Visibility on the Internet is more important than ever for companies today. Only discoverable websites lead to site visitors and thus to new customers. Conversely, this means that even the "best" website is of no use without users. In this article, we will take a closer look at regional searches, for example queries such as "lawyer Schwabmünchen", "dentist Landsberg" or "advertising agency Augsburg". Let's start with the basics of Local search engine optimization.

Local Search - What does "local search" mean anyway?

All search queries that have a regional reference are summarized under the term "local search". These are, for example, search queries that look for a service, a restaurant or a store in the vicinity. In this case, the user can either additionally name a specific location - in which case the regional reference is quite clear for Google. But even without naming a place, Google assumes the regional intention for certain searches. For example, a user searching for "hospital" will usually be more interested in the surrounding hospitals. How does this work without specifying a location? Here, search engines simply make use of all the data they have from the respective user. Of course, this works most easily if you have granted access to your own location. But other user-related data that has already been collected from the user can also be used to personalize the search results.

What information is most important for local search?

In local searches, users are most often interested in the following information about a regional business:

• Location: street, house number, postal code, city
• Phone number
• Website URL
• Images
• Reviews
• Opening hours
• Directions
• Company news
• possible payment methods
• Parking spaces

You can already see that the possible information is significantly more extensive than was the case in the days of telephone directories and printed business directories. In addition, the information is more up-to-date and easier to maintain. For example, seasonal changes in opening hours can be quickly recorded. Of course, this also increases the complexity of maintenance - because only when the same, consistent data is stored everywhere online does this have real added value for the customer. It would be very confusing for the customer to find different information on opening hours, telephone number, etc. on different pages. Google doesn't like that very much either, which can lead to a worse ranking in the local listings.

The (local) search behavior is constantly changing

Everyone knows it - you're on the road and quickly need the right opening hours or want to grab a quick bite to eat. The next logical step is of course to search Google, for example for "Restaurant Burger essen". Since you're on the go, you won't start sifting through and analyzing the search results now. One takes one of the first candidates suggested in the Google Local Pack. As a rule, candidates from the vicinity are shown here. Check the ratings briefly, and nothing stands in the way of enjoying the burger. Conversely, this means that if a company does not appear in the top positions for local search queries, it not only misses out on a lot of website traffic, but also the chance to attract many potential new customers. Being displayed in the local search results at the right moment should be the goal of every local business. And: If you are lucky enough to be displayed at the right moment, your profile should make a well-kept impression and ideally have enough positive references.

The Google Local Pack or Snack Pack

Google is not only ahead in organic search queries, but also in local search queries. This makes the search engine particularly important for companies when it comes to Local SEO (local search engine optimization).

First, in general, about the structure of the search results lists at Google. These usually consist of three parts:

1. the advertisements or Google Ads (are only displayed if advertisements are placed for the search terms)
2. the Local (Snack) Pack (only shown when Google suspects a local search intent)
3. and the editorial part (is always displayed)

The following graph illustrates this:

The graphic shows that in the first step only 3 top results are listed in the Local Pack. Only when you click on "More places" are the other entries displayed. So if you land on one of the first 3 places, you already have a big competitive advantage. Especially in industries with many local providers, this is enormously important. For example, if you search for "Café Augsburg", you get a Local Pack list with currently over 200 entries. How likely is it that the user will visit a café on the back pages? Vanishingly small.

The user receives the following information about the Local Pack:

• Location or map placement (geodata)
• Company name
• Reviews
• Industry
• Address
• Opening hours
• Phone number or call button

Beyond that, there is then the detailed view:

In the detailed view, the user additionally sees:

• Company images
• Detailed reviews
• Additional info ("About")
• Buttons for route planning, "Save" and website

Search engines are not everything: business directories and map services

For local search, Google may be the number one place to go - but that doesn't mean all other services should be neglected.

Business directories, rating platforms, social media

Business directories, rating platforms and social media can also be entry pages for a local search. Especially for companies that do not yet have a rating on Google, other sites can provide decisive criteria, such as positive reviews on Facebook.

Map services

You are sitting in the car and want to quickly plan a route. If the navigation system does not use a Google map, even the optimization of the Google My Business entry is of no use. This means that you should also be listed correctly in other directories. Examples are Apple Maps & Bing Maps. Various car manufacturers also use their own navigation systems with customized maps. So for businesses, with increasing services, it is a complex challenge to be found correctly everywhere.

Who should definitely integrate local search engine optimization into their online marketing strategy?

Local optimization for search engines is profitable for all companies that have a local location where sales are generated or at least customer contact takes place. These include workshops, hotels, tax consultants, doctors, supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants, fitness studios, hairdressers and many more. The Internet presence should then be optimized with regard to the topics and the keywords for its regional reference. Especially when services and products are primarily offered offline instead of online, local search engine optimization provides a significant advantage.

Optimization of the website only the beginning for Local SEO

With the optimization of the Internet presence, an important foundation stone is laid. However, one should always keep in mind that the organic search results only land in the 3rd area, i.e. below the paid Google ads and below the Local Pack. Therefore, it is essential to also deal with the ranking factors for the Local Pack. As things stand, the website itself has little influence on this area, which is why further measures need to be taken.

