Alex Giebel
A few months back, Google updated its algorithm. The pigeon update focused on giving searchers more relevant, quality local search results. The issue is- before this update Google would show searchers the 7 to 10 most relevant businesses.
With pigeon, they’re looking at only 3 to 4 local results. The update made more room for local directory sites – like Yelp, OpenTable, TripAdvisor and Urbansoon – to move on up in Google’s organic search results pages.
Now that pigeon has been out for a few months, we came up with a list of ways to make sure your organic traffic doesn’t take a hit post-pigeon:
Citations
Citations are the key to being recognized in local, organic search. Simply, citations are mentions of your name, address, and phone number across the web. These can be basic text or hyper-linked to your website or other online presence but the key is consistency.
Consistency
Basically, as amazing as Google services tend to be, organic search is just a series of algorithms to programmatically identify, sort, and distribute online content. This means that though there may be loopholes and exploits in the execution, the most basic principle is to remain consistent.
By remaining consistent, you reinforce both known and unknown data points which are then anchored by your brand’s identity. Also, because we are talking about precision algorithms here, it’s almost equally important to be as comprehensive as a machine in it’s flow.
In short, if you spell out part of your address in one citation, (Road instead of Rd.) make sure ALL your citations display the same.
Call tracking
One variable often overlooked by digital marketers is call tracking. This is especially important to attribution in lead generation objectives but can be applied to a variety of markets. Unfortunately, improper deployment of call tracking numbers online can result in local search traffic degradation because they are not consistent with other business listings and citations.
One easy workaround for this it to deploy the call tracking numbers with a technology that is harder for Google to comprehend, such as images, JS, and other technologies.
Maintenance
Consistent, relevant, and new citations are an ongoing initiative. It’s not enough to just “set it and forget it”. Instead, work to identify new directories and clean-up existing citations on others. Don’t spam them by creating tons of citations across multiple categories either. It’s better to make sure the categories or groupings you are listed in are in line with your main, root keyword opportunities. (2-3 per site at max)
Other Assets
In a post-pigeon world, it is also important to identify some more dynamic assets and communities than traditional directory listings. As the internet evolves and changes, more dynamic content opens new channels of discovery for new and even returning customers.
Google +
Google+ might not have the mass adoption rates of Facebook, Twitter, or some of their predecessors but it is owned and utilized by the same company that has absolutely corned the organic search market with a seemingly infinite number of users around the world.
Might be a good idea to put some content on there, huh? Especially considering that the reviews people leave here may show up in those organic search panes for various (and most certainly brand-focused) queries.
YouTube
YouTube happens to be another Google asset, arguably as- if not more recognizable- than Google search. Not only that, Google search indexes YouTube content with both their general and video search algorithms. And other search engines index YouTube.
Using assets on this platform and including your business’ name, address, and phone number in the video description can be impactful when useful and relevant for users.
Yelp
Yelp got a huge boost with the Pigeon update. Love it or hate it, it gives consumers a platform to voice their opinions about a business or brand. This really boils down to one, critical element: quality. Google has done a lot to evaluate the quality of content online.
In the long run, one can imagine them attempting to “rank” (or sort) businesses and brands too. That said, the natural market forces at play here are critical to success. Every week a new story hits the presses featuring business attempting to penalize bad reviews or overly encouraging good reviews to the brink of spam. Encourage users to submit ALL reviews and honestly. Respond the negative comments with empathy, resolution, and preventative measures.
Traffic
This really boils down to basic marketing. Businesses need to build channels, or ways, for consumers to discover them. The more relevant channels in the mix, the more potential customers will make their way down the pipeline. Remember, optimizing for organic search is just one prong of digital planning and marketing that is becoming increasingly holistic.
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