44 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
44 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
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# Local SEO
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## Google Business Profile
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- Claim and verify your listing — unverified profiles don't rank
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- Complete ALL fields: hours, services, attributes, products
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- Primary category: choose the most specific match (not generic "Business")
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- Photos: businesses with photos get 42% more direction requests
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- Posts: weekly updates show activity, appear in Knowledge Panel
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- Q&A: seed with common questions, monitor for spam
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## NAP Consistency
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- NAP = Name, Address, Phone — must be IDENTICAL everywhere
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- Format matters: "Street" vs "St." is a mismatch to Google
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- Check major directories: Yelp, Yellow Pages, Facebook, Apple Maps, Bing Places
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- Use local phone number — toll-free looks non-local
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- Update NAP when moving — inconsistency tanks rankings for months
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## Local Keywords
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- "[Service] + [City]" pages for each location served
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- "near me" queries: proximity + relevance + prominence
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- Neighborhood/district names for dense metros
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- Location in title tag: "Plumber in Austin, TX | Company Name"
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- Service area pages: one per city, unique content each
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## Reviews
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- Quantity + recency + rating: all three matter for local pack
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- Respond to ALL reviews — especially negative, shows engagement
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- Never buy fake reviews — Google detects patterns, leads to suspension
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- Review velocity: steady flow better than sudden burst
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- Ask at point of transaction — "leave a review" links in receipts/emails
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## Citations
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- Structured citations: business directories with NAP
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- Unstructured citations: mentions in articles, blogs, news
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- Industry-specific directories: lawyers on Avvo, restaurants on TripAdvisor
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- Chamber of commerce and local business associations
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- Data aggregators (Factual, Localeze) push to multiple directories
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## Local Content
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- Location pages with unique content — not just NAP + map
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- Local news/events coverage — shows community involvement
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- Case studies with local clients — builds local relevance signals
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- Embed Google Maps — helps Google verify location
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