Local SEO, how to do it best?

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Larrycsonka

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Recently I was watching a Whiteboard Friday on SEOmoz about Local SEO. The basic recommendations were the same as always:

1. Make a google+ local/places page for each location and verify it with your site.
2. Make each location it's own page with a map, NAP (name, address, phone number), and some content and mark it up with schema.
3. Get NAP's all over the internet but make sure all NAPs are formatted the same way that Google formats it on the local+/places page.

One thing that was briefly mentioned was for NAPs that have links, like most directories do, was where should one point that link? The answer that was given is that the speaker points NAP links for a location to the location specific pages on the website. I have been doing local for quite some time and never heard that before.

Do you think that helps? Anyone else out there have any more local optimization tips?
 
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Along with NAP, you can have a live link leading back to your website, right? Isn't that probably what they meant?
 
Have you seen this article from Google? It tells how to set up a service area in Google Places.
"Not all local businesses serve their customers from a brick-and-mortar storefront. For example, some businesses operate from a home address. Others are mobile and have no central location.
If a local business serves customers at their locations, it can list its service area - the area it's willing to serve - on Google. Users searching Google and Google Maps will then be able to find businesses that serve them."
 
I found that local domain extensions tend to rank a lot easier for local keywords so you may want to test that for yourself.
 
There isn't much out about Local ranking thing. I've been also curious to know some concrete points but unable to figure out yet!

Can you elaborate your 2nd point "Make each location it's own page with a map, NAP (name, address, phone number), and some content and mark it up with schema."

Does that mean one has to create different pages for cities their business exist in?
 
Make custom maps as well referring to your business listing. If you have any questions feel free to ask me via PM thanks!
 
We actually do lots of backlinks to the actual Google+ page, not the website. We were having trouble getting traction for a pretty competitive keyword in a large metro city, but we started using organic SEO techniques on the Google+ Local page, and we were able to quickly jump 4 pages of local rankings in about 2 weeks, when the site had been stagnant with no improvement for about a month.

Anyone may PM me or add me on Skype/AIM (artizhay) if they need help with local work.
 
be a real business and get lots of reviews from all the proper citation sources that are correlated. Takes a lot of work or you hire me!
 
recluze said:
Newbie... so can you please explain Nap?
Click to expand...
NAP (name, address, phone number) is publishing those three pieces of information (must be all three) across the web. They must exactly match the Google+ Local (Google Places) listing.

Usually people just submit these to business directories. i.e. get a list of national and local business directories, submit the business to each one, and make it sure it lists the name, address, and phone number (NAP).

However, we have also found success in posting these in usual backlink locations, such as blog comments, forum profiles, blog posts, etc.
 
Images and backlinks towards your site, this is surely going to help for sure!
 
I think its simple very.. Just create Google plus local page and then use the same data on other local directories and this way you can simply get lots of citations to your Google plus local page...
 
The info given in the OP is correct, but there is SOOOO much more you can do (and should do) with these location-specific pages. Just having a bit of content and schema with a map is just the tip of the iceberg.

Here's how it works:

For every physical location the business has, you should have a location-specific "landing page." These landing pages should be used in the URL spot for the Google + Local listing (just put it in the dashboard), but putting it in other profiles on business directories isn't necessary. You SHOULD send high quality links to the landing page, though.

To know what should go on each landing page (and what permalink to use), just carefully go through this list put together by David Mihm: http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml

He doesn't give away all the goodies, though... here's more:

1. Geo-tag each page.
2. Make sure optimized images and videos are added to the landing page.

Of course, there's more you can do, but I have to keep some secrets to myself. ;)
 
Magicbeanz said:
He doesn't give away all the goodies, though... here's more:

1. Geo-tag each page.
2. Make sure optimized images and videos are added to the landing page.

Of course, there's more you can do, but I have to keep some secrets to myself. ;)
Click to expand...

Hmmm... share share! :D I want to know more. Or can you share sites for local citations that are not only available in US? :)
 
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