How to Optimize Your Website for Local Search

Many companies provide a website and/or even a variety of social media platforms that will cater to their customers or anyone who has online access. This is because the majority of users can be found surfing the World Wide Web these days and its population is rapidly growing. It provides accessible information to those who are interested – all of this without any additional charges. The easiest part when it comes to sites is actually making one. Yes, without a doubt, you might have the necessary tools and resources to pull it off. However, the real challenge comes in when it is time to gather and entice an audience or a pool of visitors to drop by your site and stay for a period of time. This is the moment when you need to gather a lot of patience and online marketing skills that need to be continually groomed and enhanced in order to get far.

When you create a website for a company, it does not automatically mean that everyone will get the chance to view it. Why is that? It is because it still has to go through a rigorous process in improving its ranking in an attempt of being seen and clicked on among SERP (also known as Search Engine Results Page) of various search engines. In other words, it has to work its way from the bottom to the top, which can be a challenging task to accomplish because not everyone can do it. For those who are able to do so, it means that they have become successful in what they have been doing and will do everything to manage that healthy rank.

After all, think about the number of sites that have been produced by companies that are out there and have done so before you. They as well are doing their best to outperform one another to bring traffic towards their site. Also, try to put yourself in the shoes of a visitor. Why will a random user click on your site? How will they benefit by doing so? Will they want to engage in the products and services that you are offering? There are still many questions to ask but these will have to do for now just to motivate and get you started.

So, the most important question of all that everyone is asking is how will I be able to make my site stand out from the rest? You will have to implement SEO strategies that are cut out for your company. Take into mind that a certain strategy will work for one company but may not work for another. They may belong to the same industry, but have different goals to attain. This is why different companies use different strategies to achieve different results.

In order to relate to this, one must understand the structure of how their own company operates. They need to understand the processes that are involved. By understanding your own company or business, you will have an idea on which needs need to be identified and how you can build a bridge between the needs of the company and the needs of the customers. Most importantly, take note by studying your target market and what kind of background that these people have. By doing so, it will give you an idea what these people need and want. It’s beneficial so that you can satisfy or fix those needs or wants on your end.

As you know, SEO or search engine optimization has the aim of boosting the overall visibility of a particular site by getting consistent traffic so that it will be able to establish a healthy rank among search engines. More and more companies are adopting modern methods that pertain to this in order to boost the number of sales. If you are looking for ways to improve your site so that it caters to local search, then you’ve definitely come to the right place. Small businesses are the ones that greatly benefit from local search and should explore its rich benefits.

According to SEOmoz’s Beginners Guide to SEO, a study found out that 79% of search engine users look for information and businesses that can found nearby or locally. This shows that people decide to explore places or activities that are within their proximity before reaching out to other places. On their behalf, it will greatly save them the travelling time and not to mention, cut down the travel expenses. It will really help you out if you can establish yourself at a local scale than grow from there to a wide and global audience. There’s no harm in doing so. After all, this is the initial stage where all businesses had to go through before their expansion to other cities or even different parts of the world.

Let’s say our friend, Travis, runs a small bakery shop in Los Angeles, California. His specialization is designing cakes for all occasions. He caters to the locals and has gained a few loyal customers. However, he is looking forward to serving more customers. In order to do that, he needs to reach out to potential customers who are looking for his services within the area. He has a website for his business but in order to reach his goal, he needs to improve several things in order to become visible and boost his search ranking among local search.

With SEO still very much prevalent, Travis should enhance his on-site optimization by inserting keywords of his local area and city in these aspects that are mentioned below. By doing so, it will strengthen his own site and improve its local search ranking. After all, he is trying to establish a healthy rank among search engines so that his business name will appear when a search about the particular term is being conducted.

• Site content
• URL
• Both H1 and H2 tags
• Page Titles
• Meta Description

Content

• Content is the most valuable detail of your site.
• This should be considered as the first priority on the list because it will build credibility among people as well as search engines.
• You should spend more time here than anywhere else.
• As much as possible, try to localize the gist of your online content by including local terms.
• The content should be written in a way to engage people within the place or from nearby communities.
• Talk in the way how you casually talk and approach people.
• In return, the audience will feel how authentic you are by the language you are using.
• They’ll be intimidated if you use big words or become interested if you ramble on talking everything and anything except your business.
• Some people make the mistake of not putting the name of their location such as their city among images.
• It’s important that you do so because search engines will pick up on words and will not be able to “read” pictures.

Page Titles

• These are one of the very first things that you see among SERP.
• The way it is constructed is extremely important because it will determine the search ranking of a site.
• A page title should start with a relevant keyword that will also repeat itself in the content. A title should have the length of no more than 70 characters.
• Don’t forget to insert your local area.

