A little baffled

[2dogsdesign]

Let me preface by saying I have been doing SEO for years and can rank a site organically with no issues at all.....but this local thing - baffles the hell out of me!

I have a client (http://dg-limo.com) - key term is nj limo - he ranks #2 organically - but I cannot get him in the 7 pack no matter how hard I try. He is located in a town called Colonia, NJ which is about 30 miles from where I am located.

When I type in nj limo the 7 pack includes one of his biggest competitors (santos VIP limo service) which is also about 30 miles from me (just a couple of miles from him) I am searching signed out of Google and using a browser I do not normally use - there are none in the 7 pack that are in my town or even within 5 miles of me.....and yes, there are limo companies even around the corner from me but they do not show up on the 7 pack but DO have Google reviews, places pages and optimized sites.

So how is his competitor showing up in the 7 pack when he is not even near me? Why can I not seem to get his site to show up in there as well? I have been at this for a month and have read until I am blue in the face but clearly I am missing something!

HELP!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Don't blame you for being baffled and bamboozled.

I did organic for 13 years B4 this and regular SEO is a cakewalk compared to local as there are so many additional crazy issues.

I'm in middle of totally revamping my training and am trying to condense 10 hours down into 5 and am amazed at how much you need to know to do local right.

Anyway the primary local algo is designed to serve up results for City + Keyword. Or keyword with location set to the city you are in. So it's designed for very local results, not so much a state-wide search.

And also realize a consumer is likely not going to search for nj limo. They would not be interested in someone on the other end of the state or 3 cities over. They would search for City Limo. OR just limo and then based on location Google would serve results from that city.

Your client: https://plus.google.com/116490824506190487939/about?gl=us&hl=en ranks for Colonia limo, the city they are in. In fact they scored a one-box and locked their other competitors out of the 7 pack.

There are problems on the Places listing and the site that make it not ideally optimized for Local.
BUT if it's ranking a one-box then it's likely not penalized.

He just does not rank in the 7 pack for state. And I only know the City + KW algo, which is the main one. I don't know what controls ranking order for State + KW.

But again consumers aren't likely to search for State + KW anyway.

 

[2dogsdesign]

Thanks so much Linda!

I am revamping other things on the site to make it more local...I had optimized for organic - since he was nowhere when I took over, and now that he ranks well organically, I was to start working on local.

I am confused though - you said most would not search for "nj limo" but it does get 590 local exact a month ---- maybe this is where I am struggling? I do not see any "geo local" searches for limos and assumed by them searching for nj limo they would expect to see companies in their area? I have searched some of the bigger towns near home for search terms that are more geo targeted - but always come up 0.

So how do you geo local target when the towns themselves are not showing as searched terms?

And I have my hand waving wildly for notice when your courses are up and running!!!!!!!!

---------- Post Merged at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 02:19 PM ----------

And i just checked Colonia Limo and see what you are saying....but no one is searching for that so I guess that is where I don't get what the benefit is. My thoughts on local were if I put in something like limo nj that it would return the results within a certain radius to me....so my assumption is incorrect you are saying?

I get more and more confused.....I used to feel so smart!

 

[Linda Buquet]

I am confused though - you said most would not search for "nj limo" but it does get 590 local exact a month ---- maybe this is where I am struggling?

Think like a consumer. If you were looking for a LOCAL company, let's say a dry cleaner. Would you search NJ dry cleaners? Not sure why there is that many searches. Maybe limo companies and SEOs searching the same way you did?

The Google KW planner can be set up now to do geo KW research.
Here is a post about it. BUT it may not show volume for smaller cities.

Hot for Local! NEW Google Keyword Planner - KW Research by City

 

[Linda Buquet]

And I have my hand waving wildly for notice when your courses are up and running!!!!!!!!

---------- Post Merged at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 02:19 PM ----------

And i just checked Colonia Limo and see what you are saying....but no one is searching for that so I guess that is where I don't get what the benefit is. My thoughts on local were if I put in something like limo nj that it would return the results within a certain radius to me....so my assumption is incorrect you are saying?

I get more and more confused.....I used to feel so smart!

Replying to your added comment. It won't show the search volume if it's low, but again if folks in that city are looking for limo Google will show limos from that city 1st.

Re training I am trying to help so many people and have such a backlog that I honestly won't even remember once training is finished that you were interested. Sorry too old and too busy. Nothing sticks any more...

Email me: linda AT catalystemarketing DOT com and ask to be put on the priority notification waiting list and then I can put your email in a folder to be sure I let you know as soon as it's ready which hopefully will be soon.