata format for this Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

35. Check Your Website Crawlability If the Search Engines can’t find or crawl your pages, they cannot appear in the Search Results. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

36. Check What Google “Sees” Check your home page and all other important pages on your website Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

37. To Rank for Multiple Locations • With a physical presence (you have an office, shop or store in a location) you qualify for a Google business listing for each location. It is eligible to rank in Google Maps and in the organic Google results. • Without a physical presence (you service the location, but do not have an office or shop there) you do not qualify for a Google business listing and you are not eligible to rank in the Google Maps results. You are eligible to rank in the organic results. Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

38. To Rank for Multiple Locations • In either case (with or without a physical presence), create a separate website page for each location. • Unique, useful page for searchers about that location • Optimize the page for main service or product + location • Use good internal linking (between your own pages) • Build external links to each page (from other websites) • For each local page on Google+, point your link to your website URL about that location Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

39. Website pages Manhattan Insurance Office Located Here Maps SERPs • Manhattan Insurance • Bronx Insurance Service area – No Office Organic SERPs Local Business page on Google+ • Brooklyn Insurance • Service Area – No Office • Queens Insurance Service Area – No Office Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

40. Internal Link Text • When linking from one of your pages to another, use descriptive link text to tell SE’s what page is about • Replace click here, view more, learn more, etc to location+keywordterms to point to the page optimized for those terms. • For a page optimized for Austin Accounting, change Click Hereto See all of our Austin accounting servicesor Tax advice in Austin • Mix up link text – don’t use the exact same term over and over Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

41. Recap: On-site Optimization • Pick the right keyword phrases • Map keywords to pages • Implement keywords on chosen pages • Make your “ads” enticing • Put location information in text form • Give each location you wish to rank for its own unique page useful to searchers Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

42. Off-Page Optimization(aka link building) Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

43. Off-Page Optimization = Links Incoming Links Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

44. Links = Votes • The more votes you have the better,BUT not all links are equal. • Quality counts and crummy links can hurt you! Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

45. Improve Existing Links • You can see links with this tool: http://www.opensiteexplorer.org/ • Look at the pages that link to you • Is all the information correct? • Can you add more detail? Description, photos, videos, services, hours, payment types, etc. • Are you in the right categories? • Can you add a link? • Can you improve the link text? Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

46. Links from Relationships • Business groups • Social groups • Charities and sponsorships • Local school and college websites • Clients and partners • Businesses you already have referral relationships with Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

47. Links from Local Directories • Yelp • Kudzu • CitySearch • InsiderPages • DiscoverOurTown • Topix • WCities • AngiesList • CitySquares • MerchantCircle • CityVoter • JudysBook • Foursquare • Internet Yellow Pages Pages Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

48. Links from Local Sites • Better Business Bureau • Convention & Visitor’s Bureau • Local Media - Newspapers, Magazines, TV • Chamber of Commerce • Local Business Directories • Local city guides • Local blogs • Local and regional tourism sites Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

49. Links from Niche Sites • Free Wifi • ATM • Minority-owned • Woman-owned • Non-profit • Other Languages • Maps • Adult only • Handicapped accessible • Blog • Product Types • Videos • Images • Coupons • In something • Near something • Kid-friendly • Pet friendly Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org

50. Links from Social Media Sites • Set Up Social Media Profiles here: • LinkedIn • Flickr • Facebook Fan Page • Twitter • YouTube Channel • Google+ profile Optimized! www.MaryBowling.com www.LocalU.org