Meta Description

• A meta description of a site is like a synopsis of a book.
• It gives the sneak peek to your site among online users.
• Like the title, a snippet of the meta description can be viewed on a SERP.
• The meta description is confined to 160 characters.
• Insert prime keywords, your local area and phone number.

Insert Your Contact Information

• The contact information of a certain business should be readily found on all pages of a website even as a footnote or at the bottom part.
• Important details that people tend to lok for are name of business, physical address of the business including its zip or postal code, phone number and email address.
• Others would provide their location on Google Maps so it’d be easier to find them.

Emphasize on Link Building

• This is one of the key ingredients when it comes to building or enhancing a website.
• It is said to be one of the most challenging areas in SEO.
• You can leave it to the experts to do it for you or accept the challenge by studying the basics to excel in it independently.
• It is a great way to navigate through sites and pages, helping users to look for the necessary information that they are searching for.
• It greatly helps if you turn to the most popular as well as a variety of social media in order to reach to a bigger crowd.
• Become friendly and interactive with the people around you.
• You never know that by building up connections and networks, you can use them later on when the need arises.
• It won’t hurt if you join associations, organizations, query local blogs and websites (the more local it is, the better for your business and your site).

Eliminate Keyword Stuffing

• This activity is a big no no and you will get penalized for it especially by Google.

http://www.bizwaremagic.com/advanced_seo_tactics.htm

• Search engines can identify this action and will lower your ranking.
• It looks unattractive and unnatural for its viewers.
• It doesn’t work for a long run, which you should be aiming for so that you can build a solid foundation for your business.
• Again, avoid this altogether and you’ll be on your way on the road to greatness.

Don’t Forget the Mobile Users

• Make sure that the site that you created and optimized is mobile friendly too.
• Keep in mind that this another factor that your site will be based when it comes to search engines.
• There is an increasing rate of people using their mobile phones for all their needs.
• Though 91% of users are on their personal computers and laptops and it is their first choice when it comes to Internet research, using smartphones is not far behind with 80% as seen in this infographic.

Check Out the Local Directories

• After doing the necessary changes and additions to the site, it would be a good idea to send it to the local directories.
• Think of it as Yellow Pages that can be found online.
• There’s also a good chance of people stumbling upon it while conducting their own research.
• Try to submit it to the following: Yahoo Local Listings, Yellowpages.com, Google Local Business Center, SuperPages.com, Local.com, InfoSpace.com or InsiderPages.com.

Source: http://www.small-business-seo-atlanta.com/post/76422308901/top-10-local-directories-for-your-small-business

Get Your Customers Involved

• Everything around us is getting interactive.
• The best way to go about it is to involve our present customers to help us do a bit of the marketing for us to reach out to potential customers.
• You never know the backgrounds of your customers so ask the right questions and it will potentially get you far.
• They could have connections or possess popular blogs that are proven to be valuable at one point or the other.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews, suggestions, recommendations and even feedback.
• More people nowadays rely on personal reviews because it talks about real life experiences that these real people possess.
• Try to get local reviews.
• Be open-minded even if customer reviews shed negative light on your business.
• You never know that these things could be areas for improvement and can be used for your own advantage as long as you seize the opportunity at the right time.
• The most important thing here is that the more your business is being talked about, the more it is being read and reached out by more people.

Let’s not forget about Travis and his bakery shop. Now that this information is laid before him, it is now up to him if he wants to make the chances that are necessary to improve his overall website when it comes to local search. It wouldn’t hurt for him to try. He’ll never know that these small improvements can lead him to a path of bigger opportunities. Let’s not forget about you. So, what are you going to do today?

Eve Haugen has been a freelance writer for a long while. Her passion in writing is her main drive in crafting articles that are engaging, informative, and meaningful. Her partnership with QuickSEOResult has given her a whole new opportunity to take writing to a whole new level.

The Beginner's Guide to Google Plus

When Google+ entered the social space in 2011, it was met largely with skepticism. Joining a crowded field with platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, many users questioned the need for another social network.

But roughly two years later, Google+ has established itself as the second-largest social media site in the world and boasts a monthly active user base of 235 million. And some of the products that Google built into the platform, such as Hangouts and Communities, along with its added integration in Google News that can benefit an active poster, have made Google+ an intriguing network for all users.

SEE ALSO: The Beginner's Guide to the Hashtag

If you're a newbie to Google+, these tips will help you get started.

Creating a Google Account

First things first, in order to have a Google+ account, you must have a Google account. To do that, go to plus.google.com and find "Create An Account" located at the top right of the screen. From here, you will be asked to provide a few pieces of information, including your name, birthdate and current email address. Next, you'll be prompted to add a profile photo to accompany your Google Account. You can either take a web camera shot of yourself to add to your Google profile or upload a headshot. Regardless, the image must be a minimum size of 250 x 250 pixels.

