Top Local SEO Stories of the Week

This week there were numerous gems posted on the web in regards to SEO and internet marketing. In particular, I noticed a lot of information being posted in relation to local SEO efforts. Small business owners, this information is for you. Let’s get started.

The Complete Beginners Guide to Schema.org Markup

This article was found on Search Engine Watch, it contains a basic overview (for beginners) for implementing the use of structured data on your website. This is a chance for many local, small business owners to add in relevant data about their location and business information.

If you own a locally based business, ask your developer if you currently have schema on the site. If you can’t get a definitive answer or just aren’t sure, an alternative is to use this site and input your website URL.

Pro-tip: Take a look at your schema category, if it is listed as “local business” then you can definitely do better. Have a look at the options here and find the best fit for you.

Is Google Becoming More Hyperlocal?

The article points out recent changes that have been realized in numerous niches. Maps listings that once showed up to four pages of businesses are now being compressed to show only one page of options. My take on this, google is making a push for the first map pack spot to be a paid position. This forces many small businesses to either shit or get off the pot. If your business was listed and now currently doesn’t show up then your only option is to buy your way to the top and become caught up in ad spend and bidding wars.

What can you do?

Well, a local SEO campaign should be your first thought. If you see the value (or lack of value if you no longer show up) in having the top 3 spots in the map pack then you need to be pro-active in attaining and maintaining those rankings. An optimized Google My Business listing, optimized images, citations and relevant website pages are all a necessity. Throw in your social signals and unstructured citations as well. I really see the map pack rankings becoming the focus of lead generation for the feature. When combined with a PPC campaign, your business now stands a chance to be visible above the fold to potential clients and customers.

This information brings me to the last article which offers some incredible insights into local search.

Case study: 33% of local search business is from non-locals (and 7 tips for capturing that traffic)

Just like the title says, 33% of local search business is from non-locals. If you are a small business owner what does this mean for you? First, the tips that I gave based off the two previous articles are incredibly important if you want to generate new business from visitors. I will say that this is pretty specific to the business niche as it might not apply to all small businesses. Regardless, every small business should be implementing these strategies to increase conversions and improve their positions.

Knowing that 33% of local search is from out of town, you need to realize that they are going to be searching very broad terms. This kind of goes against the grain from the typical strategies of going after terms that are extremely targeted. Searches coming from people that aren’t familiar with the area might not know what to search to find you. A search for “best restaurant in your area” is much more likely to happen compared to “best thai food in your area that also serves craft beer”.

This study was eye opening because it confirmed much of what I already thought.

One local client told me you wouldn’t believe the number of people that come here from out of town.  We ask them how they found us and they say “We found you on google”.

At this point, I feel that it goes without saying that these searches will be predominately mobile. That means your maps listing and PPC campaign should be the focus for those terms. That is half the battle, though, these people don’t know who you are and want a good experience. How do we convince them to show up to your restaurant? Reviews. If you don’t have a pro-active approach in attaining reviews (and managing harmful ones) then you won’t be converting this traffic.

Just a few things to consider after the information SEO Rochester NY published this week on the web, hopefully it helps.

This post first appeared at Top Local SEO Stories of the Week to learn more Simple But Well Marketing Solutions

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