Two decades of local search columns
92 articles Andrew wrote for Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land. 85 full articles to read here, plus summaries linking to the original publications.
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Thoughts on enterprise and multi-location SEO, from local landing pages and dashboards to Merchant Center and multi-domain programs.
Local Landing Pages: A Strategy For Ranking Local Search Terms
A guide to local landing pages that starts with a gating question: does the search term actually carry local intent? Andrew argues you should confirm that before investing in location pages.
Read summaryEnterprise SEO Reporting: Tips For Developing Effective Dashboards
How to build an SEO dashboard for a large enterprise site that communicates data insights to the different stakeholders who need them.
Read summary5 Top Enterprise Local SEO Challenges & How To Solve Them
Five recurring problems multi-location enterprises run into with local SEO, and how to work through each one.
Read summaryHow To Analyze The Performance Of Your Multi-Domain SEO Program
Do multiple domains help or hurt SEO? The column looks at that question and how to set up and measure a multi-domain program so it succeeds.
Read summaryGoogle's Top Products Carousel: Everything You Need to Know
A primer for online sellers on Google's Top Products Carousel, then a fairly new SERP feature.
Read summaryGoogle Merchant Center: A Local SEO Goldmine for Retailers
How multi-location retailers can use Google Merchant Center data to power their local SEO campaigns.
Read summary
Our local search columns on rankings, reviews, maps, business listings, and the changing ways people find businesses.
5 local SEO insights from Google's API documentation leak
Andrew reads the leaked Google API documentation through a local search lens, pulling out what it suggests about video, click signals and local authority.
Read summary‘Things to do near me’ SEO
If you are targeting local searchers and have not employed a “Near Me” SEO strategy, I think it’s time we had a talk.
Read articleCan SEOs make local search great again in 2017?
It was bad enough that Prince, Leonard Cohen and Mrs. Brady checked out in 2016, but then I had to go and read David Mihm’s excellent 2017 Local Marketing Predictions , and I couldn’t find a cocktail fast…
Read articleWhen going HTTPS, don’t forget about local citations!
Migrating your site to HTTPS is all the rage these days. Google is on the record as saying that using “https” in your URLs can give a site a ranking boost.
Read articleHow do you deal with local SEO KPIs that don’t pass the smell test?
Today, let’s talk about reporting local SEO results — specifically, reporting them with the tools Google provides.
Read articleLocal citations are dead; long live local citations!
In June, we published a large statistical study on how Google’s local algorithm works . The study data suggested that citations did not appear to correlate with good local rankings.
Read articleHow does Google’s local algorithm work in 2016?
Last month at SMX Advanced, Dan Leibson and I unveiled the results of what we believe to be the largest ever statistical study of Google’s Local SEO ranking factors . We looked at over 100 factors across…
Read articleAsk The SEOs at SMX Advanced
Covering the “Ask The SEOs” session at SMX Advanced is like covering a geek version of a late night talk show with your host, Danny Sullivan . I’ll try to keep up.
Read articleDo you have the right local SEO tools for the job?
Part of the fun of being in the SEO space is that we get to play with a lot of crazy tech developed in the name of reverse-engineering Google’s algorithms. We all have our favorites — when I first started…
Read articleThe SEO risks & rewards of buying multi-location companies
Sports Authority, the US sporting goods retailer with 450+ locations, recently announced it was seeking a buyer after filing for bankruptcy.
Read articleDon’t trust Google to structure your local data
I have been noticing a lot of Google Answer Boxes showing up for queries with local intent these days. My recent post, Are You Doing Local Answers SEO? pointed out this fantastic result HomeAdvisor is…
Read articleGoogle Posts are going to kill (at) local SEO
When Google+ launched many moons ago, the implied deal (regardless of Google’s protestations to the contrary) was that if you were active and added a ton of content to the service, you were going to show up…
Read articleFranchise SEO: For Masochists Only
If you like getting repeatedly punched in the face with a boxing glove on a mechanical arm, then working on a Local SEO program for multi-location franchises is the right job for you.
Read articleWhy Local Rank Trackers Fail
Hey, rank trackers! You know I love you guys, but let’s face it — your local rank tracking is a fail. This Twitter thread says it all.
