How to choose keywords for a small, local business
-
I have a client who is a small, local business that isn't interested in competing outside of their market. Let's use a Toyota dealership in Anytown USA as an example.
Which method makes more sense?
A: Optimize for keywords like "toyota", "used cars", etc. and hope the search engines show the site to local users?
Or B: Optimize for keywords like "toyota anytown" and "used cars anytown" and take localization out of the equation?
Kind of a newbie trying to figure out how best to approach SEO for sites that are highly geographic.
-
We have had some experience recently with just this task. First I would make sure that our on site optimization is correct for local search therefore title tags should be appropriate eg Toyota Car Sales and Service. Also that there is relevant on page local content and also that your meta descriptions have local context.
Second, I would follow Rand's direction to getlisted.org which will get you on 5 of the most important local directories, qype, yelp etc. Follow this with any other local directories you can find. These all help with local search rankings.
Third build links with local businesses. These local backlinks will help Google localise you and determine that your car dealership is the 'most popular' in anytown.
Fourth Google Places Signup will hopefully mean you will appear google place search
Apart from this general link acquisition will help boulster your position.
-
Go with Option B. Optimizing for "toyota" or "used cars" is going to be super competitive and most of the people performing those searches aren't likely to be relevant to a brick and mortar location. Targeting the more specific phrases will be easier to rank and the traffic the site gets will be more likely to convert. Keyword selection requires that balance of search volume and specificity. "toyota anytown", "used cars anytown", and "Used toyotas anytown" should be a good place to start.
And if you haven't already, you'll want to get the business listed in Google Places.
-
Hi
Anytime you have a "brick and mortar" situation you're dealing with local search, which is a different ballgame for sure than non-local. You may want to have a look at:
http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml
http://www.seomoz.org/webinars/conversion-optimization-for-local-businesses - that deals a little more on the conversion end, rather than rankings, but still of value.
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/category/5 - and the blog category for the local seo verticle. The top 4 or 5 posts there right now have some value.
Definitely where you want to start is to get an overview of local search.
Also, the latest SEO101 podcast on webmaster radio JUST had an entire episode on local.
Hope these help!
-Dan
-
Optimizing for phrases like "Toyota Dealer" Will allow you to still show up for those searches, but I've experienced the best benefit at my car dealership by optimizing for "City Toyota" and "Toyota City". I then followed that up by using "City car dealership" and "City used cars." However, I have over 100 domain links to my website, so It's easy for me to rank well in local search.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
How to find the best keywords for a new blog?
Hey everyone,
Keyword Research | | ayofztk
I have started a new blog and I am not finding the ways to find the best and rankable keywords for it.
Can anybody tell me how to find it?0 -
I'm monitoring the organic keywords for a website, what do their organic keywords tell me?
Should the keywords they already rank well for make good topics for them to exploring in the future?
Keyword Research | | RonkeIR0 -
Is it worth creating a page for misspelled keywords?
I had thought the answer to this was no with the way Google search corrects mispellings. But in Google webmaster tools queries for a page I see the page ranking for a misspelled keyword. And looking at Key Word Finder it tells me the search volume for that keyword is high. But, when I search for the keyword myself it Google it auto corrects the results to the correct spelling. Is it worth creating a page for misspelled keywords?
Keyword Research | | Azam_Khan0 -
Which is the best youtube keyword tool ?
Hi i am in process of optimizing the youtube channels and i like to know which is the best tool for YouTube keyword research which can show search queries and other data something like google keyword planner.
Keyword Research | | NortonSupportSEO0 -
Why do my keyword ranking differ from the results on Google ?
I've been working on a specific campaign for a couple of days, and been noticing that my keyword ranking is much different on my campaign than in reality. I tried my keyword on Google (with the same settings I have on my campaign) and my keyword ranks at #5 instead of not in 50, as indicated on my campaign. Can someone give me a hint on this issue ? Thank you !
Keyword Research | | marketingmedia.ca0 -
This page could be penalized as keyword stuffing?
Dear Mates, This sample page is http://goo.gl/kGljFX Title tag: Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate Coupon Code 30% - Buy Page Meta Desc: Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate Coupon Code 30%: Convert both Standard-Definition and High-Definition formats, super fast speed. H1: Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate Coupon Code H2: Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate Key Functions: H2: Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate Detailed Features: Could you take a look and let us an idea? Thank you Claudio
Keyword Research | | SharewarePros0 -
Does Bing/Yahoo have a keyword tool?
Just wondering if there is a Bing / Yahoo equivalent to this: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal ?? Would be nice to compare the different search patterns between the two search engines, without just assuming that the relative search volume on google for certain keywords is the same bing/yahoo.
Keyword Research | | adriandg0 -
How to choose Keywords
Am starting a company and in the process of developing the website. I would like to get a head start on content and want to know the best way to choose keywords and tips on how to write optimized content.
Keyword Research | | jclubb0