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Mobile Optimization – Location Factors

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Mobile optimization: Location Variables That Influence Mobile SEO

Mobile optimization location variables are one set of factors that make the mobile experience different. The vast majority of searches performed on mobile devices are task completion driven or location specific; and Bing, Yahoo and Google continue to refine their mobile search results to generate a more positive mobile experience that accounts for this time sensitive search behavior. Understanding that these mobile queries have constraints from device screen size, OS platforms, predictive search, and the browser search bar limits, it’s not a bad idea at all to make results more readily accessible to your mobile audience.

Some of the top performing searches on mobile include the phrase “near me” such as; “restaurants near me,” “pizza near me,” “auto repair near me,” and “lawyer near me.” Google has even recently suggested including “near me” in active Adwords campaigns with a click to call extension because these types of mobile searches deliver excellent ROI. Learn more here

Important Mobile Optimization Variables

mobile-seo-tacticsMobile users are driven to task resolution as quickly as possible, and speedy results leave less time for a deeper dive into browser results. This means second page results suffer and are rarely viewed. The enhancements to mobile predictive search functionality as mentioned above, strive to deliver quick accurate results using *location* and *category* biased search parameters in the algorithm. These mobile location variables are only one way that mobile search differs from desktop search. Account for these variables in your mobile SEO.

Screen Size Drives Design Layouts

Mobile devices have smaller screen sizes than their desktop counter parts and this directly impacts the size of the browser search bar and the returned search engine results page. The major search engines compensate for these challenges by altering the results page layouts into new location-based and category-based designs. This criteria bolsters the need to correctly deploy micro-formatting to all location content and whenever possible to schema.org category content as well. Learn to use micro-formatted content to your advantage and represent your brand in the best light possible to your mobile customers and clients. Embrace and use structured data to push your site up the mobile ranks.

The Many vs The Few

Yet another unique mobile seo variable includes the mobile browsers themselves. Laptop browsers have standardized themselves over time and consolidated into a few major platforms like Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Mobile search browsers are numerous, and they remain a “Wild West” of offerings, with multiple features and options with little standardization. Add in the many apps that incorporate “in-app” search functions, and it becomes clear that new search parameters are needed to provide the best search engine results.

Ranking For Mobile SEO
What mobile SEO conversation doesn’t have a reference to rank? Add up mobile browsers, mobile user behavior, predictive search,  results page mobile designed layouts, page speed and location and category algorithm bias, and it becomes evident that mobile page rank is different from desktop / laptop search. These new mobile search dimensions “urgency,” “nearness,” and “category”  are key elements in mobile search relevance.

Awesome mobile optimization begins after “normal” search engine optimization ends. Mobile search engine optimization starts with the assumptions that your site has an established baseline of clean code, architecture that invites craw-ability, search guideline compliant and your content is high quality. Only then can you factor in the mobile variables that take advantage of the current algorithm biases that help your brand be competitive in the mobile space. Continue developing your mobile SEO strategy, with a standards compliant site featuring markup for location and category. All of your mobile users will love you for it!

#mobileoptimization #mobileSEO

local seo

Why Local Search Is Important

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What Is Local Search And Why Is It Important?

There is no question that having an easy to find website with accurate information is of the utmost importance. In the quest for greater online visibility, an increasingly big player is local search.

What Is Local Search?

Simply put, it is searches done by a variety of search engines that provide results within the searcher’s area. These search engines are not unknown small engines. Some examples include Google Maps and Bing Places. The bare minimum information for your business is usually already on these engines. Users do not have to go out of their way to perform these kinds of searches: Try entering ‘food’ into Google and see what happens. In addition to the standard list of search results you will get localized search results. Every time someone is looking for something, modern search engines are usually smart enough to show the local results.

Why Is It Important?

With millions of people on smartphones, local search is quite literally at people’s fingertips. When someone is actually walking or driving around your town looking for a business, one like yours, they are frequently going to reach into their pocket and rely on something like Google Maps to find what they need. Ensuring that the information on these apps and websites is accurate and detailed is of the utmost importance. If prospective customers try and fail to call the disconnected phone line listed online, chances are they are just going to call someone else.

What Are Local Citations?

