Pimp My Keywords

Local SEO A Must For Local Businesses: SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 183

Local businesses survive only by local customers who find them in search engine results and through social media.

Yes, you can claim the corner pizza business earns some business from word-of-mouth; direct mail; radio; television and, perhaps, billboard advertising.

However, the majority of all potential customers will look for more information on the business' website; read reviews from other customers and ask for suggestions or ideas from friends on social media.

Thanks for Hubspot, here's "The Ultimate List: 50 Local Business Directories" where your local business should be listed. Check out the readers' comments at the bottom of the page as well for updated listings and other local business website suggestions.

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Pimp My Keywords is written by published by Purple Trout, LLC, a Cincinnati SEO firm specializing in all things search and search engine optimization.

How To Target Local SEO

Local businesses who need to attract more local customers to their restaurant, bookstore, auto repair shop, etc., need to focus on local keywords with their website, keywords, link building and map/listings website.

Using Karen's Flower Shop (a fictious florist in Cincinnati Ohio) as an example, let's explore a  strategy for local SEO.

Website

Althought it sounds simple, local businesses fail to mention their geographical location on their website. This should include your physical address (not a post office box) along with directions including full street names. Include your city, state and zip code along with necessary maps. If parking is a problem, mention nearby parking alternatives.

In addition, to focus more on local opportunities, our florist could write a blog on local events, local news or provide a directory of information on local hospitals, funeral homes, etc.

Think local, local, local.

Keywords

By utilizing a keyword research tool such as Wordtracker or the Google Keyword Tool, you should research to find targeted keywords on a local level.

For example, by researching keywords based on "Cincinnati Florist" using the Google Keyword Tool, we found these possible keywords:

Cincinnati florist
Cincinnati flowers
Cincinnati flower shop
Cincinnati flower delivery
flower delivery Cincinnati
Cincinnati flower
florist Cincinnati
flowers Cincinnati
flower shops Cincinnati
florist Cincinnati Ohio
florists in Cincinnati
flower shop Cincinnati
florists Cincinnati
florists in Cincinnati Ohio
Cincinnati florists delivery
florist in Cincinnati Ohio
flowers Cincinnati Ohio
Cincinnati flowers delivery
florist Cincinnati OH

Note: These keywords are all earning good monthly searching numbers according to Google. The above list only included a sample of the keywords we uncovered.

Once the targeted keywords have been selected, they needed to be utilized in the website's content. Granted, you don't want to force the keyword so it dumbs down your audience nor do you want to stuff the page with keyword after keyword after keyword. However, there's nothing wrong with "We're Karen's Flower Shop, a Cincinnati florist providing flowers and floral arrangements for any occasion."

Get it?

Keywords should also be utilized in Page Titles, Descriptions and image ALT tags.

Link Building

Once of the most important SEO elements is link building. Our florist business should be using link building internally (from page-to-page within the website) and externally in earning links from other websites pointing to Karen's website.

Internal links should be "anchor text links" which send users from page to page by clicking on linked keywords. For example, a link on the website's Home page could be "Cincinnati Flower Delivery" which would route the customer to an ordering page. Internal links on targeted keywords are just as important as external links.

Links pointing to your website, or to a specific page, from another website are also needed. There are many ways to earn inbound links in local communities including online membership lists; publicity; media; articles; blogs; review websites; maps, just to name a few.

Maps, Lists & Reviews

Maps, lists and review websites have become popular over the last year as more customers are voicing their opinions on good and bad products, service, experiences, etc., on every business in town.

First things, first. Make sure you have created accounts to "claim" your business listings in sites such as Yelp, CitySearch, YellowPages, Judy's Book, Google Places, Facebook Places, etc. You may find your business is already listed in some review sites, but the business owner (that would be you) hasn't claimed their business.

Once you have confirmed business ownership, you can then complete your business listing including business description; hours; method of payment; website; maps, etc. Include photos and a video if possible. With Google Places (and other websites), try to complete the entire profile.

Many listing and mapping websites allow reviews from customers. Always interact with your customers here (even the bad reviews). This shows you are monitoring your reviews and working to solve any problems. Thank everyone for their review (even the bad ones).

Yes, sometimes, competition and disgruntled employees will create fake reviews to try to discredit you and your business. In most cases, these "reviews" are violating the website's guidelines and can be removed upon request.

Follow these tips and you'll find your website moving up in local search results.

Review Websites Are A Necessary Evil

Review websites, such as City Search, Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc., are a mixture of both good and bad for businesses. They can be important, but they can also be very dangerous as well.

If legitimate customers post legitimate and honest reviews, then great.

However, review websites tend to be filled with dishonest posts; fake accounts and untruthful reviews to try to harm competition.

For example, we found one local business - a Cincinnati heating and air conditioning company - that had a great review posted about them on a review website. However, the same author who posted the glowing review, also did a great review of a pizza establishment in Seattle.

