A whirlwind of changes that started in June of this year have altered the way Google displays its local search results. And, as the dust begins to settle, a new normal is emerging that will require a shift in your local marketing strategy.
The regional battle for first page rankings now involves fighting the Superpowers; national and regional power players now occupy more top rankings.
If you’ve no time for the video, take a look at the notes below to learn how you can stay on page one.
Adapting Tactics to the Changing Local Landscape
- Focus SEO on your medical specialty and adjacent markets.
- Expand your localized content by securing local and industry “citations” (that include your name, address, and phone number) that Google Maps can search.
- Piggyback on the national domain authority websites.
New Opportunities for DIY Marketers
- Focusing on cultivating reviews is more important than ever, and can have an effect on your local ranking.
- Leverage local relationships and activities to earn citations, build new content, and get links from other sites in your market.
- Expand localized content by talking about your efforts through social media, your blog, and so on.
Google has raised the Bar
- Localized content and connections are more important than ever.
- Service area businesses will have to work harder for exposure.
Hi Ryan,
Just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your video and appreciated your reference to Michael Phelps, who happens to be my nephew!
I”d like to receive your newsletter, if you would add me to your e-mail list. I’m currently working as a consultant with Dr. Camille Cash.
Thanks,
Joan
Joan,
What a small world we live in that we would cross paths in this way. My colleague has added you to our subscriber list and my team and I will look forward to collaborating on the growth of Dr. Cash’s practice!
Warmest regards,
Ryan Miller
I’ve just encountered an interesting, related article by David Mihm. His findings and conclusion are very similar to our own observations, “Overall, national directories were the most frequently-occurring type of organic result for the phrases I looked at—a performance amplified when considering geo-modified keywords alone.” Check out the full article at http://moz.com/blog/local-hummingbird-results