Myths and Truths about Local SEO

Hi guys, today I want to share with you some claimed Myths about SEO for local that I have heard so far and the corresponding truths.

http://storelocatorextension.com/

http://magentostorelocator.blogspot.com/2014/09/tipsforlocalmarketing.html

Myth #1—User Experience Doesn’t Matter

In today’s marketplace, user experience is the one thing that ultimately matters more than anything else. From content marketing to social sharing to responsive design, the emphasis is on what the customer needs or wants first, and what the business does or has second.

Truth #1—It Must Make Sense To The Customer

Whether on a website, a social platform or in the SERPs, all content — text, image or video — must make sense in the eyes of the user. The same goes for site architecture and overall experience.

Businesses that build their online vehicles with the end-user in mind will be rewarded in the rankings.

Myth #2—Your Google Listing Is The Way To Boost SEO

There is no “one” way to boost SEO. True SEO is an amalgamation of many functions, and ultimately, they all need to be logical and consistent. This myth has been propagated in large part because of the power of Google on businesses on the local level.

Many businesses have seen benefits after doing this, but the reality is this likely happens because the businesses that bother to claim local listings are the ones that are participating in other local strategies that positively help SEO, as well.

Truth #2—Your Google Listing Can Help SEO

Certainly, businesses should claim their Google business listing, which is the profile page for your business that shows up in local queries and Google Maps.

If you are going to be socially active on Google Plus, you should create a Google+ business page and connect it to your site using the rel=”author” tags to help improve visibility of your content in Google search results.

Myth #3—Social Media Doesn't Work

This myth seems to be perpetuated by people who do not use social media personally, so they also avoid it in business. That approach can only serve to hamper a company’s SEO efforts, especially for local businesses.

Truth #3—Social Signals Create High Quality Backlinks

The simple truth is that content from social media sites, particularly Twitter, can get propagated to millions of other sites which can effectively create backlinks to your site.

The key is to stay active and post quality, relevant content for users. These social signals created by actively participating on these social sites have a significant impact on where you’ll rank in Google search.

We have seen great success in incorporating social media into our clients’ local SEO strategies. Social media networks, specifically Facebook, have become one of the leading referral sites bringing traffic to websites, and in many cases, have actually generated sales.

http://storelocatorextension.com/

Myth #4—Links Are Out, Citations Are In

“Link building is dead” has become almost as catchy of a tune as “Ding dong the wicked witch is dead” but it is highly inaccurate. So, too, is the replacement of links with citations.

Truth #4—Quality Over Quantity In Local Niches

The truth of the matter is that both links and citations can help SEO. The most important factor here really is the quality of either. Your site might have 50 citations and no links but rank lower than a site with five citations and 10 links if the latter site has better quality connections.

Keep in mind that link spam still works, but the risk of doing it is higher than ever. The real mantra of today’s SEO is that quality, not quantity, is what matters.

Here’s a little fact that we’ve found from experience with “spammy” links. We’re seeing that a long time can pass between the posting of spammy links and any negative impact being felt on websites. This observation tells us that Google is not addressing all sites at once.

Myth #5—The More Google+ Posts And Followers, The Better

It is true that being active on Google+ can help SEO. It only stands to reason given that it is owned by the largest search engine. However, that same search engine knows the difference between high-quality posts and followers and low-quality ones, and you should, too.

Truth #5—The More True Interest Within Google+, The Better

Developing a network of active followers and a high rate of +1s and shares is the way to put Google+ to work. By high rate, we do not mean mass numbers, but a good percentage of overall activity in a particular niche.

The way we see success in Google+ is to join communities that are of interest to your clients’ local area and target audience.

http://magentostorelocator.blogspot.com/2014/10/GEOtargetingthebestwaytoincreaseyourconversionrate.html

http://storelocatorextension.com/

http://magentostorelocator.blogspot.com/2014/10/Howtomakeyourcustomergivetestimonialshappily.html

10 tactics for local SEO

Today business owners are boomed by a variety of marketing channel. They are easily getting confused and don’t really know what is the best optimizing tools for their marketing strategy. Obviously, Search engine optimization is always going to deliver good results, and with more consumers armed with smartphones these days it has become extremely important that a local business has a strong local search presence. Here are 10 local SEO tactics to help with your website ranking in local search results.

Take a look at our Magento Store Locator Extension

1. Ensure That Your Website is Mobile & Tablet Friendly

If your website is not responsive then you are already at a major disadvantage in terms of local search. With so many local searches being performed on mobile and tablet devices it is crucial that your website offers a pleasant experience to those that are visiting it from one of these devices.

When someone visits your website on a mobile device and they have a hard time navigating it what do you think they will do? They will simply leave and find a site that is optimized for their device.

The small investment required to transform your website into a responsive design is well worth it. Mobile traffic continues to increase and there is no sign of it slowing down.

2. Get Started Blogging

Creating a blog on your website and updating it on a regular basis is a great way to increase your local search visibility. Your blog will allow you to create content that targets local keywords and search terms related to your business.

Blogging provides a great SEO benefit, but it also gives your website visitors information to read every time they visit your website. The longer you can keep them on your site, the better chance you have of converting them into a lead or sale. Make sure to share your blog content on your social media profiles, further expanding your reach. Blogging can really boost your local search reach, so make sure to include it in your marketing effort.

3. Build Your Local Listing Pages

There is nothing tricky about this step. You will want to claim your local listings on Google+, Yahoo Local, Bing Local, and other popular business listing directories. After completing your profile you will have to verify you are indeed the owner of the business listing, and each one has a different verification method. Some will just verify your email address and some will send you a pin code in the mail that you will then have to enter in order to complete the verification.

