Local Search In Other Countries

[Eric Rohrback]

Hey All:

I have a question that I have been just started researching and I was hoping I could get some input from the community....

What are the main differences in local search when we compare a country like Australia or the UK to local search in the US? I understand there is a difference in how the local results appear (depending on search query/browser settings, etc), but I'm trying to look on a more fundamental level. How do the directories interconnect (who buys data from whom?), what sites are people in the AU using for Local search?

I have many more questions, but we can start with that. Does anyone have any good resources that might help or some insight that could lead me down the right path?

Thanks,

Eric

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Eric,

My focus is pretty US centric. The best source of International Local SEO info IMO is Nyagoslav Zhekov.

Here's one of his posts that you may find helpful:
Local Citation Sources for Australia, Germany, and New Zealand

Here's an info-rich post about the UK:
Google with the Most Accurate Business Database in the UK

So I'd check his blog for sure and he'll likely see those links I just dropped and pop over to add some more resources or thoughts on the matter.

Plus I know we have lots of members from overseas that focus on particular countries, so I hope others will have some insights to share as well.

 

[Nyagoslav]

Thanks Linda!

Eric, the resources Linda pointed to are pretty much the only things, together with probably this one, that I can currently share.

I am currently working on something very related to your question, but I don't want to spill the beans just yet. I will make sure to come back here and notify you as soon as it is up.

Cheers,
Nyagoslav

 

[Phil Rozek]

Hey Eric,

As Linda said, Nyagoslav is da man when it comes to ?international? local search. His stuff is your best bet.

A couple things I?ve noticed when working with clients outside the US:

1. There seems to be less review-writing going on outside the US. On the one hand, that?s a bit of a challenge, because people in general may not be as used to writing reviews and to being invited to do so by the smart business owner. On the other hand, it?s an opportunity: your competitors aren?t quite as likely to have many or any reviews.

2. Sites affiliated with YellowPages.com specifically (e.g. YellowPages.ca) are extremely important. They?re important here, too, but so are a bunch of other sites. Generally sites run by YP are extremely important outside of the US, which means they demand more attention from a good local-search guy/gal ? in terms of making sure your clients? listings are accurate, that there aren?t duplicate listings floating around, that you get some YP reviews, etc. YP-affiliated sites tend to be important data-providers, by the way ? both in and outside of the US.

3. In general, there aren?t quite as many directory sites ? particularly consequential ones ? that you have to worry about for citations.

4. You may be familiar with Mike Blumenthal?s Google Places Category Tool, but in case not, it lists the business categories that Google uses from country to country. If you?re dealing with someone who?s in a different country from yours or one you?re not familiar with from a local-SEO standpoint, obviously you?ll want to know the nomenclature for each category.

5. Maybe it?s just me, but Google doesn?t *seem* as strict about compliance issues. I?ve seen a lot of keyword-stuffed Google+Loc al business names and a lot of junk reviews and other tomfoolery. Maybe the cases I?ve seen just aren?t representative, though. But I do think one should be particularly on-guard about what his/her competitors might be up to (getting away with).

Those are the main differences I can think of for now?

 

[Eric Rohrback]

Thanks everyone for your insights. I'm currently helping my company run Local SEO for our clients and have limited it to the US market as that's what I've been working with the past couple of years. We have a lot of international clients who have been hounding me to get a plan for them.

I have to read over everything from Nyagoslav, but I'm sure that will get me on the right track. Phil, you mentioned that people don't write reviews in other countries? I didn't really expect that. Any other tips that the community has about local markets overseas is greatly appreciated.

---------- Post Merged at 09:43 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:43 AM ----------

Thanks everyone for your insights. I'm currently helping my company run Local SEO for our clients and have limited it to the US market as that's what I've been working with the past couple of years. We have a lot of international clients who have been hounding me to get a plan for them.

I have to read over everything from Nyagoslav, but I'm sure that will get me on the right track. Phil, you mentioned that people don't write reviews in other countries? I didn't really expect that. Any other tips that the community has about local markets overseas is greatly appreciated.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Eric

I?d say that people outside the US aren?t quite as likely to write reviews. Not that they don?t write reviews at all or anything. It?s just a question of degree.

Part of it may be that Yelp isn?t as prominent outside the US, and CitySearch is pretty much non-existent. So to some extent it may be that customers simply have fewer venues in which to write reviews.

Again, just my experience: others may have a different take on reviews for businesses outside the US.

 

[gregorysmith]

Nyagoslav Zhekov i would like to applaud you, for your amazing content. You are one heck of a writer and your research is supurb. Thank you for your time in what you do!