This document summarizes Benu Aggarwal's presentation on optimizing local listings and place pages. It discusses the key factors that impact local search rankings, including consistency across listings, social signals, reviews, and on-page optimization. It provides tips for setting up and optimizing profiles on Google+, including verifying the listing, adding accurate business information, images, and getting reviews. Additionally, it discusses optimizing profiles on other local platforms like Yelp and Foursquare to further enhance local visibility.
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SES Chicago 2013 - World Class Local: Optimizing Listings, Place Pages, and Beyond
1. Chicago
•
November
4–7,
2013
•
#SESCHI
@SESConf
World Class Local
Optimizing Listings, Place Pages, and Beyond
Benu
Aggarwal
Milestone
Internet
Marke3ng
Inc.
President
and
Founder
2. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
World
Class
Local
Op3mizing
Lis3ngs,
Place
Pages,
and
Beyond
• Where
is
Local?
• Factors
ImpacIng
Local
• Local
Search
Ecosystem
2013
–
Google
• Consistent
UNAP
Process
• Google
+
Place
Page
OpImizaIon
Process
• Hyperlocal
–
Yelp
and
Four-‐Square
• On-‐Page
Local
OpImizaIon
• Geo
Specific
SCHEMA’s
• Meta
Search
–
Hotel
Finder
• Key
Take
Aways
3. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Milestone
at
a
glance
Drive online revenue and profitability for our clients
Silicon Valley ~ Chicago ~ India
150 employees ~1500 hotels
Digital marketing software and services for hospitality
4. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Google+
Local
Bing Local
Yahoo
Local
IYPs
Maps
Internet Yellow Pages
Local
Search
Local Citations
Travel Sites UGC
Hyperlocal
Where is Local? – All Channels
5. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Factors
ImpacIng
Local
• OpImizing
Local
Profile
on
Google+,
Bing
Local,
Yahoo
Local
• IYPs
and
Data
aggregator
-‐
NAP
consistency,
citaIon
volume
• Social
and
Hylerlocal
Signals
–
Google
+,
Facebook
likes,
Mobile
• Duplicate
lisIngs
• On-‐page
Local
OpImizaIon
• Number
of
reviews
Local Signals
Places Page
External Loc.
On-page
Link
Review
Social
Behavioral/
Mobile
Personalization
http://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors
from survey by David Mihm
6. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Local
Search
Ecosystem
2013
-‐
Google
There are 100’s of channels that you can advertise
in…..only a few matter!
Search
Engines
Data
Providers
Hyperlocal
IYPs
Travel
Sites
UGC
Local
CitaIons
Maps
7. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Consistent
UNAP
Process
• URL,
Name,
Address,
Phone
number(UNAP)
consistency
• Local
and
Hyperlocal
profiles
• CitaIons
and
data
feeds
• OpImizing
website
Brand.com
Independent
Enhance
Data
Consistent
UNAP
8. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Timeline
to
Make
Changes
9. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
And thousands more…….
How
do
you
know
which
channels?
10. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Google
+
Place
Page
Process,
Best
PracIces,
Fully
OpImized
Profile
and
Social
Signals
11. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Google+ Page Place Optimization Process
Create business
page (or access to
existing)
Send verification
postcard
Receive PIN;
Merge listing
QA listing;
Optimize listing
per guidelines
Add Social posts
and listing
extensions
12. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Google+ Listing Verification
§ Postcards generally arrive within 1 week
§ Verification for Google+ is not available in all countries
§ Provide contact person name, to ensure postcard isn't thrown out
13. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
• Business
Name
is
correct
and
in
only
one
language
• Address
is
accurate,
and
is
geo-‐coded
using
Google
standards
• Business
Hours
are
added
• Correct
contact
informaIon
(Phone,
Fax,
URL,
Email)
are
added
• Correct
Categories
are
displayed
(up
to
10)
• Profile
Image
uses
correctly-‐sized
logo;
Uses
a
high-‐resoluIon
Cover
Flow
Image
of
the
business
or
local
area
• LisIng
is
connected
with
URL
through
Webmaster,
and
to
any
other
Google
Extension
(i.e.
AdWords
Express)
• Publisher
tag
added
-‐>
URL
verified
on
G+
Profile
• Advise
client
to
have
a
minimum
of
10
reviews,
5
followers,
5
business
images
and
on-‐going
“check-‐ins”
by
customers
Google + Best Practices
14. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Correct
UNAP
and
contact
informaIon
OpImized
Images
for
profile,
cover
and
of
property
Accurate
map
marker
locaIon
Correct
Categories
Merged
and
verified
OpImized
content
Overall
review
score
Get
Custom
URL:
+Hya$EscalaLodge
User
Reviews
of
Business
15. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Social
signals
in
acIon
16. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Yelp
5.4
Million
Searches
for
Hotels
on
Yelp
in
January
2013
41%
of
Hotel
Searches
on
Yelp
are
on
Mobile
Devices
17. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Yelp
18. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Yelp
Check-in offer
Photos
Specialties and
Announcements
Business
Info
User
Reviews
UNAP
19. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Foursqure visibility with check-in offers
20. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Local
Search
Ecosystem
2013
-‐
Apple
21. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Local
lisIng
in
Google
Maps
Driving directions, star rating, # of
reviews
Engagement CTAs
Actual photos of the property
22. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Display Address in text
Phone numbers
Location MAP
Image names and ALT tags
Should have city-state
keywords
Add physical address text
to bottom of every page. Add hCard
Microformat to enable rich snippet.
Website
OpImized
for
Local
Search
23. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Schema
verificaIon
• Schema
ImplementaIon
on
various
pages
and
review
of
working
Schema
through
Webmaster
Structured
Data
Report
24. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Hotel
Finder
ranking
factors
• Number
of
quality
reviews
• Pricing
• Presence
on
Google+
Local
• Quality
pictures
• Proximity
to
city
center
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-hotel-finder-war-hotel-serp-listings/67152/#FcsjRIHWDziWrB4H.99
25. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Key
Take
Aways
• Consistent
Nap
• Quality
Directories
and
Search
Engines
• OpImize
Local
Profiles
• Use
Google+
page
to
create
social
relevancy
• OpImize
your
onpage
–
Hcard,
Schema’s,
Images,
H1,
Itle
etc
• Figure
out
what
it
takes
to
have
correct
profile
in
Apple
Map
and
Meta
Search
in
your
verIcal
26. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Know
Great
People
• Director
of
Strategies
Client
Facing
• Sr.
Web
Analyst
• hnp://jobs.milestoneinternet.com
27. Chicago
|
November
4–7,
2013
|
#SESCHI
|
@SESConf
@milestonemktg
@benuaggarwal
Thank
You
Ques3ons?
Benu
Aggarwal
benu@milestoneinternet.com
www.milestoneinternet.com
blog.milestoneinternet.com
twiner.com/milestonemktg
facebook.com/MilestoneInc
google.com/+MilestoneInternet