Today is day two at Pubcon Las Vegas and the first session I attended today was titled Local Search SEO and IM, here are my take aways from this session;

Moderator Brad Geddes

Speakers; William Leake – Apogee Search, Michael Dorausch – Planet Chiropractic, Eric Bramlett – One Source Realty

Eric Bramlett

Local Search is getting allot more competitive

Alintitle for “las vegas real estate” over 900,000 results

SEO is becoming more popular for local search

You need to prepare yourself for the future

Typically when searching for a local product you start with the root keyword, i.e.: dry cleaner, you receive local results based upon your IP.

The public is getting smarter; people are typing in property addresses into Google, tag/name your images with this property address

Moving into hyper local niches, developing niche traffic w/blog

The days of link building is dead, hard to compete with a hyper local blogger

If you’re a local business keep an eye out for the future of hyper linker, he is building relationships in your community

Michale Dorausche –- Local search and mobile

(Michale owns Chiropractor businesses in Las Vegas

October there were big changes in Google Local

• Google Goes local
• Major changes to Google Place Pages
• Reviews – addition of places owner to comment to reviews
• Changes to Google Maps
• Indexing of local websites in the SERPS
• Inclusion of local directories into the SERPS
• You need to have a hyper local website/directory to be successful (hyper local blogs are local blogs for a community)

Convergence

• Desktop Shopper
• Mobile Phone User

Desktop shopper

• SEOs are most familiar with this type of shopper, they do search from home/office
• SEO/SEM marketers help ensure they appear among the search results
• If you’re a small business owner you need to invest into SEO, impossible to manage a SEO campaign yourself

Mobile Phone User

• Nothing casual about their search attitude, they want it NOW!
• Local businesses should recognize these types of searchers, if they good fast service they will leave positive reviews, if they are put off, they will leave negative reviews
• More interested in location then the quality of service, they want to find local businesses close to their location. Therefore best may lose to nearby

2011 changes

• As the tide is moving toward mobile search, users will be doing less research
• Brands win big
• 2011 will be huge for local search
• Mom and pops are going to lose out in 2011 to the big brands
• When searching for pizza from your mobile, do you seek the best or closest?

How many used mobile phone to find a place to eat in past 30 days, these are the people going to tweet about the business, take a picture of the food, post a comment on places page

Brands are winning

• Example, search for breakfast in Google
• You’ll see the brands top on the list of local search

Survey; would you travel 50 miles to get the Best?

• Pizza No, want now
• Haircut yes
• Chiropractor yes
• Best Friend Yes

Location+Branding+Trust

Closet=location
recognize=branding
reviews=trust

You must have 2 of three to win
3 of 3 wins big

Hyper local can build your branding

Changes from 2009

• More Droid users
• More Iphone users
• Less netbooks and more iPads

Engage your customers when they come into your brick and mortar location who bring these devices, they like to talk about it, perhaps they will write a good review

Apps

• If your target is mobile audience you must use Yelp
• Google maps dominates

QR codes

• Download your QR Code, make stickers, make t-shirts
• A QR code provides a mobile user your location on Google’s map
• Have a page on your website with your QR code and put the code on your website
• Hang in your office/store. Watch to see if your customers scan it and when they do engage them to find out if they have a Twitter account, Facebook account etc.

Search Engines

• SEO like its 2010
• Take training in search engine optimization and local search
• Hire a professional, your SEO is your coach
• Granular still helps

Data Gathering

• Website analytics
• Phone calls (call tracking)
• Walkins
• Get face to face with locals

Twitter Lessons

DMs and messaging may interrupt office flow. Either get staff on it or make alternatives known
Use it or lose it!

Summary

• SEO is still a high priority for desktop users
• Create page profiles for desktop and mobile
• Utilize call tracking and training of your staff
• Ask walk-ins questions
• Rinse, repeat, profit

William Leake – Local Search, What Why and How

Consider the mindset of your audience when they are searching for you

• Desktop users take their time, does research
• Mobile, want it now and closest.
• Consider this in design and layout of mobile site

What is local search and why do you care?

• Most searches have local intent
• Online search influences 471 billion worth of off line sales last year, verse 136 billion online
• Product and comparison shopping happen online, but 67% happen off line
• Several years ago Google had 10 pack then to 7 pack now Google takes the whole page
• Google is going to OVERWEIGHT local search in the next few years – Local is going to take preference

Here is where it is the most money is in search - Examples

Local Parts – If you were a national autoparts dealer you now have the local results that are pushing down onto the bottom of the results

Flooring – No longer national results, all results coming now from local results

Google is investing BILLIONS into Local

How to submit your company

• Resister with Google, Yahoo, and Bing
• Get listed.org

Additional options on your Places Pages

In addition to categories and hours you should also offer:

• Payment options
• Photos of listings or office
• Videos (optimized)
• Additional details

Additional Options to Website

• Local Maps
• On page optimization
• Include city, state in title tag
• Include physical address on all pages
• Customize by page for multiple localities
• Keywords

Important Ranking Factors for Local Listings

• Citations in local search is what link building is to SEO
• Reviews; Today Google is concerned with quantity rather than quality.
• Tagging

A citations is a mention of your business name and address on a website, even if it is not a link, these can be obtained through:

• Universal business listing
• InfoUSA
• Localeze
• Acxiom
• Local Search sites/Directories
• BBB

Review Spamming

• Google is watching, is this one person who has only done one review, or multiple reviews

Where to get Reviews

• Get difference sources/verticals for reviews
• Give your customers a review card that outlines what they need to do to post a review
• Get reviews from suppliers, alternate people

Google is focused on quantity of reviews not negative or positive

Videos

Don’t forget the video, can be a three minute testimonial from a customer with a flip camera

Mobile SEO

• Forget Google Seven Pack, they are looking for top three
• Use Google places
• Goes without saying, no flash!
• Use the following code to redirect to mobile site
  <link rel=”alternate” media-“handheld” href=X.htm/>

What’s happening on the local horizon?

• Algorithms getting better, more accurate
• More results with local flavor
• Reviews help filter the best local venues

Chris Tolls – SEO Topics for Local Search

2/3^rd of every advertising dollar is spend on local advertising

Google –Facebook – Apple the big three driving technology devices today

You need to look at Facebook to drive traffic

The iPhone is the biggest launch in technology

Make sure your website works in mobile, in the next five years mobile traffic will exceed desktop traffic. The growth is in mobile

Geo Location Services

1% of per users use geo local, but these users are the most influential users in the industry; this is going to be a big part of the local system.