After adding your profile picture, you will then be redirected to your new Gmail account. From this new account, you can navigate to Google+ from the dashboard icon located on the top right in your account. You are now ready to add friends, family and others to your Google+ Circles.

Creating Circles

The first time you access Google+, a screen will prompt you to add people you know or want to follow, as well as a list of suggested users Google has curated for you to follow — also known as a Circle. Much like how Twitter works, you can follow someone and see all the activity that he or she publishes publicly. When you want to add someone to a Circle, there are already four default Circles you can choose from: "Family," "Friends," "Acquaintances" and "Following."

But if you want to add a person or brand page to a Circle that isn't listed, you can create a new Circle in the open box provided below the list.

Circles act very much like filters — you can share content with those in your Circles and you can see what they choose to share publicly. People and brands will be notified when you have added them to your Circles, but they don't know which Circle or who else is in that Circle with them.

Adding Extra Details to Your Google+ Profile

After you've added all your favorite people to Circles, Google will ask you to share just a little more information about yourself — including your current place of employment, where you went to school and where you live — to make your profile a bit more interesting. These sections will be public initially, but you can edit the visibility of this information once you have your profile set.

SEE ALSO: The Beginner's Guide to Facebook

Google+ is a very visual platform, so beyond your profile picture, you also have quite a bit of real estate on your profile page for a cover photo. If you're a Facebook user, you already know the large cover photo on that platform, which is 851 x 315 pixels. But Google+ takes that to an even more extreme level: 2120 x 1192 pixels.

With your profile set up with a profile picture, cover photo and background information, you're ready to browse the network.

Navigating the Stream

When you arrive at the Google+ home screen, you will see a variety of posts, products and more.

On left sidebar of the platform, you'll see 10 options to choose from, including "Profile," "What's Hot," "Communities," "Events" and "Hangouts On Air," among others, many of which we will cover shortly. On the right side of the screen is your Hangouts box, which shows the list of individuals or brands in your Circles. From here you can text chat or video chat with those on the list. In the center, you will see all posts from your list of Circles. You can filter through these posts by navigating to the Circle of your choice — from "Friends" to "Following" and more. This section will also include posts that Google+ has deemed popular on the network.

When interacting with posts, there are a number of things you can do, including +1'ing a post (which is essentially "liking" the post), sharing the post or commenting on the post. On the top right of each post, there is a downward carrot symbol that gives you more options for things you can do with this post, such as viewing its activity, embedding the post, muting the post or linking to the post, among other options.

Now that you know how to interact with a post, let's dig into how to create your own.

Posting on the Platform

Google+ makes it incredibly easy for your posts to target a large or small group of accounts when you post on the platform. When you try to post on Google+, you will need to select who you want to share it with — whether that's with the public, "Family" or with just one person, for example.

Much like with Facebook, you can tag individuals or brands in your posts. Tagged users or brands will get notifications that they have been mentioned on the platform. A tagged post can also serve as a private message with an individual or group. If you do tag another page, be cognizant of whether you want to share that post with just that person, brand or Circle, or if you want to share it publicly while also tagging that page or multiple pages.

Communities

If you're looking for where a lot of the conversations take place on Google+, look no further than Communities. Launched in December 2012, Communities are where users can find vibrant discussions around very specific topics with other users who are just as interested in the conversation. And the topics on the platform seem endless — ranging from social media to animals to comedy and more. In order to join the conversation, all you need to do is request to join.

SEE ALSO: Google+ Communities: A Beginner's Guide

Sharing to Communities is much like sharing to a Circle. Although you can post to the Community directly, you can essentially share to these pages from anywhere on the platform. If you are posting to a public Community, this post will also show up on your profile page and will be visible to users who navigate to your page. There are also private Communities, where you have to request to join in order to post content or see other users' shares. And unlike public Communities, anything you post within a private Community is exactly that — private from anyone outside of the group to see.

Hangouts

Google+ Hangouts are one of the most popular features on the platform. There are three types of Hangouts — the text chat version that has essentially replaced Gchat, private Hangouts and Hangouts On Air. For this tutorial, we will be discussing the latter two: Hangouts and Hangouts On Air.

Hangouts are a great option for individuals or companies who want to host a private video chat with up to 10 different accounts. Unlike Hangouts On Air, this will not be publicly viewable and will only be seen by those who are invited to join. You can initiate a Hangout from the Hangouts box on the right side of the web platform, or from an individual's profile page.