Read articleEven If A Brand Can’t Do SEO, It Can Still Do Local SEO
When internal bureaucracy stalls a brand's SEO program, local tactics can still move forward. The column makes the case for local as the way around the blockage.
Read articleGoogle Switched To Local 3-Packs: Is There Cause For Alarm?
In August, Google rolled out an update to how it displays local results by eliminating all 7-packs and moving exclusively to mobile-optimized 3-packs.
Read articleThe Locals Take On Google’s Home Service Ads
Last week’s appearance of Google’s Home Service Ads sent a bit of a shockwave across the Local Search industry. My TL;DR take:
Read articleHow To Scale Google My Business Support For Enterprises Like A Boss
Google My Business (GMB) has lots of weird kinks and vagaries that can cause problems for any businesses reliant on Local SEO.
Read articleFrom oDesk To Upwork: How To Migrate A Domain And Not Kill Your SEO
When I was told that our client, oDesk, was planning on rebranding their company to Upwork, the “domain migration” alarm bells immediately went off in my head.
Read articleHow To Acquire A New Location & Avoid Screwing Up The Local SEO
Acquisition of competitor locations is a common growth strategy for multi-location businesses, providing quick entry into a market, economies of scale, etc. Typically, you’ll know exactly how much you can…
Read article5 Ways Sites Can Dodge Google’s Doorway Page Update
While Google’s mobile-friendliness algorithm update seems to have captured the lion’s share of pageview-pumping SEO posts, the doorway page update has seen relatively few screaming SEO headlines. Thus, I…
Read articleAMA: Common Local SEO Mistakes Made By Businesses Big & Small
Hi, everybody. I am Andrew Shotland, founder of Local SEO Guide . Seems like every day, we run into multi-location and small businesses having problems with their local and organic Google rankings. My guess…
Read articleThis Small Business Redesigned Its Website & You Won’t Believe What Horrible SEO Thing Happened Next
Redesigning websites while maintaining their SEO is akin to diamond cutting. One wrong move and you could lose all your organic traffic, not to mention your job.
Read article10 Things I Learned About Local SEO In 2014
We may not be in school anymore, but as we in the SEO business know, the education process never ends. With that in mind, I’d like to share with you some of the things I learned about this bizarre trade we…
Read articleThe Post-Google Local Survival Guide
Ask any local SEO worth their salt, and they will tell you that the Pigeon algorithm update has been a kind of big shift in local search results . Traditionally, when an algorithm update causes a major…
Read articleWhy Did Google’s Pigeon Poop All Over Big Local Brands?
At the Deconstructing Pigeon Panel at SMX, David Mihm , Adam Dorfman and I shared a lot of data about the algorithm and how it had affected the local search engine results pages (SERPs). One thing we didn’t…
Read articleReal Client Data On How Google’s Pigeon Update Affected Real Estate SEO
This week at SMX East , I’ll be participating in the Deconstructing Pigeon Panel along with David Mihm , Adam Dorfman and Matt McGee , where we’ll discuss the effects of the update which happened at the end…
Read articlePicking Through Google’s Pigeon Droppings…
Local appears to have been hit with the most far reaching update since Venice , and one that has flung more kaka than Hummingbird — so “Pigeon” seems pretty apropos, perhaps because Google appears to be…
Read articleIs Your Local Business Ready For Google’s Neighborhood Algorithm?
While doing some research in Costa Mesa, CA last week, I hit a Google test bucket that specified the East Side Costa Mesa neighborhood as my location in Search Tools :
Read articleHow To Get A Medical Marijuana Dispensary Into Google Places
I was stoked when Chris Silver Smith turned us all on to the potential issues with marijuana and local search last month. As an early dabbler in helping marijuana dispensaries figure out local SEO , I, too,…
Read articleAn Open Letter From Google To Local Directory Sites (Parody)
To: Local Directories
Read articleWhy Duplicate Business Listings Are Like The Walking Dead
In the Local SEO biz, we spend a lot of time fixing duplicate business listings. Duplicate records of your business appearing throughout the Local Search ecosystem can cause a variety of issues like messing…
Read articleLocal SEO Scam Of The Month: Craigslist SEO
Most SEO consultants I have met are pretty decent, hard-working folks. But there are plenty of SEO con artists out there, and it kills me every time I see a small business (or a big business) get taken.…
Read article5 Trusted Accounts Every Local SEO Should Have
As local marketers, most of us know how to set up a Google Places for Business account or create a Facebook Page. But, these are not the only accounts you should be creating in order to get the full benefit…
Read articleDid Hummingbird Just Kill Your Local SEO?
