Hey, Houston, 2015 is well underway and this is the post about what you can do off-page to improve your local SEO. Off-page SEO is mostly websites linking to your website. It’s something you can control. The good news about this is it’s really pretty easy to do.
It’s also good idea to do as well. Google updated it’s local search algorithms (nicknamed the Pigeon update) and business directories many claim are now taking the top spots in the search results. Good for directories such as Yelp and the Yellow Pages, bad for those whose websites were once on top.
How’s the view from down there? Not so good, right? You can change that.
Google My Business.
The first thing any business should do, local one man shop or large multinational organization with branches all over the world, is go to Google My Business, formally known as Google+ Local, formally known as Google Places. Regardless of the name, register. It’s easy to do (all you need is a gmail account) and the best move you can make to be found in a local search. Google+ is somewhat similar to Facebook, and it’s fun and easy to place information about your business. It’s also makes nice with Google’s Webmaster Tools and that’s a good thing.
Yes, this is a blatant Google My Business ad. It’s short and well done, though, and worth a watch.
So you don’t think that a business on Google My Business, run by the largest search engine in the universe, won’t stand out in the search results? With just a bit of work, you will be up there with the big boys, or whatever, in your field. You will think of yourself, or the guy you hired, like me to do it, as an SEO genius.
Lots of Directories to be listed on.
And most of them are free.
Yelp. Just beware of the pushy, kind of threatening sounding sales reps telling you to take your listing to the next level. Or something. They can get really annoying.
Hot Frog. Faded a bit by they are still out there and free.
Merchant Circle. Growing.
Manta. Still has its fans, including us.
Foursquare. Almost mandatory now if you own a bar, restaurant or club.
CitySearch. In Houston, TX, a big presence.
SuperPages.com. Free.
The Yellow Pages. An old model trying to stay relevant.
One more little tip. Keep track of your N. A. P., or name, address and phone number. Both Google and Bing like to see it consistent everywhere. This sort of proves that it’s the little things in life that make all of the difference.
There is more to off-page optimization and we will be covering that soon, but this is the easy stuff you can do to help your business get found.
No time to do this? Fill out the form on the right side of this page or call us and we will be happy to help you.