Local brand domination
Google’s February algorithm updates have been well covered in numerous sources over the last couple of months, especially that codenamed Venice.
Much has been made of its relevance to the local organic search results returned by Google and how added weight will be given to local data that Google understands about Internet users’ locations and business’ online presence and brand.
Despite the obvious anxiousness that any algorithm update generates amongst businesses and digital marketing professionals, if one accepts at face value Google’s simple intention to return relevant results to its users, it makes sense to ensure the search giant has everything it needs to return clients high in its Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
There’s no need to panic
And, the good news is, because much of what is recommended for businesses to rank well for specific local areas has been available for a long time, there shouldn’t be any need to panic. Local search engine optimisation advice is nothing knew - it just means that those who have been heeding this advice will (or should) be one step ahead of the competition.
From a purely subjective point of view, I can’t help but get the feeling that Google’s net is drawing much tighter and much more quickly around those attempting to game its SERPs than ever before - and that best practice and strict adherence to Google guidelines is the only way to avoid penalties and best prepare clients for a long term online marketing strategy.
If the SEO industry collectively decides to accept Google’s changes and optimise using clean techniques then there are plenty of opportunities to optimise already out there. They aren’t particularly difficult either.
Digital estate agents
I sometimes like to think that I am a digital estate agent (not very flattering, admittedly), selling clients’ digital property in a world crowded with digital property sharks. Whilst we can be (and should be) inventive with our online marketing campaigns, where local search results are concerned we need to focus on a very pleasing reality - most businesses already have plenty of digital property that we can use to promote them in a way that helps foreground their presence in front of the right audience.
Digital property list
Any business should know what its saleable ‘property’ is already. But as digital marketers, it’s our role to find this out and squeeze every last drop of data out of them. Providing clients are made aware of the context in which this information is to be used and why - how can they object?
Here’s a list of just some of the useful things that can be used to sell a client’s property in the digital world:
Contact & location details
- Head office address
- Branch address
- Store address
- Local telephone numbers
- National telephone numbers
- Freephone numbers
- Fax numbers
- Mobile/SMS telephone numbers
- Skype/MSN/Google Talk details
- Social media details; Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+
Target audience
No matter what a business’ product or services are, it makes sense to know where they operate:
- Delivery or service areas; Postcodes, County, Country
Names of real people
If you want to build authority, what better way is there than to share the names of your employees. Give your brand a face:
- Customer services
- Receptionists
- Department managers
- Department supervisors
- CEO and Board members
Consistency is key
Once this mountain of data has been collected, it’s necessary to place it in the right way to enhance a business’ digital presence. However, being consistent with how the data is used and replicated is absolutely essential (this is still relevant).
Even small things such as using ‘Ltd’ and ‘Limited’ inconsistently across different platforms can only serve to further confuse Google about what data to associate with a business and what to give authority to. And we’re here to make things easier for Google - not harder.
Where to sell
Here are a few areas where this data can and should be used if possible:
- Websites (eg copy, Meta Data)
- Mobile apps
- Business directories (eg yell.com)
- Google Places
- Social media accounts
- Rich Snippets - Microdata, Microformats and RDFa (concerns about Rich Snippet spamming aside).
- Geositemaps
- Press releases
- Guest blogs
This is obviously not an exhaustive list so let’s just say that when copy is written and content shared, there is an opportunity to promote local business data and brand information.
Resources
The following collection of links point to just some of the most invaluable information around the subjects of the Google Venice update, consistent brand building and a few developer tools for backstage SEO best practice.
Further reading
- David Mihm - Local Search Ranking Factors
- The Official Google Search Blog - Venice Announcement
- SEOmoz Blog - Understand and Rock the Google Venice Update
- SEOmoz - Google Algorithm Change History
- Getlisted.org - Resources
- SEOmoz - Whiteboard Takeover by Koozai on Branded SEO
- Search Engine Land - Google Venice