Aside from the "big 3" there are additional local listings that you should make sure to include, such as YP.com, Yelp, foursquare, and industry specific business directories. It is important that you fully complete each profile using accurate and consistent information across all of your local listings.

4. Make Sure Your Website is Optimized

Your on-page optimization is very important when it comes to being found in local search. Several businesses can rank on top if they just have solid on-page optimization, so it is very important that you take the time to properly optimize all of your on-page factors before you even begin to think about link building or citation building.

Rather than list all of the on-page factors here, you can read my company's definitive on-page optimization guide. It includes detailed information on how to properly optimize your website, including an example that you can follow.

5. Encourage Your Customers to Leave Reviews

Having positive reviews online build trust and credibility, something that future customers actively look for. It is important that you gather local business reviews the right way, and not offer incentives or force reviews. Rather than bribing customers, simply present them with a list of review websites and let them know that you would love to hear their feedback.

There is no need to over think this. You will find that most customers will be more than happy to provide their feedback if they are simply asked. You can create a page on your website that displays all of the review options or you can send out an email to your customers asking for feedback.

6. Constantly Test & Optimize

The previous nine tips that we have just discussed need to be constantly addressed. To dominate your local market you need to always be one step ahead of the competition. There is always room for improvement, so don't be afraid to test and make changes. You would be surprised at how the smallest change can often result in the biggest change

7. User Experience is Key

Fancy graphics, animation, and outrageous features are not going to help your website perform well in local search. You need to focus on user experience first, making sure that everyone who lands on your website can easily navigate and locate your content and calls-to-action. Top rankings and all of the traffic in the world won't do your business any good if your visitors leave right away out of frustration.

A clean design and simple navigation is key. The goal of every website is to create an action. This could be a physical location visit, a phone call, a contact or form request being filled out, or a purchase being made directly on the website. Make it as simple as possible for your visitors to complete your desired actions.

 8. Pick Smart Social Media Platforms Based on Your Customers

Social media is a mandatory part of your local search marketing effort, but it is counter productive to attempt to be active on every social media platform. You want to identify the outlets that your target audience is active on.

For example, a craft store would want to be active on Pinterest, but a local accountant would not benefit by being active on that social media platform. Once you have identified the proper social media platforms to be active on you will need to create a publication schedule. You will want to share your blog posts on social media, but you will also want to engage with your audience a few times daily.

9. Use Visual Content

Consumers respond much better to visual content, so use videos, infographics, and images as much as possible in your website content. This helps your visitors stay on your website longer, increasing the chance of them turning into a lead or sale.

Compelling content that is packed with useful images or an infographic also helps your website attract inbound links from other websites that link to your content. High quality authority websites aren't going to link to thin content that provides little to no value. Focus on improving the user experience and you will earn more links, helping your local SEO effort.

10.  Keep NAP Information Consistent

When you are creating business listings it is important that you are maintaining consistency when it comes to your NAP (business name, address, and phone number). It should appear on all directory listings exactly as it appears on your website.

For example, if you spell out "Street" on your website then do not abbreviate it as "St" on any of your business citations. Maintaining this consistency will help you to improve your local SEO greatly. It is also a great idea to audit all of your business listings and fix any discrepancies. This is a great way to help clean up your NAP profile and ensure consistency across the board.

.

  

Store Locator Magento - Design step

For many multichannel retailers, a joined up in-store and online approach increasingly makes good sense. While digital (which includes mobile) presents some new challenges for retailers, there's little doubt that offline and online can be a potential combination

When it comes to driving online shoppers through the doors of a physical store, there are numerous ways to get the job done, from in-store events to click-and-collect schemes. But one of the easiest and often most overlooked is the handy store locator.

A well-designed store locator can be a big help in getting a customer or potential customer to drop in.

Here are five tips for creating an effective store locator experience...

- With the help of Magento Store Locator -

1. Allow the user to save a store preference

With more and more retailers offering click-and-collect schemes and looking to facilitate online-driven offline purchases, it can be important to allow customers to save their nearest store as a preference so that relevant information about product availability can be displayed during their visits.

Example: On Walmart.com, clicking on the Make This My Store button through the store locator saves the customer's store as a preference, enabling a more personalized online shopping experience that encourages offline shopping.

See Store Locator Magento

2. Turn a visit into an event

For customers looking to make their visit to your store an efficient or VIP-like experience, offering the ability to schedule their visit can go a long way towards producing a quality customer experience.

Example: Bank of America allows account holders (and prospective account holders) to schedule appointments once they've identified the nearest BofA location of interest.

See Store Locator Magento

3. Offer advanced search and filtering functionality

Not all stores are created equal and customers may have a need to search for stores that offer particular services or have certain features. This is where advanced search and filtering functionality becomes necessary.

Example: The store locator on Starbucks.com allows users to filter by a number of very specific criteria, including the availability of digital rewards and mobile payments.

See Store Locator Magento

4. Show a pretty picture

Looking to get customers through the doors of your store? Making it easy for them to locate the stores that can service their needs is important, but trying to add a little bit of visual appeal of what awaits them can't hurt either.

Example: Apple's online store locator not only provides all the details you'd expect about each store location, it provides a pretty picture of the store as well.

See Store Locator Magento

5. Provide store-specific content

Most store locators provide basic information, such as store hours and services offered. But there is often an opportunity to go beyond this and provide deeper store-specific content.

This can include catalogs, information about events, and special promotions.

Example: Macys.com's store locator provides links to store events and store catalogs, allowing customers to learn more about what's going on at their nearest Macy's store and providing the retailer with additional opportunities to lure them through the doors.

Hope that you feel this Article useful. If you want to know more tips, click here:

See Store Locator Magento