Pimp My Keywords

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.

Google Expanding Tag Advertising, Adding Features - Website Magazine

Google has added 11 U.S. cities to the tag advertising component of its revamped local business program, Google Places. The new locations are San Francisco, Washington D.C., Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, San Diego, Austin, San Jose, Boulder, Colo., and Mountain View, Calif.

For $25 per month, local businesses in these cities can incorporate photos, coupons or other information for customers into yellow tags that are highlighted on their listings on Google and Google Maps. A Google representative said that the company is anticipating quick feedback on the product while it works on new features.

One of those features is said to be an additional tag enabling local businesses to further highlight timely events and limited-time offers in customized messages that will appear on the listings. Google also plans to be expanding tag advertising to new locations in the near future. Businesses in the cities listed can join the program through their Google Places accounts.

via www.websitemagazine.com

Sigh, Local Business Center Becoming Google Places

Google's Local Business Center (which seems to change format, fields and rules every other week) has changed once again.

Business owner, meet Google Places.

Google Places, meet business owner.

Google says this will be better than before making it easier for business owners to post information, hours, coupons, etc., so potential customers can make better decisions about shopping.

Sigh. This is a broken record. Changes to your account can take up to four weeks to take effect (Ah, fortunately, it doesn't take up to four weeks to increase your pay per click bids!).

Complaining aside, you should take advantage of what Google offers here. Create an account (it's free) and complete all information. Add pictures and videos as well. Monitor your Google Maps impressions and visitors. Make adjustments as needed.

Standby. There's more to come I'm sure.

Finally! Google Maps Soon Available For Home-Based & Service-Based Businesses

One of the biggest complaints with Google Maps may soon come to an end as the Local Business Center will allow listings for home-based and service-based businesses.

Of course, home-based and service-based businesses could always list themselves in Google Maps, but owners didn't want customers dropping by; neighbors may not appreciate the extra traffic and who knows what zoning laws are being broken.

Still, I've always been a big fan of start-up businesses from home (and by that, I don't mean selling vitamin drinks with a multilevel pyramid!).

Soon, users who log into Google's Local Business Center (you'll need to set up a free account) will see a new tab called "Service Areas and Location Settings." There, owners will be able to select the option "Do not show my business address on my Maps listing."

Google says this is a limited test, but that many business owners should be able to see the new options in their Local Business Center accounts soon.

Taking Your Online Efforts To The Next Level

There are probably several reasons why your competition is kicking your butt online.

Never give up the battle. Get better. Start by doing some research:

• Search Google for some of your targeted keywords. Can you find your business in the Top 10 search results? Top 20? Top 30? If not, your website is not optimized for search engines. Yes, your website developer said "you're good to go" but it's not that easy.
  
• Check Google Maps and other online mapping websites. Is your website listed there?
  
• How about setting up and maintaining an online Pay Per Click presence? If you're advertising in the newspaper, then why aren't you advertising online where your customers are searching for you every day?
  
• Are you still ignoring Facebook? There are 400 million accounts in Facebook and your business still isn't participating in conversations about your industry? Seriously? What's your competition doing? Find out by searching Facebook.
  
• What about LinkedIn? And Twitter?

If your business is still focusing on cold calling, telephone book directories, newspaper advertising, television and radio, you're falling behind. The economy may not be the reason why your sales are down. You're missing out on major online opportunities.

It's time to get going. Now.

Yelp Taking Heat; Explains Why Some Reviews Don't Appear

Yelp Inc., a review website based in San Francisco, is facing a lawsuit and some serious allegations of removing negative reviews in exchange for paid advertisements.

Yelp, like most other review websites, allows consumers to post reviews of businesses' products and services (restaurant reviews are the most popular). While listings and reviews are free, Yelp sells ads to generate revenue. Fair enough.

Recently, however, nine small businesses have joined a lawsuit accusing Yelp of extortion and fraudulent business practices.

Ouch.

The new plaintiffs, include a Chicago bakery, a Washington, D.C. restaurant and a California furniture store.

The original plaintiff, a veterinary hospital in Long Beach, California, asked Yelp to remove a negative review that violated Yelp's guidelines. Seems reasonable.

Yelp removed the review, but then it reappeared. The suit alleges that Yelp's sales representatives repeatedly contacted the hospital offering to hide any negative reviews if it bought advertising from Yelp.

There's more.

Now, the owner of Chicago's Bleeding Heart Bakery alleged that Yelp offered in exchange for a paid sponsorship to push any bad reviews to the end of the bakery's listings on Yelp's site.

Yelp denies any wrongdoing and believes the suit is without merit.

This past Monday, Yelp posted on its blog why reviews disappear and reappear.

"The most common reason for reviews not appearing on a business page has to do with Yelp's Review Filter, a system whose sole purpose is to distinguish between trustworthy reviews and less-established ones and then decide which of those to show over time."

Most take review sites with a grain of salt.

Are the reviews real? Do businesses post false reviews on their competition?

More coming on this topic.