Richard Beverly's Blog

Ranking for local searches requires focus on a combination of different local SEO ranking factors. With Google’s local algorithm relying on so many different signals, it can be hard to know where to spend your time to maximize your chances of ranking highly. Getting a local business to rank highly on search engines is becoming much more difficult. Local SEO has become increasingly competitive as more and more businesses recognize that they need to optimize for local searches – both for the local pack, and for localized organic rankings. At Whitespark’s Local Search Summit in September 2020, Darren Shaw announced the initial findings of his latest Local Search Ranking Factors survey. This near-annual survey was first created by David Mihm over a decade ago, and polls around 50 local SEO experts, asking for their opinions on which activities and factors impact local business rankings. The previous edition was published�on Moz in 2018. Contents In this article, we’ll explore the mo

With years of experience in both SEO and digital marketing, Steve Wiideman is a trusted pro in his field. In this article, he explains how you can rank in Google Maps – one of the most powerful platforms in local search.� To maximize keyword rankings in Google Maps and Map Packs , a business must set up and continuously nurture four primary local SEO focus areas that include: business data, local landing pages, off-page visibility, and online reputation.  Contents How the Google Maps Ranking Algorithm Works Managing the Accuracy of Business Data Optimizing Local Landing Pages Improving Off-page Visibility Improving Online Reputation Scaling Local SEO for Multiple Locations Final Thoughts How the Google Maps Ranking Algorithm Works It’s important to address that not all users of Google Maps are looking for a business. Some users are looking for a quick route home — for example, a park or landmark, or any non-commercial location for directions or general information.  For

Every month, we challenge our readers to test their understanding of the latest local marketing news. Try out our quick-fire quiz of all of the biggest news stories in August, and find out how much of the month’s news you retained! Answer the 10 questions below, and please don’t feel disheartened if you don’t score a perfect 10! We’ve shared links to all of the stories included in this month’s quiz so you can be sure you’re up to date. Create your own user feedback survey If you’re particularly proud of your score, or want to see how others fared, share your results on Twitter using #LocalQuizness . And if you wanted to brush up on any of August’s news, check out the full reading list: Search Engine Roundtable – Big Google Search Update Rolling Out Now – August 10th Search Engine Roundtable – Google On August 15th Search Issue Street Fight – Google My Business Search and Engagement Trends Define the Next Normal Local U – GMB Attribute Badges Now Visible on Desktop Local U – G

When you think of reputation, what do you think of? It’s a good bet that online reviews will spring immediately to mind. Little wonder, given how vital they are to local businesses today and how much they influence the opinions and actions of potential customers. The truth is, reputation marketing for local businesses goes well beyond the humble consumer review… It isn’t just about proactively taking steps to acquire online reviews and responding to them across various platforms. It isn’t just ensuring you always put your best ‘public’ foot forward on social media with carefully curated content and updates. It isn’t just sending out a PR to celebrate a great case study, award or endorsement, or networking with reporters to be mentioned in articles or on TV. Reputation marketing is the broader overall strategy which sets out how each of those micro actions will be conducted and directed, with each considered in line with how the organization wishes to be perceived. It encompasses a

We Asked the Experts is a series designed to provide you with the most relevant insights from local search experts. Each month we’ll cover a different question and share insights from key figures in the local SEO community in an effort to help you further your knowledge and strategy. We Asked the Experts is back with a new task to tackle and some new expert local SEOs to share their insights! This time around we’re tackling Google My Business — considered a key source of visibility and leads for local businesses – and more specifically, how to make your Google My Business listing more clickable. Attributes, posts, photos, reviews, and beyond – there’s a lot to tackle when it comes to Google My Business , and it can be hard to know where to begin. Hopefully, our experts can help to simplify the process, as they share how to make Google My Business listings more exciting, more engaging, and more ‘clickable’.� Read on to hear how our roster of local marketing pros would approach Goo

One of the toughest aspects of working in SEO is convincing clients that what you’re doing will pay off . Choosing to optimize for long-tail keywords can be a tough fight to win, with some clients not immediately understanding why we’d opt to target lower volume keywords. While it might seem totally counterproductive to optimize for less popular search terms, the truth is, targeting long-tail keywords results in increased traffic and conversions. Pages optimized for long-tail keywords have a click-through rate up to 19% higher than those optimized for short-tail keywords. More clicks mean more traffic and more chances to turn visitors into customers.� The statistics are tremendous, obviously. But this article will really prove to you the benefits of optimizing for long-tail keywords, along with the most effective ways to find them. What Are Long-Tail Keywords? Long-tail keywords are low volume, less competitive search terms. As they are super-focused search queries, long-tail key

Do you consider reporting a chore? Do you frantically scramble to pull all your data together at the end of the month? And does your reporting ultimately lead to more questions than answers? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, then this is the episode of ‘Adventures in Local Marketing’ for you. Dana DiTomaso believes reporting doesn’t have to be so soul destroying! On this episode, we talked to Dana to learn: Why marketers have a bad relationship with reporting What you can do to change that relationship The common mistakes marketers make when reporting Why reporting less is always more Listen to the episode Resources Looking to revitalize your reporting? Need another fix of Dana? Here’s some content to get you going. Read the goal charter blog post Dana mentions in the episode. Watch the recap from Dana’s Local Search Clinic appearance , where she answered all manner of questions about local SEO. Watch Dana talk about why reporting is the best and worst part of