Let’s cut to the chase: no, it didn’t (see Betteridge’s Law of Headlines ). But Search Engine Land tells me the Hummingbird stuff really drives the page views these days, so you only have yourself to blame. :)
Read articleThe Local Marketer’s Guide To Apple Maps for iOS7
A guide for local marketers who had been ignoring Apple Maps, covering what the iOS7 version changes for them.
Read article10 Questions To Ask Before You Hire A Customer Review Management Service
Photo credit: Man Ray Shotland
Read article7 Things I’ve Figured Out About The New Google Maps
Field notes from testing Google's redesigned Maps, including the carousel and review pop-ups.
Read articleConfessions Of A $100/Month SEO Client: Part II
A follow-up on low-cost SEO for small businesses, including a reader's response to the first installment.
Read articleConfessions Of A $100/Month SEO Client
Andrew goes undercover as a small business to research agencies that sell cheap search marketing.
Read article5 Ways To Rank Outside Of Your Physical Location In Google Places
One of the more desperate requests I get from clients interested in Local Search is wanting to rank well in Google for local queries when they don’t have a physical location in the searched city.
Read article14 Ways Facebook Homes In On Local Search
How Facebook Home and related products push Facebook further into local search.
Read articleThe Most Common Problems With Local Business Listings
Findings from a study of messy business location data and the listing problems that come up most often.
Read article20+ Signals That Make Your Business Easier To Find In Local Search Engines
While we usually talk about how to rank well in Google, there are plenty of non-Google local search engines such as Yelp, YP.com, CityGrid, etc. that have a significant amount of highly-qualified consumer…
Read article10 Simple Things SMB Websites Need To Fix Before SEO
The website problems that undercut small business SEO before any ranking work starts.
Read articleSEOMoz + GetListed: Let The SMB Toolset Death March Begin
An acquisition in the SEO tool space, and what it signals about tool companies targeting small businesses.
Read articleWhat Is Foursquare’s SEO Strategy?
A look at Foursquare's new homepage search box and whether there is an SEO plan behind it.
Read article5 Things Businesses Need To Know About Apple Maps Right Now
Why businesses should pay attention to Apple Maps as the iOS install base grows.
Read articleAre You Ready For The Coming SMB Marketing Boom?
Signs of strong demand for small business digital marketing services, observed at an industry conference.
Read articleThe SMB Guide To Changing Business Names & SEO
Using a dentist's name change as the example, how to protect search rankings when a business renames itself.
Read articleHow To Create Content When You’d Rather Be Doing Something Else
It’s summer. Do you really want to be reading 5 tips for barbecuing Pandas or an infographic on 7 ways to club a Penguin?
Read articleThe Four Keys To Post-Penguin Directory Submission Happiness
The Google+ Local launch came out while I was working on this piece so it merits a brief mention. While Google+ Local will be a big deal, at the moment for most local businesses, it is not a huge deal. Thus…
Read article5 Local Linkbuilding Ideas For The Post-Penguin/Panda Era
I have been fielding a lot of calls from sites big and small that believe they got hit by Penguin , Google’s “over-optimization” algorithm. Or maybe it was Panda? Who knows? Traffic is down and everybody is…
Read articleGoogle Places Ranking Factors – The PhD Version
A preview of a study into the factors that affect Google Places rankings.
Read articleHave You Been The Target Of A Google Places Hit Job?
How to recognize and respond to fake negative reviews aimed at a Google Place page.
Read articleGoogle Plus Connections Are The New Links
How Google+ connections and Search Plus Your World could start to shape organic results.
Read articleMobile: The Ghost Of Future Local SMB Marketing
Why location-driven mobile search matters for where local small business marketing is heading.
Read article5 Tips For Responding To Negative Customer Reviews Online
Practical advice for local businesses on handling negative reviews.
Read articleHow To Find Local Influencers On Google Plus
Using Google+ Ripples to find and track the people who share content in a local market.
Read articleTop 10 Negative Google News Ranking Factors
A closer look at the factors survey respondents rated most harmful to Google News visibility.
