Nov 21st 2013
‘Local Search Ranking Factors – Panel Debate’
‘Local Ranking Factors Debate’
Agenda:Understanding Recent Display & Algo Changes
Debate & Compare Key Ranking Signals
SEO Strategy – New Vs. Established Businesses
2014 – Future Predictions For Ranking Factors
House keeping…
Live Q&A and chat Q&A
Webinar is being recorded
Recording available by Monday
No webcam view (boo…)
Slidedeck uploaded to slideshare.net
Follow up email with all details
Polls Running
Run 3 polls during the webinar
Sample of 500+ Marketers/SEOs/SMBs
Understand how YOU see these changes
Show the results at end of the Q&A
Speakers
Andrew ShotlandLocalSEOguide.com
Mike RamseyNiftymarketing.com
Speakers
Dev BasuPoweredbysearch.com
Phil RozekLocalvisibilitysystem.
com
Hosts & Help
Myles AndersonBrightLocal.com
Linda BuquetLocalsearchforum.com
Colan NeilsonImprezziomarketing.com
Section 1 Understanding Recent Display &
Algorithm Changes
‘Local Ranking Factors Debate’
Myles AndersonBrightLocal.com
Google Updates Timeline
Return to pure results?
Hummingbird (announced Sept)
Google Places replaced by G+ Local
Penguin
Venice / Pure results disappear
Panda
Places Search
Pure results only
Oct 2013
Aug 2013
May 2012
Apr 2012
Jan / Feb 2012
Feb 2011
Oct 2010
Pre-Oct 2010
Pre-Oct - Blended SERP ResultsHow to identify Blended results
Fewer “pack” type results
High ranking local results have linked website
Result title pulls from website title tag
Business can’t rank in both organic & local at same time – no duplication
Thanks to: Imprezzio Marketing, Blumenthals.com, NGS Marketing, Plasticsurgerystuidos.com
Post-Oct - Pure Local SERP ResultsHow to identify pure local results
Always get “pack” result
High ranked listing can have no linked website
Result title pulls from Google+ listing
Business can have ‘double’ ranking on rank on p1 in both organic & local
Thanks to: Imprezzio Marketing, Blumenthals.com, NGS Marketing, Plasticsurgerystuidos.com
Post-October – Shift in ‘Pure’ Algo?Likely winners & losers
Citations Category selection Listing verification Reviews
Links Site structure Domain Authority
What do we want to know?
Why has Google made this change?
Is it a permanent change?
Is it purely a display change or has algo shifted and how does it change influence of ranking factors?
‘Local Ranking Factors Debate’
Poll-Time!
1st Poll
Do you think that recent changes are temporary or permanent?
2nd Poll
Since the recent changes, have your clients gained or lost in rankings?
3rd Poll
Have you changed your optimization tactics since these changes?
Section 2 Debate & Compare Most
Important Ranking Signals
‘Local Ranking Factors Debate’
Local Search Ranking Factors Survey
On-page Signals
Link Signals
External Location Signals (citations etc)
Place Page Signals
Review Signals
Social Signals
Behavioral / Mobile Signals
Personalization
Types of Ranking Signals
Influence of Ranking Signals - 2013
Personalization (8.3%)
Behavioral/ Mob Signals (6.1%)
Social Signals (6.3%)
Review Signals (10.3%)
Link Signals (14.4%)
Place Page Signals (19.6%)
External Loc. Signals (16%)
On-page Signals (18.8%)
Organic Signals - ‘On-page’ + ‘link’ signals
Links – count, quality, velocity
Site structure
Localized Content & landing pages
Presence of NAP
Schema.org / structured mark-up
Keywords in Titles/description
Citations
Citation consistency (NAP, rich data)
Citation Quality vs. quantity
Structured vs. Unstructured
Velocity of Citations
High Authority vs. niche vs. local
Place Page Signals
Category selection
Listing verification / merged listing
Location & local phone number
Keywords/location in listing title
Age of Google listing
Location & Distance
Distance from centroid
Ranking in wider map area
Population/business density
Review Signals
Google native vs. 3rd party reviews
Review quantity, diversity, velocity
Review content (keywords)
Reviewer authority
Social Signals
Google+ Authority
G+ vs. Twitter vs. Facebook
Didn’t get your question answered?
Post it here!
http://www.localsearchforum.com/showthread.php?t=11998
‘Local Ranking Factors Debate’
Section 3 SEO Strategy
New vs. Established Businesses
New vs. Established Businesses
How do you vary your approach to optimization for new vs. established businesses?
‘Local Ranking Factors Debate’
Section 4 2014 – Future Predictions for
Ranking Factors
‘Local Ranking Factors Debate’
Poll Results
Poll 1 - Do you think that recent changes are temporary or permanent?
Permanent Temporary Don't know0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
22%
57%
21%
Big gains Small gains No change / Some gains, some losses
Small losses Big losses0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
7%
19%
48%
17%9%
Poll 2 - Since the recent changes, have your clients gained or lost in rankings?
BIG ch
ange
s
SMALL
chan
ges
Plan to
We're
waiti
ng
Current s
trategy
corre
ct0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%
16%
33%
15% 15%21%
Poll 3 - Have you changed your optimization tactics since these changes?
Upcoming Webinars
Dec 6th – Optimization for Service Area Businesses– Matthew Hunt & Thomas Ballentyne ….
Jan (tbc) – Mobile Optimization for Local Businesses– Gideon Rubin + 1 more
Jan (tbc) – ‘State of the Union’ for Local Search
Feb (tbc) – Optimal Reporting for Local SEOs– Myles Anderson & Phil Britten
Feb (tbc) – Advanced G+ Optimization– Linda Buquet
Keep track & Register
www.brightlocal.com/insidelocal
www.localsearchforum.com/insidelocal-webinars
That’s all folks!