Google officially announced its new product Google+ Local. Fully integrated with the Google+ platform, users can discover and share local business information from the people they trust.This presentation provides insights into how to claim/verify your listing, how to optimize your Google Place page, how to choose the right categories, tactics for obtaining customer reviews & inbound links and we’ll discuss the changes that Google+Local has brought to the Local SEO landscape.

1. Lunch & Learn:
The Evolution of
Local SEO &
Google+ Local
Presenter: Jason Donaldson & Alex Peerenboom
Date: July 11th, 2012
Location: Formic Media

2. Formic Team The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
• Launched in 2008 to service small business &
partners
• Specializes in search, social and website
development
• 100% of Account Team Google AdWords &
Google Analytics Certified
• 7 employees & 45+ clients
• Strategic partnerships (SEMA, AlphaGraphics,
etc.)
• Focus on education via monthly Seminar Series

3. Agenda The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
• Local Search Overview
• Top Factors Affecting Local Search
• Google and Local SEO (Google+ Local)
• The Future of Local

4. Lunch & Learn The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
Local Search Overview

5. Local Search Overview The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
• Why is Local SEO so important?
• Roughly 30% of all searches have local
intent (don’t believe the often cited 20%)
• Google says 40% of mobile searches have
Local Intent; Microsoft cites 53%.

6. Local Search Overview The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
5,259,600,000 searches per MONTH have local intent!

7. Local Search Overview The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
• So what, what does that mean for you?
• 50 million Google Place pages globally
• Only 4 million have been claimed globally
• 2 million in the US (out of roughly 25
million in the US)
Huge Potential and Opportunity!

8. Local Search Overview The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
• Requires a different mindset than traditional
SEO
• Organic SEO is about optimizing websites/off-
site factors
• Local SEO is about optimizing locations in
addition to traditional organic optimization
• Local search has its own set of ranking factors

9. Local Search Overview The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
• Traditional SEO
• Ranking algorithm consists of on-site SEO and
off-site (i.e. inbound links) ranking factors
On-Site Ranking
Factors
(Title/Meta/etc)
Off-Site Ranking
Factors (links)

10. Local Search Overview The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local

11. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
Top Factors Affecting Local Search

12. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
The David Mihm Survey
“Participants were asked to rank 90 possible positive factors and 18
possible negative factors that drive Google's Local Search
algorithms.
Participants were asked to rank the positive factors based on the
following question:
‘When Google ranks a business in its Local Search results, I believe
this is the ____ overall most important factor in those rankings.’
Results were then tabulated via inverse scoring, where the #1 ranked
factor received the most "points" for that question, and the lowest-
ranked factor received the fewest points. Thus, the more factors
deemed irrelevant by a particular respondent, the heavier the weight
given to the factors that they did rank.”
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11 th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)

13. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11 th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)

14. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11 th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)

15. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11 th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)

16. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11 th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)

17. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11 th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)

18. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11 th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)

19. Local Search Factors The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11 th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)

20. Lunch & Learn The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
Google+ Local

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30. Lunch & Learn The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
So what’s changed?
• Mostly on the consumer side: visual layout
• Zagat rating system in place of old star
ratings
• Your Google+ Circles
• Change affects all local products:
• Maps, Mobile, Google+ Local App

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What about citations?
• Citations still matter!

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What about business owners?
• Nothing has changed, yet.

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What about Google+ Pages?

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What about Google+ Pages?
• Claim both, there will be option to merge.
• Google+ Benefits
• Ability to segment followers
• Hangouts
• Google+ Events

40. Lunch & Learn The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
What’s in the Future?
• Google+ is still growing
• Mobile

41. What We Do Local SEM Company for Small Business
Services
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION PAY PER CLICK
Formic Media's search engine optimization (SEO) Formic Media's pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
services help small and local businesses to services provide small and local businesses
generate visibility within "organic" or “natural" guaranteed visibility within targeted search
search engine listings. results, via paid "sponsored listings".
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING WEB DESIGN
Formic Media's social media marketing (SMM) Formic Media's SEO-friendly website design and
services enable small and local businesses to development services provide small businesses
leverage free/ low-cost networks to gain with an affordable, functional and highly visible
increased brand awareness. Web presence.
FREE SEMINARS PARTNERSHIPS
Attend Formic Media's free monthly search We have created the appropriate processes, tools
engine marketing seminars. Learn the latest and and methodologies needed to be efficient and cost
greatest in the search engine marketing industry. effective for your team and your clients.

42. Lunch & Learn The Evolution of Local SEO & Google+ Local
Thank you!
Contact John McPhee for more information
johnm@formicmedia.com
503.517.9059 x122