lsf interactive sempo google places presentation
TRANSCRIPT
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• Who AM I?
• What was the Google Place Search Update?
• Why the Update?
• Tips & Tricks for Optimization
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• Stephen Peron– Director of SEO at LSF Interactive
– 6 Years of experience
– On Page Optimization, Keyword Research, Link Building, Shopping Feeds, and Conversion Analysis
– My license plate reads “H1 SEO H1!”
• About LSF Interactive– Established in 1999
– 95 people worldwide, with US and European presence
– More than 300 clients worldwide
– $30 million in 2010 revenue, ranking among the top 35 US digital agencies
– Two-time Inc. 5000 company
– Full service offering
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• Disappearance of Organic Results
– Client ranked 6th organically before update; found on page 2 after!
• Merge of Organic Index and Local Business Index
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According to Google, 20% of searches are related to location
Google Loves Their Profits!Forces small business owners to register their FREE places page(s)
But to standout, you must use paid advertising!
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• Google Tags ($25 / Month)– 2009: 27 million small businesses
– At 1% sign up rate: 6.75 Million
Dollars-a-Month!
• Google Boost– Paid search for the common person
– Set it and forget it!
• Google Offers – Google’s own Groupon
– Endless possibilities
*300 telephone sales reps in Mountain View, Calif. selling Tags and Boost!
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October 12th, 2010: Marissa Mayer moves to Local!
*She helped perfect normal search; now it’s Local’s turn!
Vice President of Search
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• Local is All About Citation, not Links…
• Google wants to trust you, so put out the right signals!
• Use Consistent Information– Street vs St.
– Avenue vs Ave.
– Use Local Telephone Numbers
• Update Your Business Data– Use Localeze or infogroup
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• Give Google Your GEO Sitemap
• http://www.geositemapgenerator.com/
• Submit to Google Webmaster Tools
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• Still Optimize Organically
• Good Organic Optimization Will Increase Overall Ranking
• Create Service Pages – Less Bounce Rate
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• Claim a Google Places Account … it’s Free!
• Get Real Reviews (Do Not Pay For Them)
• When Looking at Competitors, Find “More About This Place.”
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• Buy a Google Tag (30 Days Free)
– Test Your Performance
• Thumbnail Optimization– First Image Uploaded
– Could Put a Call To Action!
• Local is Not Perfect– It Takes Time to Update
– Lots of Errors
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Maybe Even Improved?
- Before: 1 Link
- After: 9 Links!
How? – Rich Snippets
- If you own a directory, do this!