Archive for local search optimization
Hyper Local Domain Names Lead to Real Estate Sales
Posted by: | CommentsWhile we focus mostly on local search at Practical Local Search there is still that important element of overall SEO with a website. Very specific domain names, sometimes called long tail have taken hold for affiliate marketers and now appear to be doing so for real estate agents. According to a report from GoDaddy the instances of address based domains is up over 320 percent. The target states come as no surprise as they include California, Arizona, New York and Florida, all states with struggling real estate markets.
Real estate is a very local search market. Sellers especially focus on very defined neighborhoods, even within a city. For example in Seattle WA sellers would highlight properties in neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill, Queen Anne and Magnolia. The strategy of using addresses for domain name is being credited with reducing the time to sell individual properties. In the same GoDaddy report brokers indicate selling a house in 43 days versus the local average of 120 to 180 days.
Once the physical address domain name is purchased from a domain registrar the seller (the agent actually) creates a targeted web site with the specifics of the target property. Images, floor plans, neighborhood information and so on is included with the appropriate contact information. The specific address domain name assists with SEO results and positions the newly created site in search results around these specific addresses.
Does this really work on a large scale? The article only has a few anecdotal references so it may simply be a puff piece by GoDaddy. Certainly they never use hype to promote their services! However, many SEO experts claim a keyword targeted domain name is not really a help. However, I suspect when the search is so specific that it indeed helps. The next leap is creating a local search listing with similar characteristics. Will this work? It’s hard to say without testing it out. However, if a well crafted local listing is created using the physical address as the business name who knows. I think it would be a big help.
It’s now up to the adventurous real estate professional to try their hand at both a highly focused physical address domain name and local business listing. Let us know if you have any success. Although, I suspect if you do you’ll keep it to yourself!
Getting the Right Domain Name for Local Search
Posted by: | CommentsWhile many of us already have long established business names and a domain name (your URL, or web site address) if you have the opportunity you should consider creating one friendlier for search engines (including local search).
For example in Bellevue WA where I live using the search term “bellevue auto repair” shows the number two listing as Ali’s Bellevue Auto Repair. Instead of alisautorepair.com he uses bellevueautorepair.com which helps his search results.
Now creating a domain name close to the search terms you potential customers and clients use is not going to change things overnight as far as search results are concerned. However, when it comes to optimizing anything on the web the more often Google, or any other search engine sees a consistent message of content the better your ultimate ranking will be.
Spend some doing doing keyword and keyword phrase research. To the right of this post (and on every page) is a list of useful keyword research tools. For the most part use the main Google Keyword Research Tool. Find what terms are being searched the most and then combine them with your primary geographical location search target. Or in other words auto repair in Bellevue WA becomes www.bellevueautorepair.com.
Sometimes you’ll end up with a pretty long domain name. I created a site just for research purposes called www.seattleaffordablehealthcaresolutions.com. It was used to generate leads for a friend who sold health insurance. You’re not likely to want this on your business card but for search purposes when interested parties simply click on a link it’s not a big deal.
If you have an existing domain name that’s not all that helpful then simply create a new domain name along these lines and forward your current domain name to the new one (it’s called a 301 redirect, any web master knows what this is). This means you don’t have to change printed matter (such as business cards) or worry about back links. They will all forward to your new keyword rich domain name.
In local search and overall site optimization every little bit helps.
Add a Geographical Reference to Your Web Site
Posted by: | CommentsWhile local search does not require a website to be effective it’s clear that it certainly can’t hurt! The overall success of any optimization campaign lies in creating as many accurate references to what you do (keywords) and where you are (geo tags) as possible. We are not talking about spam here, we are talking about using all of the options available to you. Google, in it’s wisdom provides all sorts of tools to help this process. Some may say too many and too disorganized but that’s for another day.
One method to help Google uses to understand where you are focusing your energy is by using Google Webmaster Tools. If you already have a local search listing or a Gmail account you are ready to go. I usually search for Google Webmaster Tools and then go to that site. Once you are logged go to Settings (If you are managing multiple website then select the target website first). There you will find one option called “Geographic target.” Specify your location and save.
Once this is done, and coupled with the use of content and meta tags identifying your geographical focus you will get just a bit more juice to help customer find you now!
