mobile search

How to Make Local Search Work for Multi-Location Brands

by SEO Savvy August 26th, 2014

Multi-location brands that integrate local focused marketing into their existing marketing strategy may enjoy a 10-15% revenue increase, according to a new report released by Local Vox. The report also cautions that pay-per-click (PPC) ads alone may not get the job done. In fact, only 2% of local businesses found PPC ads to be effective on the local level, behind even radio and TV advertising. Multi-location brands should integrate local SEO best practices with localized content marketing and mobile optimization in order to directly connect with target customers on a local level.

Is your business prepared to use a local marketing strategy to drive traffic and brand awareness at individual store locations? Here’s how to make local search work for your business:

 #1: Build awareness with localized content marketing.

Localizing content so that it is authentic and relevant is the primary challenge for multi-location businesses. Managing manual content production on a localized basis can be a daunting task. Successfully doing so, however, is key to standing out from the competition. Sending blast emails or using your local Facebook page to only promote in-store sales is short selling the potential of real localized content marketing. Instead, start by building a narrative and genuine dialogue with consumers in the local community by understanding and connecting with their wants and needs.

#2: Drive new customers with local search optimization.

Local search requires a different approach than national search optimization. The local SEO approach should be focused around location-based pages on your site and include external sites like Google+, Yelp, Facebook, and other online business directory pages that support location tagging. If you have not done so already, claim your Google+ location listing. While 88% of local mobile searches convert to a phone call or visit within 24 hours, 70% of Google+ Local pages are unclaimed, according to Local Vox. Worse, over half of all business listings have Name, Address and Phone errors across their business pages, a sure-fire way to hurt your local search presence. Once you have claimed your company pages on the top local business directory sites, confirm that all the listing information is correct down the last computer character.

#3: Prioritize location pages on your website.

Optimize your website for local search by creating location-specific pages with location-specific keywords and schema markup. Monitor analytics to see how your location-based pages are performing in different search results. Understanding this data will help your business better identify opportunities for improved engagement through localized content marketing and social media. The right data enables your business to effectively execute a local focused marketing strategy.

#4: Mobile friendly web design.

Finally, don’t forget to have a mobile-friendly website! Don’t force your customers to pinch and zoom on a smartphone in order to find the information they need about your business. A responsive or mobile version of your website is important for user experience and driving organic mobile search traffic.

Local Mobile Search 101: 3 Simple Tactics for Small Businesses

by SEO Savvy April 15th, 2014

Thirty-eight percent of our daily media interactions occur on smartphones, according to Google.  We use local mobile search when we need a quick, immediate answer to a question, often when we’re out and about, but even at work or at home when sitting down at a computer just isn’t fast enough. This means that customers searching for your business on smartphones are primed to take immediate action. Paying attention to local mobile search results and what your potential customers are searching for is key to converting these highly qualified leads.

Imagine this: you just moved to a new city, you’re rushing home from work, and you need to drop off the dry cleaning. You search “Dry Cleaning” on your smartphone and the top result – less than a mile from your office – just became your new go-to drycleaner. This same scenario will often play out in local mobile search for other necessities – from finding a new plumber to locating the nearest florist. If your business is not committed to optimizing for local mobile search results, then it is missing out on potential customers.

Local mobile search requires different optimization tactics than Web 2.0. As search results become increasingly individualized to location and preference, local businesses must understand how to leverage local search in their favor. Here are three key ways to get started:

#1: Select the right mobile keywords.
Choosing keywords for mobile search is different than selecting general search terms. While many searching on their computers use longtail keyword phrases, these same individuals are more likely to search with one or two short keywords from their mobile phone. After all, it’s all about the speed. Search engines are great at identifying and personalizing mobile search to include local results. Optimizing pages with the use of a geo-modifier for your local city can go along way to capture local search. To compare traffic from mobile and desktop search to your website, go to Audience > Mobile > Overview within Google Analytics. Filtering visits for organic, paid and mobile can help compare mobile traffic across paid & organic campaigns.

#2: Optimize your business for voice search.
Is your business acquainted with voice search, like Siri? Strengthening your presence on geographic-based applications such as Yelp, Google reviews, Foursquare and Facebook will increase the likelihood that the intelligent personal assistant’s suggestions include your business in location-based searches. Don’t just start a Twitter account and call it a day; active engagement with customers through social media will increase the chance for customers to find you via mobile search and map applications.

#3: Leverage influencers and reputation to rank higher in local search results.
A high ranking is absolutely critical for local search result success. Encourage customers to review your services on Yelp, Google, Facebook and other online platforms by posting signs or including a message as a memo on your receipts. But don’t resort to paying for bulk reviews; popular services like Yelp and UrbanSpoon have installed monitoring systems to block businesses from stuffing inauthentic reviews. Doing so will only hurt your business’s reputation, which is key to ranking higher in local search results.

According to Google, seventy-seven percent of smartphone owners use their phone to conduct online searches. As Americans become increasingly reliant on on-the-go information, this percentage is expected to increase. It is expected that mobile search will surpass desktop search in 2014. Optimizing your business for local mobile search will give your company an opportunity to connect with local customers.