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!