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Local SEO in 5 Easy Steps

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Local SEO is probably one of the toughest on-line marketing strategies to implement. This is partly because of Google’s strict local algorithm, which takes into account several factors. Long gone are the days where you could build a large amount of links and expect your local business to rank on the first page. Link building is one of multiple factors that Google takes into consideration when placing you on the coveted first page of a local search result (7 Pack). The purpose of this article is to provide readers with quick action steps on how to place your local business at the top of the local SERPS (search engine results page).


Step 1

Check and see if your target keywords trigger the local algorithm (see image below). Generally speaking, key phrase combinations like city + keyword triggers a local search result (7 pack). There are still many services which do not trigger the 7 pack. If your local business is such a service, then this would make ranking a lot easier as it would rely more on the traditional SEO strategy of relevant link building versus a more localized SEO strategy (directories and citations).





Step 2

One of the critical steps in local search is determining where your business is geographically located. And it goes without saying, it’s always easier to rank in your local city. This is because the local Google algorithm will always give preference to businesses located within a geographical boundary (city). On-line marketers call this the “centroid” bias. This basically translates into Google giving preference to businesses located closest to the downtown area of a city. So if you are trying to rank for “Dallas hair salons” then those salons located closest to the downtown area will be given preference, all other things being equal. So if your business is located outside a metropolitan area, then ranking for that city may be a daunting task (even impossible for competitive niches).


Step 3

Next, determine how competitive your niche is. Take the first business that is ranking #1 in the 7 pack. Now copy the name, address and phone of this result and place quotation marks around it. For example, “XYZ business 1225 Saint Regis Drive Houston, Texas 972-781-5656.” See image below for any example. Make sure you copy the NAP exactly as it’s displayed in the 7 pack. Now put this in a Google search with quotation marks and see how many results show up. This will give you an approximate idea as to how many directories and citations you will need to outrank the top listing in the 7 pack. Repeat this process for the lowest ranked business in the 7-pack. Write down the number of results that Google shows. Now repeat the same process for your own business NAP. Your results would have to beat the lowest ranked business in the 7-pack to be included. Obviously, the quality of your backlink profile, customer reviews and various additional factors will come into play. This method is simply to gauge how much effort will be required to be included in the 7-pack.





Step 4

Now that you are armed with all the necessary information, its time to get to work. First step is to get listed in relevant local directories. This not only means Google Places and Yelp, but also directories local to your city and specific niche. So if you’re a plumber, getting listed in the local plumbers association for your city would be a great start. The goal is to get listed in as many local directories as possible. The local Chamber of Commerce is also a great place to get listed. Even if you cannot place links, just getting a plain listing is good enough. The 2 important factors here are relevancy and of course, being local to your target city. Make sure these two factors are covered when doing directory inclusions as well.


Step 5

Last, but certainly not least, make sure you accurately implement NAP (name, address and phone number) of your business in all the local directories. And more importantly, make sure that all the citations have your NAP listed in exactly the same way across all the directories (including your own website). Any inaccuracies will result in a loss of valuable SEO juice. The Google algorithm may be complex, but it’s still just an algorithm. A slight variation in the NAP may signal to Google that its different business. Ensure that all your NAP’s are identical for effective optimization. This is a critical part of local SEO, which a lot of businesses seem to overlook.

And there you have it. An effective local SEO strategy in 5 easy steps. Just following this simple action plan should put you on the road to higher local rankings and traffic in a short period of time.


SMO Services: The New Age Web Promotion Formula

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SMO Services refer to Social Media Optimization Services. To put it simply, these services are like viral marketing tools, wherein social media tools such as social networking websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Stumbleupon, blogs, microblogging sites such as Twitter, image and video sharing websites such as Flicker, YouTube etc. are harnessed to provide more visibility to your website and attract more traffic and consequently result in improved business opportunities.

With the internet making the world a smaller place, business practices have also evolved. Gone are the days when companies would produce goods and consider their job to be done. In today's world, companies go the extra mile to be ahead in the race. They reach out to the consumer in more than one ways, and SMO Services help them get the edge.

SMO Services have grown considerably over the last few years, given the increasing reach of social networking websites. SMO Services are designed to help companies create an online identity and market their products, increase their brand value and create customers through online social networks.

Although SEO and SMO services are both targeted to increase online visibility of a website, the difference lies in their respective approach to get the desired result. Search engine optimization services target search engines and their results, whereas SMO services look at all other websites apart from search engines.


