Geo Targeting Your Content for Better Search Results

Geo-Target Your Content Marketing Efforts to Yield

Better Search Results

Victoria EdwardsDigital Content Strategist

• @tallchickvic• linkedin.com/in/victorialedwards• victoria.edwards@floridablue.com• victoria-edwards.com

Where you can find me…

When I am not working…

• 2013 & Beyond

• Local Content Marketing

• What You Can Do Today

Overview

2014 State of Search

History Lesson

1. SEO: Algorithm Updates Galore2. Content: Secure Search was

Implemented3. Social Media: Hashtag Search

SEO In 2013

• No fewer than 15 Algorithm Updates!

Hummingbird

What Did Hummingbird Do?

• Affected 90% of searches worldwide

• Hummingbird allows the Google search engine to better do its job through an improvement in semantic search.

• How to better understand the user and their intent of what they are searching for.

Semantic Search

As conversational search becomes the norm, Hummingbird lends to understanding to the intent of terms used in a query.

Another Thing That Happened…

SECURE SEARCH

No More Keyword Data

Before….

• You could track data at a keyword level

• Help build out keywords to build out your SEO Strategy

After….

Hashtag Search

• Introduction of hashtag Search

• Google+ now allows hashtags

What is it?

• Along with standard search results for their query, the user will also get a live scrolling feed of public Google+ posts bearing the hashtag searched for and links to those hashtag feeds on Twitter and Facebook.

Everything You Learned in 2013 is Still Relevant, Just

Amplified

Three Main Components of a Strong SEO Strategy:

1. Great high-quality content

2. That people want to link to

3. That gets people talking

Content Marketing is Bigger Than Ever!

“Content marketing will move from buzzword to mature marketing movement in 2014. From an SEO perspective, Google will be looking at companies that have robust content marketing efforts as a sign that they're the kind of business Google wants to support.”

~Jayson DeMers

Search Engine Watch

Advantages of a Good Content Marketing Strategy• Regular, helpful content targeted at your

audience.• Social signals from regular sharing and

engagement.• Freshness or signs that your site is alive and

growing.• Increasing authority connected to your

body of work.

Local Content Marketing

How to Geo-Target

• Keyword Strategy• Content Development• Promotion

Keyword Strategy

• Where do the people live that you’re trying to target?

• Build out keyword list (10-20)• Core keywords + location

Health Insurance + Location

• Focus on brand Florida Blue Center Tampa Florida Blue Center Jacksonville

• Focus on non-brand Health insurance Tampa Health insurance Jacksonville

Develop a Content Calendar

Content Calendar

• Title of content (add location)• Keywords (Geo-focused)• Platform (social, web, blog,

podcast…)• Audience • Date

Build Out Content• Build out valuable content utilizing

those keywords• Types of content• Web pages• Blogs• Whitepapers• Video• Presentations (Slideshare)• Podcasts

Develop Conversational Content

• Frequently Asked Questions• How-to • Why buy?• Why now?• Make sure it’s Geo Specific too!

Optimize Your Content

• Place Keywords in:• Page Titles• Meta Description• On Page

Even Optimize Images

• Make filename keyword friendly• Add keywords in image alt

parameters• Add location

Image Example

Image Example

• Filename: healthbox-florida• Alt parameter: healthbox logo

florida blue

Image Example

Social Media

• Optimize Facebook & Twitter Profiles with Geo-Targeted Keywords

Promote Your Content

• Promote your content regularly in social media

Promoting in Twitter

• Use location as Hashtag

(#tampa, #newyork)

Title+ Blog image + Link +

Hashtag

Promoting in Twitter

Promoting in Facebook

Text + Link + Hashtag + Upload Image

Google – Places for Business

Benefits of Google Places for Business

• Shows up in Google Searches

Benefits of Google Places for Business

• Can add accurate information• Hours of operation• Address• Website URL• Category

Benefits of Google Places for Business

• With targeted keywords

• Can add anchor text which can link to your other digital assets

Bing Places

Local Social Media

Paid Advertising

• Social Media Ads• Twitter• Facebook • LinkedIn

What You Can Do Today

Optimize Social Media Profiles

• Add geo-targeted keywords in:• Profiles• Updates• Ads

Develop Your Content Calendar

• Start to develop your content calendar

• Make sure you’re focusing on location focused content

Develop Your Social Community

Develop Your Social Community

• Followerwonk.com • Find people in your niche• Analyze followers

Start Promoting!

• Promote deals (with hashtags) • Promote content(with hashtags) • Promote news (with hashtags)

Victoria Edwards

• @tallchickvic

• linkedin.com/victorialedwards

• victoria.edwards@floridablue.com

• victoria-edwards.com