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@paulalmkeller

SURVIVING & THRIVING IN LOCAL SEARCHThe challenge of the local digital market

Location, Consistency, Customers

@paulalmkeller

1. Straighten up your Google+ situation

2. Dig deep on citations3. On-site local optimization

@searchinfluence

3 “EASY” STEPS

• Louisiana State University Marketing graduate

• Search Influence Director of Account Management

• Lead 18 account managers

• 5+ years experience in traditional/online marketing

• Google Analytics, Google AdWords + Bing Ads certified

PAULA KELLERABOUT ME

@paulalmkeller

ABOUT SEARCH INFLUENCE

Helping customers successfully market online since 2006. We work with 300+ clients, directly and as a white-label provider to major national media companies

Search Influence • 56+ full-time employees• 25+ contract writers• 25 white-label partners• 220+ white-label clients• 120+ direct clients

Reputation• 2011 Inc. 500 honoree• 2012 & 2013 Inc. 5000 honoree• Recognized leader in search and

social for local business • Over a decade in online media

@paulalmkeller

AS SEEN IN:

@paulalmkeller

70% of U.S. households now use the Internet when shopping locally.

-ComScore

@paulalmkeller

LOCAL SEARCH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.

@paulalmkeller

WHAT IS LOCAL SEARCH?

restaurants

dentists

best divorce attorney in dallas tx

pool builders dallas

hair salon frisco tx

concerts

emergency plumbers

dry cleaners richardson tx

restaurants

grocery store arlington pharmacy near the

village

@paulalmkeller

WH

ER

E IS L

OCA

L

SEA

RCH

?PAID

Search Results

LOCAL Search Results

ORGANIC Search Results

ORGANIC Search Results

@paulalmkeller

WHERE IS LOCAL SEARCH?

@paulalmkeller

WHERE IS LOCAL SEARCH?

@paulalmkeller

41%

15%14%

11%

10%

9% Google Search Facebook Search/Rec-ommendation

Local News Website

Google Ads

Facebook Ads Twitter

HOW DOES DALLAS FIND LOCAL BUSINESSES?

- WrightIMC 2013 @paulalmkeller

“LOCAL” IS RELATIVE

@paulalmkeller

• Confirm name• Multiple variations?• Check Secretary of State

• Confirm address• usps.com/zip4

• Confirm phone• One per location• Should be local• Avoid call-tracking numbers

NAP First!

AUDIT BUSINESS INFORMATION

@searchinfluence

ESSENTIAL:CONSISTENTNAP

@paulalmkeller

THE ANATOMY OF NAPWhat is a local citation?

N A P + W

Name

Address

Phone #

Website

@paulalmkeller

• Number of citations is important, but consistency is MORE important

• Your NAP is your local search fingerprint

• Your NAP should be in each of these places:• Google+ Local• Website• Social media pages• Business directories – “citations”

WHY IS A CONSISTENT NAP ESSENTIAL?

Don’t confuse Google!

@paulalmkeller

• Confirm Name• Multiple variations? Check Secretary of State.

• Confirm Address• usps.com/zip4

• Confirm Phone• One per location• Shoule be local (ex: 214, 469, 972 or approp. area code)• Run away! from call-tracking numbers (in local)

Audit Business Info First!

SOLIDIFY YOUR NAP

@paulalmkeller

Search places.google.com

Step 1.

YOUR GOOGLE+ PAGE

@paulalmkeller

@paulalmkeller

@paulalmkeller

LINK YOUR +PAGE AND YOUR WEBSITE

@searchinfluence

si.ly/gpublisher

BRANDED SEARCH WITH PUBLISHER

No Recent Posts

BRANDED SEARCH WITHOUT PUBLISHER

No Recent Posts

BRANDED SEARCH WITHOUT PUBLISHER

Competitors

INCONSISTENCY & DUPLICATION OF CITATIONS

@paulalmkeller

If done from biz G+ acct, changes take about 1 week

Option 1: Report a Problem

GET RID OF G+ DUPS

@paulalmkeller

Option 1: Report a Problem

GET RID OF G+ DUPS

@paulalmkeller

Instant Changes! Si.ly/callthegoogle

Option 2: Call Google Support

GET RID OF G+ DUPS

DIG DEEP ON CITATIONSStep 2.

• Getlisted.org

• Google: “business name” + “phone #”

• Whitespark Local Citation Finder

• Brightlocal Citation Tracker

• Organize citations so that you can see NAP data errors

• Clean up duplicates/erroneous citations

@paulalmkeller

GETLISTED.ORG

@paulalmkeller

GETLISTED.ORG

@paulalmkeller

Getting Started

Getting Started

GET PICKY WITH IT.

@paulalmkeller

• One listing per location using official NAP• Firms with multiple practitioner: one

listing per practitioner also

• Complete data: description, website, categories, photos, etc.

• If you find duplicates:• Use report a problem/edit details• Contact customer service

Check InfoGroup, Localeze & Acxiom for incorrect info.

• InfoGroup: http://expressupdateusa.com• Localeze: http://webapp.localeze.com/directory/get-started.aspx• Acxiom: http://mybusinesslistingmanger.com

Inconsistent and duplicate citations are BAD.

GO STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE

@paulalmkeller

LOCAL TO YOU DIRECTORIES http://businessdirectory.bizjournals.com/dallas

http://www.thecityofdallas.com/

INDUSTRY DIRECTORIES

http://bit.ly/lawlistingsCourtesy of: Mike Ramsey, Nifty

Marketing

ON-SITE LOCAL OPTIMIZATIONStep 3. • Is NAP on website readable (in plain text, not in an image)?

• NAP should match Google+ Local page NAP

• Additional phone numbers should be non-crawlable

• NAP should be structured data, either Schema or hCard

• To create: schema.org

• To validate: www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets

• NAP on homepage, in footer, and location page(s)!

@paulalmkeller

• Factors to include in a local page:• NAP in Schema or hCard• Embedded Google map linking to your G+ page• Hours• Payment Types• Photos• Testimonials and reviews• Meta description with address and phone included• Locally optimized URL name structure• (eg: domain.com/falls-church-va)

BUILD LOCATION PAGE(S)

@paulalmkeller

Improper or Non-Existent On-Site Local Optimization

SCHEMA & HCARD EXAMPLES

@paulalmkeller

VALIDATE YOUR SNIPPETS www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets

@paulalmkeller

MULTI-LOCATIONSLocation page for each location

• Create one location page per location• Create one locations page that lists all

• If multiple addresses are on one page, MUST mark up in schema

• Content on each must be unique• Include location-specific details

• Staff names, neighborhood, parking tips • Use site architecture to guide the engines

• Should live in /locations/ folder• Name pages with city-st

• townsendla.com/locations/new-orleans-la• townsendla.com/locations/lafayette-la• townsendla.com/locations/baton-rouge-la• townsendla.com/locations/covington-la

@paulalmkeller

FINAL THOUGHTS:KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Claim Google+ Local listing (Post content)

• Discover and update secondary listings

• Focus on correcting / enhancing existing citations

• Seek out local to you and industry directories

• Go straight to the source with data feeds

• Build location page(s)@paulalmkeller

THANK YOU!Paula Keller

Pkeller@searchinfluence.comsearchinfluence.com/blogtwitter.com/Paulalmkeller

slideshare.com/searchinfluence

BONUS: GOOGLE+ AUTHORSHIP

@searchinfluence

• When comparing the six-month period prior to Authorship with the six-month period after installation:

Google organic visits increased over 27% (+11,334 visits)

DeLuca Plastic Surgery Authorship installed April 2012