A local citation is when your business or website is mentioned on another local site. This can include pages with listings or pages for local government institutions. These citations of your business and website are taken into account by Google when attempting to assess your webpage. For that reason, it is important to get yourself on local listings and find opportunities to get more citations where you can.

If you have been doing what you can to optimize your site for search engines, local citations and search may be what you are missing. Pay mind to this component of your business and it can only help.

Local Citations Improve Search Results

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How Citations Influence Search Results

When it comes to ranking your business website, it is important to be mentioned on other authority sites. Most business owners spend a huge chunk of their time looking for hyperlinks from other websites. What they don’t realize is that they can get benefits from simply being mentioned on authority sites; this is true even if the site doesn’t use a hyperlink to directly link back to their website.

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local seo

Local SEO

It is important to get local citations for your business. Sites like the Yellowpages can help boost your search engine rankings; they do this without ever linking back to your site. Local business associations and your local Chamber of Commerce websites are also places where you can get a local citation.

When the search engines notice your business name mentioned on an authority site, they know that you aren’t some fly by night company. The search engines take this information and use it to give your business more authority; this authority means better search engine rankings.

Local citations are used by major search engines as an additional ranking factor; if your website has many citations, then it is likely to rank higher than a website without them. Businesses often spend thousands of dollars on SEO only to be outranked by sites that have very few backlinks. They don’t realize that their competition is ranking because of citations on authority sites.

Why Local Citations Are Important

Citations help the search engines verify your business address and contact information; when the search engines are sure that your information is current and correct, they are likely to display your website over others. Citations help search engines categorize your business; search engines work hard to give people information that is relative to their search queries. If the search engines can’t decipher what type of business you run, then they aren’t very likely to show your business in their local search results.

Using local citations is very important in less-competitive niches; they help to give you an advantage over your competition. Local sites tend to be put together sloppily; they often don’t use strategies that larger companies use. Without much information about these sites, the search engines use whatever they can find to help their algorithm rank sites correctly.

A local citation allows search engines to validate your business; your business is more likely to show up in local search results when the search engines know you are part of the community. It is hard for businesses to fake being listed in the Yellowpages or in their Chamber of Commerce. Search engines know this; they use this to give your business a boost in the rankings.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

What is local SEO?

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Implementing SEO into your website is a great way to create traffic and increase your customer base. However, certain businesses may only want to target one specific location for their business. If the customer is looking for specific product or service in the area, you will want to be at the top of the list in the search engine results. Local SEO can help you achieve higher search results for searches focused on certain geographical locations.

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local seo

Local SEO

What Is Local SEO?

Traditional SEO is about creating website content that contains certain keywords and key phrases that are frequently used when searching for the business’s product or service. When a person types those keywords and phrases into a search engine such as Google or Yahoo, the SEO content on your website will bump your website to a higher position on the list of results. Local SEO is about doing that exact same thing. The difference is that local SEO will implement keywords and phrases that are frequently used to find products or services in a specific area instead of nationwide or worldwide.

How Does Local SEO Work?

Implementing local SEO is more than just inserting the name of the town or city that your business is stationed in on a few of your web pages. You will need to know exactly what types of keywords and phrases are being used most frequently to find businesses in your area.

If you’ve implemented traditional SEO before, you most likely know of certain keywords and phrases that are centered around your business. Combining these keywords and phrases with the town, city or state that you’re in will likely create local SEO content. There are also certain programs that allow you to see what keywords were used to find your website. This can allow you to figure out new keywords for your local SEO content. If you’ve never implemented SEO into your website before, there are many resources available to help you get started.

Why Is Local Search Important To Small Business Owners?

Putting time, effort and money into SEO that has nationwide or worldwide coverage can be a waste if your business is only in one area. For example, if your business was only stationed in a small town in Georgia, being at the top of a search list for someone in Alaska wouldn’t be very helpful. In addition, people specifically looking for businesses in your area might not see your search results as quickly because of their location specific keywords and phrases.

If you’re a small business with a local focus, local SEO can generate a lot of website traffic and draw in many customers. With some quick research and the creation of valuable local SEO oriented website content, you can reach the top of any related search result list.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]