implementing local search for entrepreneurs

Small Business Search Optimization

– Keyword Research– On-Site Optimization– Local SEO

by Jim Spencer www.jbspartners.com

Biz 100 Tour, 2010

on Twitter for the last 3 years, 7 months, 7 days, 3 hours37 minutes

Hi, I’m Jim

@fairminder

• JBS Partners, since 2002• Web design & marketing firm.• Our web properties include: –www.JBSPartners.com –www.BlogWranglers.com –www.WebPageAdvisor.com –www.TweetAdvisor.com

Here’s were you will find me

• Confirm SEO knowledge• See it’s largely Common Sense• Develop a process• Take away a few tools

Why this is worth your time

Be Happy!!!

• Why do you have a website?• What need are you fulfilling?• What question are you answering?

Where do we start?

• Who is your audience?• What is your audience asking?• How do they ask the question?• What words do they use?

• Answer these questions in your keywords• Answer these questions in your copy

What are the Questions?

You Don’t know any Keywords?

• Ask how clients search• Your own Analytics• www.google.com/insights/search/# • www.google.com/trends • Google Key Word Tool • SEO Book Keyword Tool

Keyword Research Tools

http://bit.ly/GKWTool

Google Keyword Tool

Google Trends

SEO Book Keyword Tool

SEO Book Keyword Tool 2

What do I do with the Keywords?

• Meta Title• Meta Description• Meta Keywords• Image Alt Title Attribute• Tool Tip• <address> tag

Meta Data and HTML

• Page URL – no under scores or spaceswww.domain.com/baseball-caps/red

• Meta Title – 70 characters maxBaseball cap, base ball hats, red sox, red hats

• Meta Description – 155 characters max“RedSox Release new Red Baseball Cap

Style”

Major On-page Factors

• Headline or Page Heading - <H1>Embroidered red baseball caps

• Text on the pageText about red baseball caps

• Sub HeadingsPersonalized red baseball caps

Major On-page Factors

• Image captionsBig Papi sporting the latest red baseball cap

• Alt title attributesPersonalize red baseball cap worn by Big

Papi

• Tool TipNew red baseball cap

Major On-page Factors

Meta Title

Meta Title

•Unique Meta Data on each and every page•Use meta data to inform, be clear, compel

Meta Title Example

You mean there is more?

• Set a primary URL – www or http://

• http://jbspartners.com/ resolves to http://www.jbspartners.com/

• Use 301 Permanent Redirects to condense variations.

• On XHTML docs include trailing "/" slash.

Redirects / Canonicalization

• Keyword anchor text not “Click here” • Link to deep “Pillar” or “Evergreen” content• Minimize # of links on a page (-25)• Link out to helpful, authoritative sites

Internal Linking

• ff-375_xl.jpg or red-baseball-cap.jpg• Include useful caption under the image• Use descriptive alt attribute text• Consider allowing Google Image Search in WMT

title="BlogWranglers Home "src="

http://www.jbspartners.com/wpcontent/uploads/blog-wranglers-home.jpg"

alt="A Free Theme Made for a Quick Decision" width="300" height="253" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text“>Custom Theme</p></div>

Image Optimization

SEO

IS

GLOBAL

GO

L O C A L

Address Layout Example

• Company Name and Service,• Street,• Street Address,• City,• Province/State,• Zip code• Country

• Use hCard format

Address format based on USPS

• <div class="lsrfcontent"> <div class="address"> <div class="org"><a class="url" href="http://www.davidmihm.com">David Mihm, Inc.</a></div> <div class="adr"> <div class="street-address">1919 NW Quimby St<Br>Suite 402</div> <span class="locality">Portland</span>, <span class="region">OR</span>&nbsp; <span class="postal-code">97209</span> <div class="tel">(503) 560-2755</div> <div class="email"><a href="mailto:davidmihm@gmail.com">davidmihm@gmail.com</a></div> </div> </div> </div>

Address Example Code

• Consistent use of contact information–Use a local phone exchange–Use keyword in business title if you can

• Also Include–Photos and Videos– Service description–Coupons

www.GetListed.com

Complete the Entire Profile

• Yahoo Directory ($300)• Business.com ($300)• Joe Ant ($40)• Your Industry Directories

Top Directories that are not Free

• Company name and contact info on a local Charity event website

• Chamber of Commerce member listing• Local paper or other media citation• These confirm and validate your location

Local Citations, not Links

• Quality: .gov and .edu CAN trump .com• Quantity: No limit, but maintain quality• Claim your Google Places and other listings• Review Sites: Ask customers to rate and

review your business; Yelp, CitySearch, InsiderPages, Yahoo Local, JudysBook, OpenTable, DexKnows, SuperPages

Valuable Links and Citations

• What problem do you solve?• Commons Sense Keyword list corroborated

by research using tools• On-page SEO factors; meta data• Off-page SEO factors; links, directories,

citations

Summary

THANKS

This presentation will be available at http://www.jbspartners.com/

http://www.slideshare.net/jbspartners

I look forward to connecting with you jim@jbspartners.com

781-640-8874http://twitter.com/fairminder