Read article5 Tips To Get More Online Customer Reviews
Ways to earn more online reviews, prompted by Google's acquisition of Zagat.
Read article4 Tips For Success With Seasonal, Local SEO
Seasonal local search tactics, drawn from back-to-school shopping behavior.
Read articleWhat Will Google Plus Google Places Equal?
A prediction of how Google+ will change local search.
Read articleNifty Hard Core Local SEO Tactics From SMX Advanced
Tactical findings on improving Google Place Page rankings, from an SMX Advanced panel.
Read articleConfessions Of A Yellow Pages User
A personal account of reaching for the print Yellow Pages during a home emergency.
Read articleYellow Pages SEO In The Post-Panda World
Highlights from a talk on SEO strategy for local directories after Google's Panda update.
Read article7 Local Web Marketing Infographics To Overload Your Brain
The infographic is the art form of choice for illustrating complex data in a way that often makes the case that yes, the data is in fact complex. As we all know, the world of local online marketing is…
Read article9 Ways To Start A New Local Business Using Facebook, Twitter, Groupon And Google*
Ever dream of being your own boss? If you’ve got a good idea and are willing to take the plunge into starting your own business, it’s now easier (and cheaper) than ever to get a local business started.
Read articleDoes Your Local Mobile Search Strategy Suck?
Why most small and local businesses probably have a weak mobile search strategy.
Read articleDo You Know What Your SEO Consultant Is Doing To Your Online Reputation?
About a year and a half ago, I had an unfortunate run-in with a San Jose auto repair shop that resulted in a post about my experience that I thought would be a good case study for local businesses about how…
Read articleLocal Search: Fish Where The Other Fishermen Aren’t
Why local marketers should look past the major channels to smaller, less crowded local search services.
Read articleGoogle Place Search Winners, Losers & WhoKnowsers
A roundup of SEO practitioners' takes on the Google Place Search changes.
Read articleHow To Get Around Google Local’s 7-Pack Without Breaking A Sweat
Damn that Google! Just when you figure out how to rank for a great keyword, Google decides that keyword has strong “local intent” and pops up a 7-pack of local business listings at the top of the SERP. And…
Read article13 Questions To Ask Before You Hire A Local SEO Consultant
Just got an inquiry from the millionth small business who had wasted a nice chunk of their budget on an offshore SEO agency that did a grand total of nothing except worthless spammy link building. Here’s an…
Read article10 Great Local Search Tools That Don’t Exist Yet
Here’s a look at some fundamental local search features/tools that seem obvious, and that should be fully functional—but don’t exist, or don’t work. At least I think they don’t exist yet. Feel free to prove…
Read articleFranchisee SEO – Can You Trust Corporate’s Recommendations?
The tension between franchisors and franchisees over search priorities, rules and support.
Read articleLearning Local Search Via Twitter
Last week Minneapolis hosted the latest installment of LocalU , a traveling local search marketing show put together by GetListed.org, David Mihm, Mike Blumenthal, Matt McGee and other local search…
Read articleTwitter: The Impending Local Search Tsunami?
Three Twitter initiatives announced at Chirp that could reshape local marketing.
Read articleWhy The “Location Wars” Spell Trouble – & Opportunity – For Local SEO
There has been a lot of hype lately about “location wars.” It all sounds pretty great, particularly if you have a fetish for war metaphors—but what are people talking about, exactly? In a nutshell, the…
Read articleReport From SMX West: An Overview Of Augmented Reality Mobile Apps
A recap of an SMX West panel on augmented reality mobile apps.
Read articleLocal Search APIs For Fun & Profit
A tour of local search APIs and what marketers and developers can build with them.
Read articlePlaying Games With Customers: Is Foursquare The Future Of Local Search?
Congratulations! You are now the Mayor of Search Engine Land!
Read articleNews Media: Don’t Give Google The NoIndex Finger
An argument against news publishers blocking Google from indexing their content.
Read articleAre You Ready For Google Local Social Search?
Why Google's social search experiment matters to local search marketers.
Read articleWhere Is The Competitor To AdSense In Local Search?
Yellow pages publishers have advertisers but not traffic. The column looks at the co-opetition that could fill the gap.
Read articleAre You A Member Of The Twitter Chamber Of Commerce?
How local businesses can use Twitter to reach nearby customers.
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