Introduction to Local SEO - #AskAnicca By Sukhjinder Singh February 2021
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Introduction to Local SEO #AskAnicca By Sukhjinder Singh February 2021
Contents
• About Me
• What is local SEO
• Local SEO Ranking Factors
• Google My Business
• Link Signals
• On-Page Signals
• Citations
• Reviews
• Local Service Ads
#ASKANICCA
About me
• Head of SEO at Anicca
• Doing SEO for 11+ years
• Specialise in:
• Technical SEO and website launches
• International SEO
• Lead generation and ecommerce SEO
• Obsessed with Fitbit/Strava, and annoying
on Instagram
#ASKANICCA
What is local SEO?
What is Local SEO?
Making your local business (restaurant, garage etc) a trusted and useful local
search result, in order for it to rank for local searches (like “plumber in Leicester”
or “plumber near me”).
This is done through specific on-page, off-page and technical SEO tasks.
#ASKANICCA
Why is local SEO important?
According to Google:
• 46% of queries have a local intent
• 29% of search results contain a local pack
• 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a
physical place within 24 hours and 28% of those searches result in a
purchase
This means that there is a huge opportunity for local businesses to get in front of
new customers.
Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/local-search-conversion-statistics/
#ASKANICCA
Searching for ‘vegan food Leicester’
Trusted
directories
This type of search will bring up trusted
local directories (and other vendors)
and the ‘local pack’ - which are Local Pack
specific local listings.
This will also bring up local organic
results for websites (further down) who
are optimising content for ‘Leicester’-
based keywords. Organic
Results
To get into the organic results you
don’t actually have to be located in
Leicester!
#ASKANICCA
Searching for ‘vegan food near me’
Trusted
If I add “near me” (I’m based in directories
Leicestershire), I will get more local
listings for businesses close to me,
rather than in the city centre. Local Pack
This is because Google has used my
current location (Wi-Fi location) in
Leicestershire to show me results closer,
whilst also showing organic results for
those optimised for Leicester / Organic
Leicestershire still. Results
#ASKANICCA
Searching for ‘vegan food near me’
(on mobile) Trusted
directories
If I search on mobile, I will get even
more local results.
Local Pack
That’s because Google is using my GPS
location (provides more accurate
location data) and its using my search
and visit history amongst other sources
(its finding out if I searched for/visited
Organic
any of these restaurants before).
Results
#ASKANICCA
Local SEO Ranking Factors
Local SEO Ranking Factors
Google uses hundreds of rankings signals in
it’s algorithm, but for local SEO there are
specific ones we can work on to help
achieve local rankings in both the organic
and local results:
• Google My Business Signals
• Link Signals
• On-Page Signals (Keywords, NAP details)
• Citations
• Reviews
#ASKANICCAGoogle My Business
Google My Business
For any local business, a Google My Business profile is
essential.
A Google My business account will allow you to get
exposure in Google Maps and also the organic results –
even if you don’t have a website!
Your Google My Business profile allows you to input your
Address, contact details, links to a website, Google Posts
and also allows customers to leave a review.
#ASKANICCAHomework: Update your hours
#ASKANICCAHomework: Use ‘temporarily closed’ update
#ASKANICCAHomework: Use ‘COVID-19 Update’
The COVID-19 update will stay pinned above other posts
#ASKANICCAHomework: Use ‘Offers’
academy.anicca.co.uk
#ASKANICCAHomework: Respond to ‘Reviews’
• Reviews are a rankings signal and
visual trust signal to users
• Customers can leave reviews, which
will populate an aggregate star rating
for you in the search results
• You can respond to reviews in this
tool, and its important to do this to
mitigate any negative reviews but
also to engage with customers on the
positive ones – building your returning
customers
• More on reviews later
#ASKANICCALink Signals
#ASKANICCALink Signals
• Links are a ranking factor for both
traditional and local SEO rankings
• A link acts as a recommendation from
one website to another, something that
Google takes in to account
• If website A links to website B, then
website B gains a bit of authority (or ‘link
juice’)
• This allows website B to rank a bit higher
now that Google has taken this
‘recommendation’ (link) into account
#ASKANICCALink Signals
• Links comes in various types, and whilst
it is typically more difficult to earn links
when you’re a small local business it is
still possible
• If you have / do any of the following
things, you could earn links
• Work with charities
• Provide free services for residents of the
local area
• Sponsor local sports teams
• Stock different brands on your website
• Partner with other organisations such as
schools / universities
#ASKANICCAOn-Page Signals
#ASKANICCAOn-Page Signals
CTR and rankings
tag
URL (web address)
description • On-Page signals are another vital signal
to Google when deciding which
tags websites to show in the search results
Page body content
____________________ • This is also something you can easily
tags
____________________ have a direct impact on
____________________
Rankings
____________________ • On-Page optimisation is essentially
____________________ Image ensuring you’re mentioning your target
____________________ services and keyphrases within the
____________________ content of the website so Google can
____________________ easily identify the topic of the page
____________________
Image ALT=“tag”
#ASKANICCAHomework: Optimise your pages
CTR and rankings
tag – include keyword and brand
URL (web address)
description – include keyword, CTA,
USPs and brand
The main heading, it should describe the overall
tags page and include the keyword.
