Content

Did I mention how important this is? We promise it's important...

• Don't keyword stuff.
• Think about what your audience would want to know (and what they're searching for).
• Write quality copy. Google likes to see upwards of 500-15000 words per page, but don't keyword stuff.
• NO KEYWORD STUFFING. STOP IT.

Did we mention quality content?

Content, metas & such

While writing the copy for your webpage, make sure to remember the following:

• Keyword Research (do this!). It's important that each page relates to one keyword, and the copy follows suite.
  • Use Google Trends, Plugins, 3rd Party Research, Keyword Planner tool on AdWords, etc.
  • Dependent on many factors including competition, search traffic, location, current ads, seasonality...
• Optimize your page's Title and Meta tags.
  • If you're on WordPress, this is super easy.

What is a title & meta?

(You might ask?)

So, when I search for "Cat Toys"...

Image optimization

Images are important! But you have to optimize those too. Make sure to name the images:

• Title: Use dashes in-between words.
• Alt (or Alternate) Text: This should explain what the image is. Just adding normal spaces will do.
• Caption and Description optional. 

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Remember to add relevant, quality images. But don't add photos meant for a billboard--adding many of those will slow your site down. 

Image optimization

Internal & outbound links

Three types of links covered today:

Internal: Links connecting content within your site 

Outbound: Links connecting your readers to other sites 

Inbound: Links pointing to your site from another  

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And the techy items: **Developer optional

Google also looks for:

• An XML sitemap that's easy to crawl (there's a plugin for that)
• Schema Data (more microdata for search engines to read) 
• An SSL certificate
• A responsive site 

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Be weary, good friends

This is where it gets tricky. Link building might seem easy, but if done incorrectly can cost your site. 

Link building is an art. Wait, it's definitely a science....maybe some luck?

What that means

Instead of just displaying a normal SERP, we get the highlighted box that shows business that may apply, near our vicinity.

• Relies on a user's location
• May look different depending on search engines and actual search
  • Sometimes shows images at the top of the SERP, a map of locations on the side, a list with    markers, etc.

How to rank locally

Practicing proper SEO tactics will improve both your site's ranking and local search results. However, there are a few things you can do:

• Register all locations of your business on trustworthy directories (Yelp, Foursquare, TripAdvisor--whatever may apply).
• Make sure you have appropriate an Google+ page(s), showing your location.
• List all locations on your website.
• Encourage your audience to review your business!
• Citations. 
• Adding geographical markers in your metas & titles.

A citation...

"A citation is any mention of your business out on the web, with or without a link. It can come in various forms:

• Company name, by itself.
• Company name & phone number.
• Company name, phone number & address.
• Company name, phone number, address & link.

...Even just the phone number itself can be a citation... A complete citation should include the company name, address and phone number. A citation that does not include all three of these is sometimes referred to as a partial citation." -Darren Shaw