Francis Skipper, Director of Search Marketing and Social Media, discusses tactics for optimizing online properties for local search.

1. Optimizing Your Online
Presence for Local Search

2. Francis Skipper
Director of Search Marketing
617-986-0226
francis@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/francisskipper
@fskip
www.451Marketing.com

3. Agenda
Agenda
Search Basics
Defining Local Search
Optimizing Your Site for Local Search
Claiming and Optimizing for Local Search
Optimizing Mobile for Search
Time and Resources
Measurement

4. A Little Background
On Search

5. Search Engine Result Page (SERP)
Paid Results
20 %
Organic Results
80 %

6. 33% of US consumers spend at least
3 hours online every day.
Source: The Media Audit (10/11)

7. Why should I care about search?
Worldwide, 88,000,000,000 searches are
conducted on Google per month.
34,000 Per Second
2,000,000 Per Minute
121,000,000 Per Hour
3,000,000,000 Per Day

8. 2.6 billion local searches conducted each month
Accounts for 30% of all search traffic
79% of people used the internet to
find local business in the past year
51% explicitly characterize behavior as
shop online, buy offline
comScore (10/11), Smallbusiness.com (7/11)

9. In 2011, more than 50% of all local searches
done from mobile devices.
By 2014, mobile internet use will exceed
desktop internet use
Marketing Sherpa (2011)

10. Local Search as a
Game Changer

11. Traditional Search –The Search Term (“What”)
Local Search
pizza

13. Local Search – Search Term (“What”) +
Geographic Modifier (“Where”)
Local Search
pizza boston

15. Optimizing Your Site:
Local Search Best Practices

16. Local SEO is SEO that makes your business
listing more relevant to local search queries
Involves both content and reputation
management across multiple sites

19. Local Search Best Practices:
Optimize & Localize
Your Website

20. Full Text Local Phone Number & Address
Full Text for Search and
Mobile

21. Current Copyright Date

22. Local landing for multiple locations

23. No 100% Flash/Image Sites

24. What the Customer Sees…

25. What Sees…

26. What the Customer Sees…

27. What Sees…

28. <h1 class="pageHeading" style="font-size: 130px;">Asian Bites</h1>
HTML Text for Image Based Messaging

29. Use Keywords in Call to Action Text

30. Stay Up-to-date On Hosting Fees

31. <img src="http://neborestaurant.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Food-at-Nebo.jpg"
alt="Boston's Best Food" title="Food at Nebo" width="350" height="350" class="alignright size-full
wp-image-247" align="right">
Local Tagging (Images, Video, Other Content)

32. Local URL

33. Claiming Your Business On Other Platforms:
Local Search Best Practices

40. Optimizing for Mobile
Local Search Best Practices

41. Mobile landing page with
click #, opentable (if
applicable), hours, maplink
BVI MOCK UP
Dedicated Mobile Landing Page

42. Time & Resources:
Planning for Local Search

43. As With Any Marketing Initiative,
Time, and Resources

44. Measuring Your Results:
Local Search Best Practices

45. Tools For Success

46. Measure Twice, Cut Once!
Free
• Overlay 2-3 metrics
• Conversion and goal tracking
• Adwords integration
• Geo-tracking
Set Conversion Points
• Contact/Map page visits
• Menu Downloads
• Mobile visits
• Top referrers

47. Learn from your competitors!
Free
• Unique site visitors
• Top keywords to drive traffic
Pro
• 5 sites
• 2 years back
• Demographic Details

48. Learn about your customers!
Free
• Demographic data
• Similar sites
• Traffic data
• Even more benefits with pixel
association

49. Make small, targeted buys
Free
• New interface (easier to
use)
• ROI, ROAS reports
• Keyword opportunity
reports
• Exportable reports

50. Drive Social Conversations
Free
• New interface
• Ad targeting by likes
and association
• Exportable reports
• Sponsored Stories
Use Facebook to Hyper-target

51. Free
• Trends for your
keywords/industry/products
• Illustrate demand

52. Take-Aways
(a.k.a. Write These Down!)
• Optimize content/coding with relevant, locally-focused keywords
• Full-text local phone number & address
• Current copyright date
• No 100% flash Websites
• Provide alternate html text for image-based messaging
• Use keywords in your calls-to-action (not “click here”)
• Stay up to date on hosting/domain fees
• Make sure your site has a mobile-friendly landing page
• Claim your business! Use local keywords on claiming sites
• Integrate local keyword strategy on social networks

54. We specialize in:
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Paid Search and Pay-Per-Click Advertising
• Paid Media Management
• Traditional and Digital Public Relations
• Targeted Press Releases
• Content Creation
• Social Media Marketing
• Social Media Strategy Development/Training
• Web Design and Implementation
• Brand Development

55. Francis Skipper
Director of Search Marketing
617-986-0226
francis@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/francisskipper
@fskip
www.451Marketing.com

56. Questions?