If you own or operate a local brick and mortar business, or have a business with multiple locations learn how to grow your business via local search engine optimization (SEO) tactics. This two-hour seminar will help attendees learn how to increase their business’ visibility within the local search results by utilizing specific tactics that directly affect how Google “views” your business. This seminar will provide insights into how to claim/verify your listing, how to optimize your Google+Local page, how to choose the right categories, tactics for obtaining customer reviews & citations. Finally, this presentation will discuss the changes that Google+Local and Smartphone use has brought to the Local SEO landscape.

1. MercyCorps NW: Grow Your
Business via Local SEO
Presenter:
Date:
Location:
Anna Hutson (@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia)
July 17th, 2013
MercyCorps NW

2. Formic Team
• Launched in 2008 to service small business &
partners
• Specializes in localized search & social media
marketing for local businesses
• 100% of Account Team Google AdWords &
Google Analytics Certified
• 9 employees & 45+ clients
• Strategic partnerships (SEMA, AlphaGraphics,
etc.)
• Focus on education via monthly Seminar Series
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia

3. Agenda
Local Search Overview
Importance of Local Search
Local Search Components
Top Factors Affecting Local Rankings
Site Audit(s)*
Q&A
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4. Grow Your Business via Local SEO
Local Search Overview
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5. • Location, location, location
• Organic/Paid search = “the what”
– Nike running shoes, Sony DSLR camera
• Local Search = “the what” & “the where”
– Nike shoe store Portland, Camera World
Portland
Difference Between Organic & Local
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6. The Evolution of Local Search
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7. The “10-Pack”
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8. The “7-Pack”
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9. The “O” Pack
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10. Blended (Current) Local Search Results
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11. Grow Your Business via Local SEO
Why is Local Search so
Important?
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12. Importance of Local Search
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13. Importance of Local Search
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14. Importance of Local Search
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15. Importance of Local Search
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16. Grow Your Business via Local SEO
Local Search Components
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17. Local Search Components
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1. Google+ Local Page (Yahoo/Bing Local Listings)
2. On-site Optimization
3. Off-site Optimization

18. Local Search Components
• 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
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19. Local Search Components
• 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)
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20. Local Search Components
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21. Local Search Components
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22. Local Search Components
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23. Google+Local
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24. Google+Local
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25. Google+Local
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26. Google+Local
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27. Google+Local
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28. Google+Local
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29. Google+Local
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30. Google+Local
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31. Google+Local
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32. Google+Local
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33. Google+Local
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34. Google+Local
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35. Google+Local
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36. On-site Optimization
• Still need to focus on website optimization
– Geo-specific keyword targeting
– Title Tags
– Meta Tags
– H1 tags
– Body Copy

37. On-site Optimization

38. • Structured Data is used to help parse out business
data for the search engines
• Types of Structured Data include:
– Person
– Product
– Event
– Recipes
– Full list: http://schema.org/docs/full.html
On-site Optimization

39. On-site Optimization

40. Off-site Optimization
• Web Citations & Inbound Links
– More citations/links = more trust + higher
rankings

41. Courtesy of ZipLineInteractive.com
Off-site Optimization

42. Off-site Optimization

43. • User reviews also help gain trust from both the
search engines and users
– Quantity is still more powerful than quality
– Engines are working to understand sentiment
Off-site Optimization

44. • Get reviews through:
– Email campaigns
– Encourage employees to ask for reviews
• Incentivize your employees if necessary
– Google window sticker
– Utilize in-store collateral
– Social media
– Use website widget by BrightLocal.com
Off-site Optimization

45. • Social Media Activity
– Be active within social media
• Post fresh, new content regularly
• Post interesting content that will be shared
– Increase Likes, followers, etc
– Engage with fans/followers
– Build authority/credibility
– Optimize social media accounts/profiles
Off-site Optimization

46. • Social Media Content
– Share interesting stories about your
industry/company
– Show your company’s personality through
jokes/humor (videos, text, images)
– Create polls/surveys; share the results and ask
for feedback/opinions
– ALWAYS stay within the brand’s voice
Off-site Optimization

47. Grow Your Business via Local SEO
Top Factors Affecting Local Search
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia

48. Local Search Factors
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)
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.”
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49. Local Search Factors
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia

50. Local Search Factors
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia

51. Local Search Factors
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia

52. Local Search Factors
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia

53. Local Search Factors
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia

54. Local Search Factors
David Mihm, Local Search Ranking Factors, Volume 5, Published June 11th, 2012
(http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml)
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia

55. • Optimize your website properly
• Claim/verify local listings
• Ensure your NAP data is consistent across
the web
• Build trust by obtaining citations/links
• Increase reviews to build consumer trust
and rankings
Recap

56. Live Demo/Site Audit(s)
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57. What We Do
Services
Formic Media's pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
services provide small and local businesses
guaranteed visibility within targeted search
results, via paid "sponsored listings".
PAY PER CLICK
Formic Media's search engine optimization (SEO)
services help small and local businesses to
generate visibility within "organic" or “natural"
search engine listings.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
Formic Media's SEO-friendly website design and
development services provide small businesses
with an affordable, functional and highly visible
Web presence.
WEB DESIGN
Formic Media's social media marketing (SMM)
services enable small and local businesses to
leverage free/ low-cost networks to gain
increased brand awareness.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
We have created the appropriate processes, tools
and methodologies needed to be efficient and cost
effective for your team and your clients.
PARTNERSHIPS
Attend Formic Media's free monthly search
engine marketing seminars. Learn the latest and
greatest in the search engine marketing industry.
FREE SEMINARS
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58. Thank you!
Contact Anna Hutson for more information
anna@formicmedia.com
503.517.9059 x123
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia
Grow Your Business via Local SEO
@AnnaHutson & @formicmedia