In another instance, we found a different individual did a review for an HVAC company in Cincinnati; followed by a car purchase review in a different state; followed by a review for a home alarm system in Oklahoma; followed by furniture purchases in Oklahoma.

Fake.

If you read review websites, consider one simple piece advice:

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.

Unfortunately, businesses need to participate in review and mapping websites. At the very least, business owners should "claim" their business listing, address, telephone number, URL (think link building) and other important information.

If you refuse to do the basics, don't worry, someone else (perhaps a false reviewer) will be more than happy to input your business information for you, which will probably include incorrect spellings, wrong address, etc.

There are review services that will post fake reviews for your company. 

Run from these.

Fake reviews - good or bad - are very dangerous practices and are a violation of the Federal Trade Commission's disclosure guidelines.

If someone writes a false review about your business, you should follow the website's "rules of conduct" by reporting the false review, or "flagging" it for review by the site.

If the review website doesn't respond, then consider responding to the reviewer. If the reviewer doesn't respond, write something to the effect of "we responded to the individual who wrote this false review to try to solve their problem, but they refused to allow us the opportunity to help them."

See what Google has to say about review websites.

Unfortunately, you can't ignore review websites. However, play by the rules and try to be nice!

Seven SEO Success Tips for 2011

Purple Trout, LLC, a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consulting firm located in Cincinnati, Ohio, is offering an online webinar to help businesses get a head start on 2011.

“Seven SEO Success Tips For 2011” is set for Wednesday, January 19 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Admission is free, but space is limited.

In this webinar, attendees will learn the landscape for SEO in 2011, including changes in search engines, video, online maps, link building and more.

“Search engine optimization has changed so much in 2010 that some techniques used earlier last year are no longer valid,” says Steve Phillips, president at Purple Trout, LLC. “This webinar will help get your website on the right track for 2011 by creating a simple, yet useful strategy that will earn results for your website and business."

New techniques presented in the webinar include local search engine optimization and how video should become an important part of your SEO and social media efforts. How to earn relevant inbound links to your website and strategies for using Google Places and other online listing websites will also be part of the webinar discussion

This webinar will be presented in a simple, easy-to-understand, non-geek format (with no sales pitch). Webinar registration is required.

For more information, contact Purple Trout, LLC at (866) 837-7095 or visit www.purpletrout.com.

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 132

Is your business listing appearing in Google Places (also know as Google Maps)?

If not, here are 8 keys to earning a higher position in Google Places:

1. Make sure your listing is verified. When you submit to Google Places, you'll have the option of receiving a confirmation PIN via U.S. Mail or a phone call.
2. Make sure your listing is accurate and correct. Google not only relies on your confirmation, but it reviews other mapping and listing services as well. All addresses, telephone numbers, etc., need to be accurate in every listing service.
3. Make sure your business is listed in the appropriate category.
4. Create links pointing to your Google Places listing. For example, this could be a link from your website to the Google Places listing. Again, this helps confirm accuracy.
5. Make sure there are other web references that verify what you do. This would include listings in associations, Chambers of Commerce, etc.
6. Make sure your Zip Code and telephone number are local. For example, it won't help your cause much if your business address is listed as Cincinnati, but your business telephone number is listed in Northern Kentucky.
7. Have only one (1) Google Places listing. If you have multiple listings, then you need to claim ownership of your Places listing(s); edit them and delete the duplicates. This will take some time, but it's worth it.
8. Your Google Places listing needs to be 100% complete. This includes adding business hours; methods of payment; videos, etc. The closer you are to 100% completion, the better.

Still need help? Check out your competition already listed in Google Places on the targeted keyword. How are they beating you? Study your competition. Then, make your Places listing better.

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Purple Trout, LLC is a Cincinnati-based search engine optimization consulting firm helping our clients earn higher rankings in Google and other search engines (and Google Places, too!).

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 128

Is your business focusing on local search and potential local clients?

You should be!

Businesses are missing out on a huge market - the one that exists in their own back yard.

Yes, your website allows you to be global. You can sell your products and services from East to West and North to South; from Russia to South Africa to Canada and China.

However, it's a different world if you're a local dentist, pizza business, auto mechanic, etc. Your customers are local.

Do you know that 83% of all searches are local searches?

Even on the web, it's all about location, location, location.

Avoid These SEO Turkeys

Turkey is great for Thanksgiving, but are you an SEO turkey? Here are a few SEO turkeys and stale techniques:

• Black Hat SEO Techniques. Do not use the "hidden keyword" trick in your website, or other unethical methods. Not only are you a turkey, but you're  taking a big chance in getting your website punished - or even banned - by  search engines. For the record, the hidden keyword trick is not only a old tactic and unethical, but it doesn't even work anymore. Guess what? Some SEO firms still try to use this trick in order to obtain higher rankings in search engines.
  
