LSF Interactive SEMPO Google Places Presentation

Presented By:

Stephen PeronDirector of SEO,

LSF Interactive

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• Who AM I?

• What was the Google Place Search Update?

• Why the Update?

• Tips & Tricks for Optimization

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• Stephen Peron– Director of SEO at LSF Interactive

– 6 Years of experience

– On Page Optimization, Keyword Research, Link Building, Shopping Feeds, and Conversion Analysis

– My license plate reads “H1 SEO H1!”

• About LSF Interactive– Established in 1999

– 95 people worldwide, with US and European presence

– More than 300 clients worldwide

– $30 million in 2010 revenue, ranking among the top 35 US digital agencies

– Two-time Inc. 5000 company

– Full service offering

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Occurred October 27, 2010

Old “7 Pack” Results New Google Place Search

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• Disappearance of Organic Results

– Client ranked 6th organically before update; found on page 2 after!

• Merge of Organic Index and Local Business Index

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According to Google, 20% of searches are related to location

Google Loves Their Profits!Forces small business owners to register their FREE places page(s)

But to standout, you must use paid advertising!

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• Google Tags ($25 / Month)– 2009: 27 million small businesses

– At 1% sign up rate: 6.75 Million

Dollars-a-Month!

• Google Boost– Paid search for the common person

– Set it and forget it!

• Google Offers – Google’s own Groupon

– Endless possibilities

*300 telephone sales reps in Mountain View, Calif. selling Tags and Boost!

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October 12th, 2010: Marissa Mayer moves to Local!

*She helped perfect normal search; now it’s Local’s turn!

Vice President of Search

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• Local is All About Citation, not Links…

• Google wants to trust you, so put out the right signals!

• Use Consistent Information– Street vs St.

– Avenue vs Ave.

– Use Local Telephone Numbers

• Update Your Business Data– Use Localeze or infogroup

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• Give Google Your GEO Sitemap

• http://www.geositemapgenerator.com/

• Submit to Google Webmaster Tools

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• Still Optimize Organically

• Good Organic Optimization Will Increase Overall Ranking

• Create Service Pages – Less Bounce Rate

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• Claim a Google Places Account … it’s Free!

• Get Real Reviews (Do Not Pay For Them)

• When Looking at Competitors, Find “More About This Place.”

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• Buy a Google Tag (30 Days Free)

– Test Your Performance

• Thumbnail Optimization– First Image Uploaded

– Could Put a Call To Action!

• Local is Not Perfect– It Takes Time to Update

– Lots of Errors

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They Still Rank Well

- Some Above The Fold

- Some Below The Fold

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Maybe Even Improved?

- Before: 1 Link

- After: 9 Links!

How? – Rich Snippets

- If you own a directory, do this!

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