Page body content
____________________ The secondary heading, it should describe the sub-
____________________ tags topic.
____________________ This needs to be engaging and should contain
Rankings
____________________ keywords and phrases naturally, providing a call to
____________________ Image action for the page.
____________________ Relevant, complementary image that’s useful to the
____________________ user experience and topic discussed.
____________________
____________________
Used to describe the image, used by sight-impaired
Image ALT=“tag” users and Google when it is crawling the page.
#ASKANICCACitations
#ASKANICCACitations
• As well as links, citations are another
important factor in local ranking
• Citations are references to your
business and service/products you sell,
and if implemented correctly can act
like links
• They are typically found on local
business directories such as Yell, Yelp,
Foursquare etc..
• Some citations will contain links back
to your website, but some will just
include your business details, this is why
it is vital that your NAP details are
consistent (Name, Address, Phone etc)
#ASKANICCADifferent Types of Citations
• General business directories – Yell.com
• Industry, niche or sector specific
directories – Home.co.uk
• Professional Bodies / Organisations –
NAEA Property Mark
• Local newspaper and press websites –
Leicester Mercury Business Directory
• Local themed blogs and website for
events and interests – Why Leicester
• Social Profiles
(Twitter, Facebook, YouTube)
#ASKANICCAHomework: Finding Citations
Option 2
Option 1 • Do it manually - search for “best local
• Use an automated tool like Bright directory websites for uk” or “(location)
Local directory” and you’ll be shown a lists with
directories
Benefits
• Your NAP details will be uploaded Benefits
consistently. • If you are a small business with a modest or
• This saves time because it eradicates you have no marketing budget then
the need to source and submit your manual submissions is your best option
business to those websites.
• With certain tools, you can also pick • You should be able to submit around 10
the websites you’d like to be listed on listings in a couple of hours. You can also
and the sites suggested will also cater check the websites and ensure that they
to your geographical location as well are appropriate for your business e.g. you
as industry wouldn’t want your restaurant listed in a
plumber directory
A resource to get you started: https://www.brightlocal.com/uk-citation-sites/
#ASKANICCAReviews
#ASKANICCAReviews
• Google considers your reviews when
deciding where to rank you
• Authentic reviews are essential (its easy to
spot a fake!)
• You should aim to respond to all reviews.
Either to thank the customer or address any
negative feedback
• Don’t just rely on Google. Google will pull in
‘reviews from the web’, from:
• Facebook
• Reviews.co.uk
• TrustPilot, and many more!
• Having multiple places for users to engage
with you further bolsters Google’s trust in your
brand
#ASKANICCAWhat’s New
#ASKANICCALocal Service Ads
• Towards the end of 2020 Google rolled out its local
service ads to the UK
• This is a pay-per-lead programme where a business
only pays if a customer calls, messages or leaves a
voicemail
• LSAs outrank other ads and everything else on the
page
• As it becomes more popular, categories will
become much more competitive, so it’s worth
getting ahead of the competition on this
#ASKANICCALocal Service Ads
• If you qualify and pass the background checks
(typically a few weeks for approval) then having the
‘Google Guarantee’ means Google will refund
customers who are unhappy (up to £1500)
• The featured home services categories include
Appliance Repair, Carpet Cleaning, Electricians,
Garage Door Installation and Repair, House Cleaning,
Lawn Care, Movers, Pest Control, Plumbers, Roofers,
Water Damage Restoration, Window Cleaning,
Window Repair, Junk Removal and Tree Service.
• Find out more:
https://ads.google.com/intl/en_uk/local-services-ads/
#ASKANICCAThank you
Any Questions?
Sukhjinder Singh
/SukhSingh84 #AskAnicca
sukh@anicca.co.uk
@SukhSingh84
#ASKANICCA
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