loco for local: a local seo workshop

2016 SEO Meetup Fort Worth – Loco for Local: A Local SEO Workshop

Loco for Local: A Local SEO Workshop


About Me• Senior SEO Strategist, Globe Runner• Founder, DFWSEM Association• Brand Ambassador, Majestic.com• Personal Blog: www.BillHartzer.com• Practicing Organic/Natural SEO since 1996


Overview• Local Search Engine Ranking Factors

• Local listings and citations:

-- What they are

-- How to make them

-- How to maintain them

• Changes for your website to rank better

• Online reviews:

-- How they factor into search results

-- Their impact on buyer decisions


Local Search Engine Results

Paid Ads

Local Listings

Organic Listings


Local Search Engine Ranking Factors

Types of Ranking Factors:

• Local Listing Optimization• Website signals• Links to Website• Reviews• Social Media


Local listings and citations


How to get local listings, make citations• Manual methods (sign up for each listing)

• Using a service (multiple listings for a fee)

• Each have their pluses, minuses:

- manual method, keep control over listings

- manual method, takes a lot of time

- using service, contract (no pay, lose control

- using service, saves time (time is money)

• Local Hotshot, Yext, Moz Local, Local Site Submit


How to maintain local listings, citations• Manual method, you make changes, updates

• Using a service, they make updates, changes for you

• Manual method, you keep track of reviews, etc.

- Set up Google alerts, monitor page changes

- ChangeDetection.com, monitor your local listings


Online reviews


How reviews factor into search results

Reviews Ranking Factors:

• Review Quantity• Review Velocity• Review Diversity


Reviews' impact on buyer decisions

• 90% Read Online Reviews Before Visiting Business• 88% Trust Online Reviews as much as personal recommendations.• Customers likely to spend 31% more on a biz with Excellent reviews.• 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more.• 92% will use a local business if it has at least a 4 Star rating.• 86% will hesitate to purchase from a business with negative reviews.

• http://www.business2community.com/infographics/impact-online-reviews-customers-buying-decisions-infographic-01280945#pOMjD0OtODil7ESB.97


Changes for your website to rank better • Add local address to your website.• Address consistent with all citations and listings.• Add Schema.org address markup on your site• Add testimonial & review markup• Add person markup on site.


NAP Data on your Website

• Name, Address, Phone Number• Consistency is highly important. Critical.• Issues can arise:

-- How company name is spelled out-- How street name is spelled-- Suite number listed-- Phone number listed (multiple phone lines?)


Schema.org Markup • Search engines got together, formed Schema.org• Web standard for structured data• Using structured data on your site helps rankings.• Gives you leg up over competition (not using it).


Address Markup Full details here: https://schema.org/address


Testimonial / Review MarkupFull details here: https://schema.org/Review


"Person" MarkupFull details: http://schema.org/Person


Coordinating Content & Social• Important to coordinate

content on web site & social media sites

• Post update on site, follow up on social media

• Engagement on social media helps search rankings


Local Hotshot Service

• Local listing, citation services• Get Listed 100+ Directories, Maps, Other Sites• Power Reviewer - helps collect reviews• Website Design & Hosting Service

2015 SEO Meetup Fort Worth – Performing an SEO Audit

Contact Me

Bill HartzerSenior SEO StrategistGlobe Runner SEOEmail: [email protected]: (214) 236-4378Office: (972) 538-0260

Web: https://globerunner.comBlog: https://www.billhartzer.comTwitter: @bhartzerFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/bhartzer

loco for local: a local seo workshop

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