Some of the aspects of SEO and SMO Services are as follows:

• Forum Marketing: SEO Services provider can help you be a part of some of the most popular, relevant and active forums on the internet, helping you get closer to your target segment.

• Blog Marketing: can also help your company generate lively, interesting blogs. This gives you an opportunity to form communities of your own.

• Article Writing: can also supply you with well-written articles helping you to create an online brand, appealing to your desired segment.

• Online Press Releases: Press releases can be handled by the SEO provider, packing in that extra factor. Apart from providing creative and interesting press releases for your brand, the service provider is also in charge of distributing those releases to the most popular news portals, thereby guaranteeing you definite exposure.


Some of the major advantages of SEO Services are as follows:

• SEO Services help you gain the maximum out of social networking websites and the huge platform that they have to offer.

• An effective SEO Services provider can help you synergize the SEO and internet marketing plans for the company.

• SEO Services usually drive better quality visitors to your website than other marketing tools do, thereby, promising a higher visitor-to-customer ratio than other marketing strategies do.

• SEO Services can also assist your website to gain link popularity and securing non-reciprocal links.


Most experts suggest a healthy mix of SEO and SMO strategies for growing businesses. Get in touch with an SEO and SMO provider today, to get the best for your business!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7037596

How to Use SMO For Your Business

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We've all heard of SEO or Search Engine Optimization, but these days SMO or Social Media Optimization is just as important. Social media plays an important role in marketing a business online. The best part is that it's free!

You'll want to start with joining a social media site. LinkedIn, Facebook and groups on Ning.com are where you will find your target audience. Look for a group that has a lot of members and open forums or groups to join.

Once you have joined a group, take the time to set up your profile with any pertinent information about your business. This should include your website address or business location, contact info and a description of your services or products. Some groups allow you to write your own blog. Ning.com groups usually have a blog that goes along with your profile. On LinkedIn you can add a widget that links to your blog. This will automatically update your profile page with your most recent blog entries.

The second step of joining a social site is to get involved. You cannot just build a profile and expect to connect with people. You need to start conversations and ask questions.

Starting a conversation is easy. Many times there will already be a discussion going on that you can join. You can also start a discussion about current business news, ask for advice, events, webinars or share free information that helped your business. Approach people you admire and either leave a comment or ask to connect. Not everyone will connect with you, but most are more than willing. A great way to let someone know you are genuine is to tell them why you want to connect when you send a request.

Be careful of spamming a forum or discussion area with posts that are only ads about your business. There are certain times when you can write about your business. Look for an "Introduce Your Business" discussion where you can write about your business. Another time to post about your business is when someone is looking for a service/product that you offer. You can always advertise your business by adding a signature with your name and website link at the end of any discussion you post.

Continue to make connections, build your network and find ways to work with other business owners. After you have mastered one group, join another. Join as many groups as you can without becoming overwhelmed about adding content and making new connections.

Blogs are still a viable way to spread word of mouth and build your brand. I recommend using a free blog host through WordPress or Blogger. Your first blog post should introduce your business. Your blog will have a sidebar area that you can add links to your site, product photos, your logo and reciprocal links. Reciprocal links with other blogs is a great way to reach a new audience. You can go a step further and post reciprocal entries on each others blog about the others business.

Post entries to your blog on a regular basis, either daily or weekly. This way people can see that you are reliable and it will fill your blog up with great content. You can post about your services and products. Each entry can showcase a different product or service you offer. Adding commentary on relevant news about your industry makes for great content. You can subscribe to a free service, Google Alerts on specific subjects that are sent your email address. Use this service to learn about news around the world.

Writing articles about subjects within your industry is a way to show off your expertise and advertise your business. You can submit articles to article banks such as Ezine or Hub pages.

Once you have published an article, you still need to market it. Add a link to your article on your site and blog. There are several free services that will allow you to share articles with the public. Popular sites include Twitter, Digg and LinkedIn. On LinkedIn groups you can submit articles to the news section of any group you have joined. You can also start a discussion about your article by asking what others think about that subject and referencing your article via a link to where it is located.

These are the basics of social media optimization or SMO. The longer you're online the more you will learn. You can use the internet to build lasting relationships with customers and other entrepreneurs.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3395062

Is WordPress or Blogger better for SEO?

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I've used Blogger for 3 years, but now everyone tells me that WordPress is superior for SEO. After scouring many sites, I've been unable to find the SEO advantages to using Blogger - are there any?


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