  
• If you're a local business and you're not taking advantage of local SEO opportunities, then you and/or your SEO firm is a big turkey. No dessert for you! Get to work on registering your business name and location with Google Places, Bing Maps and other local maps. It's free and it's becoming more and more important to be listed in local maps.
  
  
• If you're not doing link building, then you're a turkey. Link building is the process by which other websites publish an link on their site (or blog) pointing back to your website. Link building is a very important element in SEO. It takes a lot of hard work to earn quality links, but it's a necessity.
  
  
• Turkeys do not update their company's website; add fresh content or optimize it for your targeted keywords. Don't ignore your website. Your potential customers are going to the Internet to search for your products and services. Customers must find you before they can buy from you.
  
  
• If you're an SEO firm or a "consultant" - who claims to be certified in search engine optimization, you're a turkey who should be ashamed and hide from the butcher. Granted, you might have attended a class and earned a certificate perfect for framing, but no search engine - including Google - offers a certification in SEO. You can, however, earn certifications in Google for Adwords. Businesses are fooled by this con very day.
  
  
• Another turkey is anyone who claims to be a social media expert. All of a sudden, it seems as if everyone is a social media expert. Ironically, some of them used to be search engine optimization experts a few years ago.

Enjoy your holiday and watch out for these tasteless turkeys.

What's New At Purple Trout?

While we'd much rather post here helpful tips, advice and information on search engine optimization, social media and how to earn more traffic to your website, we'd thought we'd pause for a brief post of what's new at Purple Trout, LLC.

A few weeks ago, we attended Search Engine Strategies in San Francisco, CA to learn of new ideas, strategies, etc., in the world of search engines. Attending national conferences is one of the ways we stay up on what's new in the industry. In turn, we change and implement strategies with our clients and share information with our readers.

During the four-day conference, we talked to Bing and learned more of its merger with Yahoo; attended many sessions on link building strategies and opportunities and how search engines value (or de-value) inbound links to websites. We also heard speakers talk about how "brands in the social media world need to balance their plan with strong search engine optimization" and more.

At Purple Trout, LLC, we're helping our clients focus on local, national and international search, depending on their business needs. Traffic to our clients' websites continues to increase and search engine rankings in Google, Yahoo and Bing continue to improve. 

Lately, we've added new employees at our office in Newport, Kentucky and virtually. Since our clients are national and international, there's no reason why our talent and team can't be based in other U.S. cities as well.

As of today, we have added four new employees to our local pond over the last eight days, including two SEO writers, an SEO specialist and an administrative assistant. We have also welcomed talent virtually in two meta tag code writers (from Northern Kentucky and Missouri); a Pay Per Click specialist (Iowa) and two more SEO writers (from Louisiana and Texas).

We feel very fortunate to continue to grow and provide strong SEO services to our clients in the current economic climate.

Soon, we'll be adding new services and partnerships to our firm.

Come and grow with us.

SEO Case Study: Pediatric Otolaryngology

Client

Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery Associates, P.A., located in St. Petersburg, Florida, www.pediatric-ent.com

Challenge

This ear, nose and throat specialist for children and adolescents asked for help from Purple Trout LLC to improve its overall search engine results on a local and regional level. The practice seeks patients in the St. Petersburg, Florida area.

Insight

While Pediatric Otolaryngolgy is the region's lone children's ENT, there is plenty of competition from hospitals, clinics and pediatricians in the area. Targeting local keywords is not always as easy as some may believe (how are your local rankings?).

We felt top rankings were required for this client, especially considering the target audience (parents who searching for an ENT specialist for their child).

Solution

Work with the client to target the best possible keywords that are currently being searched in Google and other search engines. Once the keywords were identified (both on a local and national level), we applied SEO basics; improved content and other on-page optimization elements; and started an aggressive - yet relevant - link building campaign.

Results

In less than five months, Pediatric Otolaryngology has earned the No. 1 organic keyword rank in Google on 43 local keywords and 8 national keywords.

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 108

Is your ideal customer a local customer?

If so, make sure you are doing everything possible to earn big-time exposure with local listings and profiles, including:

• Targeting local keywords in Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines. If you're local, you should be going after "Cincinnati pizza" and not just "pizza".
• Targeting local keywords in pay per click campaigns.
• Claim all your local listings in City Search, Yellow Pages, Yelp and other review websites. Make sure your business information, location, telephone number, hours, etc. are accurate. When possible, include videos and pictures.
• Claim all possible listings in Google Places, Bing and Yahoo Maps.
• Give some consideration to Facebook and Twitter to broadcast specials, coupons, news, etc. to your customers.

As a local business make sure you are taking full advantage of everything you can to build the authority of your website, business, product or service on the web.