The local search landscape is always changing. Landscapers and lawn care operators who are able to keep up and adapt to the changes put themselves in a highly visible position, ready to be found by consumers searching for their services. In this special webinar, Chris Heiler covers the most important tactics you need to know to ensure your business appears higher in local search rankings.

1. The Most Important Factors
Impacting Your Local Search
Rankings In 2013
Chris Heiler

2. 40+ SEO Experts
Participants were asked to rank the top 20 factors of a possible 104
overall ranking factors that they believe drive Google's Local Search
algorithms. Participants were asked to rank the positive factors
based on the following question:
“When Google ranks a business in its Local Search results, I believe
this is the ____ overall most important factor in those rankings.”
David Mihm

3. “Local” vs. “Universal” Search

4. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)

5. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)

6. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations (#11)

7. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)

8. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)

9. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)

10. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)
#7: Domain authority of website (#4)

11. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)
#7: Domain authority of website (#4)
#8: Owner-verified Google+ Local page (#12)

12. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)
#7: Domain authority of website (#4)
#8: Owner-verified Google+ Local page (#12)
#9: City, State in Google+ Local landing page title (#6)

13. #1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations (#11)
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)
#7: Domain authority of website (#4)
#8: Owner-verified Google+ Local page (#12)
#9: City, State in Google+ Local landing page title (#6)
#10: Proximity of address to city centroid (#3)

14. Bonus:
#11: Quality/authority of inbound links to domain (#14)

15. Bonus:
#11: Quality/authority of inbound links to domain (#14)
#12: Quantity of native Google+ Local reviews (#7)

16. Bonus:
#11: Quality/authority of inbound links to domain (#14)
#12: Quantity of native Google+ Local reviews (#7)
#14: Quantity of citations from locally-relevant domains

17. Bonus:
#11: Quality/authority of inbound links to domain (#14)
#12: Quantity of native Google+ Local reviews (#7)
#14: Quantity of citations from locally-relevant domains
#15: Physical location (searcher-to-business distance)

18. Bonus:
#11: Quality/authority of inbound links to domain (#14)
#12: Quantity of native Google+ Local reviews (#7)
#14: Quantity of citations from locally-relevant domains
#15: Physical location (searcher-to-business distance)
#16: Quantity of citations from industry-relevant domains

19. Bonus:
#11: Quality/authority of inbound links to domain (#14)
#12: Quantity of native Google+ Local reviews (#7)
#14: Quantity of citations from locally-relevant domains
#15: Physical location (searcher-to-business distance)
#16: Quantity of citations from industry-relevant domains
#25: Quality/authority of unstructured citations (newspaper articles,
blog posts, etc) Quantity of these citations is #39

20. Bonus:
#11: Quality/authority of inbound links to domain (#14)
#12: Quantity of native Google+ Local reviews (#7)
#14: Quantity of citations from locally-relevant domains
#15: Physical location (searcher-to-business distance)
#16: Quantity of citations from industry-relevant domains
#25: Quality/authority of unstructured citations (newspaper articles,
blog posts, etc) Quantity of these citations is #39
The impact of social signals is still pretty low. Factors like Facebook
shares, +1s, etc begin appearing in the #50s.

21. 1. Claim/update your Google+ Local Page
http://www.google.com/places/
2. Get a free listings scan
• http://www.landscapeleadership.com/listings-scan
• http://www.landscapeleadership.com/worksheet--local-business-directories
3. Ensure consistency between all directories/citations
• Name, address, phone, URL, category
4. Encourage reviews from customers (for Google+ specifically)
5. Inbound links from locally-relevant and industry-relevant websites
Next Steps…

22. Before you go…
(800) 681-9169
chris.heiler@landscapeleadership.com
www.LandscapeLeadership.com
Local Search Ranking Factors report:
http://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors
Resources:
http://www.landscapeleadership.com/listings-scan
http://www.landscapeleadership.com/worksheet--local-
business-directories