SEE ALSO: The Beginner's Guide to YouTube

Hangouts On Air are the public version of Hangouts, which can be viewed by all and are also archived as YouTube videos. You can navigate to this by finding the "Hangouts On Air" icon in the options on the left sidebar of the platform. In order to start a Hangout On Air, your account must be associated with a YouTube account; otherwise, you will not be able to move forward.

Hangouts On Air also allow you to video chat with up to 10 users (including yourself). Because you are choosing to host a public Hangout, it's important to follow a few easy, and important steps:

• When possible, try to host Hangouts On Air when you are in a place with high Internet connection speeds.
• Have headphones in case there is audio feedback on your end.
• Set yourself up with good lighting.

Not all of these are always achievable — in fact, Google now offers an audio-only mode and a bandwidth slider within Hangouts On Air if you are in a location with low bandwidth.

Events

Google+ Events is an essential tool for individuals and brands who want to promote everything from a Hangout On Air to fundraising events to private parties. An added layer for Events is that it can fully integrate within Google Calendar for added organization. Events can be found on the left sidebar of the social platform. When you arrive in the Events section, you will have to click "Create Event" to get started.

The Events interface is incredibly easy to set up. As with scheduling any kind of calendar event, you should create a strong event title, set the day and time, location (if needed) and any details that are necessary to explain the event. Finally, similar to using Google+ posts, you can set the event to be seen publicly or to be seen by just a select group of people.

What's Hot

The "What's Hot" section of Google+ is one of its major standouts as a social network. As with Hangouts and Events, you can find this section on the left sidebar of the platform. "What's Hot" shows the posts, topics and hashtags that are trending on Google+ at any given time, as well as suggestions for Communities that may interest you.

Speaking of hashtags, Google+ has gone all in with hashtags, and it has added a whole new level to social search on the platform. Using hashtags in your posts can improve your content's discoverability. Beyond that, though, Google+ will also suggest related hashtags for your posts to make them resonate more on the platform.

Google+ Mobile

The Google+ mobile app is a highly-functional, scaled-down version of the desktop platform. You can still post links and photos from the platform, filter through Circles, create events and more on the mobile app. Google has also created its own standalone Hangouts app, with which you can interact with those in your Circles through text or video chats, just like you would on the desktop version.

This guide is only the beginning of what can be a deeply immersive social experience. But if you are new to Google+, this will be enough to get you started.

SEO Is Dead. Here's What Is Taking Its Place

Thanks to recent Google changes, search engine optimization isn't nearly as powerful as it used to be. But that's OK--there's a better way.

If you've ever tried to deal with search engine optimization, you most likely have, at some point or another, wanted to bundle your whole site up and toss it into the nearest virtual trash can. Particularly if you felt compelled to focus on keywords, or any other technique calculated to artificially pique someone's mouse clicks.

You should be delighted to hear then, if you haven't heard yet, that the old-fashioned concept of SEO is deader than last week's sandwich. Google pretty much pounded the crap out of keyword stuffing and other absurdities with the search algorithm changes it's made over the last couple of years. And then Google made search secure, which means you can't even see what keywords someone used to get to your site.

It's about time, because all the minutiae blinded entrepreneurs to what is really important: making a connection with an audience. The term--not exactly new--that seems to be displacing SEO is OAO, online audience optimization. Before getting too squirrelly about another Three Letter Acronym, let's get grounded and think about what's important.

Really Know Your Audience

Over on the Marketingland blog, Brian Clark quoted great old-time advertising copyrighter Eugene Schwartz:

One hour a day, read. Read everything in the world except your business. Read junk. Very much junk. Read so that anything that interests you will stick in your memory. Just read, just read, just read... There is your audience. There is the language. There are the words that they use.

Clark takes this to mean that you have to understand the language and words people use so you know how to talk to them. I'll take it a step further. Not only do you need to know how they talk, which lets you better guess how they might specifically look for what you offer, but you also need to understand what they find funny. What scares them. What is important to them. How they think. Until you do, they're only marks and you do nothing more than run calculated cons. After you do understand them, they're real people and you might find yourself caring a bit about them. Good--care more.

Translate Caring Into Specific Actions

Do you care about your significant other, family members, or friends? If so, then there are plenty of times that you'll do specific things that you know make them happy. Emotion isn't an abstract concept, but something that drives behavior. Let the same thing happen in your marketing after you start to care about the audience. For example, Linda Ruth lists nine steps for OAO, including be consistent and clear about strategy and purpose, encourage audience participation, and employ engagement metrics and gamification techniques. Maybe you'll find that your list is the same. Maybe it will be somewhat different. Just make sure it comes with a focus on customers and how you can provide what they need.

It's like going into a shop you like where the people recognize you and get your interests and tastes. That's all you're trying to do. When the technology, any technology, gets in the way, drop it out back and return to the basics.