10 Easy Links and How to Get Them Today
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are a local business you want to be at the top of local search so you can get found by your potential customers. The following list of sites will help improve your Google Rank for local search results if you use highly optimized techniques. Listing your business alone will not guarantee a top ranking; however, it is a leaping off point on your way to the top.
Getting relevant citations helps you create connections for your business that creates a frame of reference for Google to find you relevant enough to index. Citations that have geo-local focused information – business name, address, phone number, and url help search engines find you, index you, and match your business to your local search listing.
The following list of Local Listing Sites will help you build those all important link citations and capture business reviews for boosting your company’s web presence:
· Google Local Business Center
· Yahoo Local
· InfoUSA
· TrueLocal
· Local.com
· SuperPages
· BigBook
· 411.com
· Switchboard.com
· YellowPages.com
· Magic Yellow
· YP.com
· MapQuest
· Dogpile YP
· WebCrawler
· MetaCrawler
· WebFetch
· Metrobot
· MacRAE’s Blue Book
· Localeze
· Experian
· Wcities
· iBegin
· Yelp
· Judy’s Book
· MojoPages
· Tupalo
· Insider Pages
· YellowBot
· CitySquares.com
· LittleEngine.com
· Yokid
· Lopico
· Match Point
To get good ranking with Google local search you have to do more than just claim your listing. You need to add relative content like videos and photos with keywords in their file labels. You must encourage and grow customer reviews on your site and on review sites like Yelp. There are plenty out there that are free where you can add your business information and grow your links.
The Future of Voice-Enabled Mobile Search Speaks for Itself
Posted by: | CommentsAbout six months ago I got a Google Android phone from T-Mobile. While not quite the same as a iPhone it still has some great features and capabilities. One I discovered early was the voice search feature. I first used it returning from a ski trip to find a pizza place. As this article mentions the success rate on the voice recognition still needs some work it still is a great feature. On the Android only the first three results for a search are displayed, meaning local search optimization is more important than ever as people once again change their search habits. -Editor
This is a great forward looking article from Carl Weinschenk.
——————–
Search is big and mobility is big and voice-enablement is big. Thus, it goes without saying that voice-enabled mobile search will be huge.
This internetnews.com story, which is based on a panel at the SpeechTEK conference this week in New York City, focused more on the challenges than the potential of voice enablement of mobile search. The key is that despite the great coolness of this application, folks are extremely sophisticated and not likely to utilize services that are more hit than miss – or even if it is about equal.
The problem is that ambient noise – background conversations in restaurants or the motor of a car – can skew results. The piece also says that vocabularies must be limited. A great piece of circumstantial evidence that such issues must be dealt with is offered by Google. The company’s system is geared toward American English. Users in the UK and Australia, who were apt to get comparatively poor results due to this orientation, were less likely than Americans to use the service a second time.
This clearly is the kind of high-challenge, high-potential application that can make a small company either a household word or – even better for investors – a ripe takeover target. ReadWriteWeb reports that ChaCha bested bested Google and Yahoo in voice-enabled mobile search. The test was sponsored by ChaCha. Regardless, the company must be kept in mind when discussing the nascent field.
ReadWrite Web says that ChaCha identified queries accurately in 94.4 percent of cases and returned accurate results 88.9 percent of the time. Vlingo, the app used to test Yahoo, scored at 72.2 percent and 27.8 percent, respectively. Google brought up the rear, understanding the queries 16.7 percent of the time and accurately returning results in 22.2 percent of the cases, the story says. More details about the test are offered at MSearchGroove.
Within this broad story about the battle between social media and search sites – and quite a battle it is – is a very good description of what a well-done voice search function can provide. Stephan Spencer, the president and founder of search consulting firm Netconcepts, said that there will be times when the commonly used graphical user interface (GUI) is less useful than a language user interface (LUI). This occurs, he says, “where it’s much more efficient to have a conversation with a simulated personality.” That personality could anticipate what the user wants or needs in a far more proactive manner than a traditional GUI.
Efficient mobile voice search will be a big deal. The key questions that must be answered in the next few years include what vendors will be the big winners, whether they are the established players or upstarts, whether the smaller companies will be bought, and how long it will take to create stable and highly reliable platforms.