The ranking factors for the Google Local Pack

Our starting point is the Google My Business entry, which can be seen in the Local Pack. Google My Business is Google's own business directory and probably the most important business directory in the world. It is crucial for the ads in the Google Local Listings as well as on Google Maps. The three most important factors for the Google My Business entry are the so-called NAP data: Name, Address, Phone Number. These three pieces of data should be the same everywhere on the Internet, i.e. also on Facebook, Yelp, Foursquare, Bing, Apple Maps, etc. Synchronizing these values is probably one of the most important things you can do for Local Listing.

In addition, there are some other details, which should be the same everywhere. These are, for example, the opening hours and the website.

Not all ranking factors can be influenced

There are also important ranking factors, which cannot be easily changed by companies, but are still important for Google:

• Distance from searcher to respective location (perhaps the most important factor of all).
• Awareness and reputation of the company
• Relevance of the search to the results

What can a simple Local SEO strategy look like?

If you now summarize all the information, you get a pretty good picture of what Google considers important for Local SEO. If you want to come up with a simple strategy, it could consist of the following building blocks:

• optimized & maintained Google My Business profile
• as many positive customer reviews as possible on Google My Business and other platforms such as Facebook
• Uniform data in all relevant business directories
• Website on-page and off-page optimization
• Social Signals & User Signals

In the following, we will delve a little deeper into the topic. This information is more interesting for technically experienced readers.

Use of Schema for Local SEO

Schema is a structured data markup developed by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex. The official website is Schema.org. If you want to use this markup to be even better positioned on Google, then you should always follow the official Google guidelines hold. Under no circumstances should you try to be smarter than the search engine. If the approach is classified as spam, the shot can quickly backfire.

Check own page for Local Schema markup

The own page can be easily created with Google's Test tool for structured data be checked. The data for the physical location (local business) is interesting. In addition to the company name and address, opening hours, geodata and the logo can also be marked.

Integrate schema markup on your own website

There are many helpful tools online to get a clean script generated for your own website. One of them is for example the Schema Markup Generator (JSON-LD) from TechnicalSEO.com.

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The topic of Local SEO is extremely relevant for us at the moment. Therefore, we will supplement this article with further helpful information at regular intervals.

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Half of 2019 is over. Accordingly, SEO trends 2019 can be illuminated a little more closely and a first conclusion can be drawn: Some megatrends that developed from 2015 continue. We look at the trends in search engine optimization 2019 in detail:

1. structured data at Google

Google is getting better at handling structured data. As a result, the algorithms are capturing the content on web pages with increasing precision, including data without markup. Examples of this development are Featured Snippets and Google Answer Boxes, which present content graphically. This trend is intensifying. In the meantime, only that content is presented as a Featured Snippet which users have taken up best. It needs a clear text structure with unique content and paragraphs that should answer specific questions about the topic of the URL. Google recognizes questions in searches and delivers snippets if the page answers that question. In online stores, structured data is now standard: it provides rating stars in the snippets.

2. mobile first

The approach is known to be older, but the trend towards mobile search will be supported even more strongly by Google and other search engines in 2019. This makes sense, because users worldwide now search more frequently on mobile than via desktop PC or notebook. In addition to Responsive Design, which has long since become the standard, programmers should pay attention to three factors when creating websites:

• high page speed
• high usability
• easy to capture content (for the mobile device)

Texts, videos and graphics on the web are becoming increasingly simplified, which is not necessarily a bad thing. We are all users and do not want to read nested sentences or watch endless, lyrical videos on our smartphones. Even a diagram should be immediately comprehensible on the small display. A concise content doesn't have to be wrong just because it sums up the truth with a few (textual, graphical, visual) facts. The pure web design is also challenged: The contrast must be high enough to let everything be seen well on smaller displays. The loading time of a page for the mobile device must necessarily be less than three seconds, otherwise the user will jump off.

3. voice search

Those who have the option speak their search into the device, which Google Home, Alexa and Siri are increasingly supporting. Voice search is changing search behavior. Young people in particular (but not only) are affected: 41 % of all users aged 13 to 18 use voice search almost exclusively. The proportion is likely to rise to over 50 % for all search queries of all age groups by 2020 at the latest, according to the Comscore analysis institute. The questions are asked differently than with a keyboard entry. We speak specifically into the smartphone, "Where is the nearest restaurant?" At the same time, we rely on our location being determined automatically. With the keyboard, we would enter "Restaurant Berlin Hohenschönhausen." Google has now adapted its algorithms and recognizes W questions via voice search. This means for SEO: These W-questions should also be asked and answered in SEO texts.

4. content: trends 2019

Since this year, texts that are only written for search engines are definitely useless. Long word monstrosities with keyword heaps that are supposed to boost the Google ranking have obviously become useless. Instead, content optimization must be aimed at the so-called keepable experience. This means: the reader should take something away from the content conveyed in order to remember it and thus the page in the future. Brand expert Robert Seeger extends this approach with his 3H concept. The 3Hs are heart, brain and attitude. Keepable Experience, according to Seeger, consists of content (texts, videos, images, graphics) that appeal to the emotions and intellect of users, while at the same time expressing an attitude. The statement may or may not be welcomed by the user, but it must first be present. Only then will the target audience find the content that is relevant to them.

Content struggles for quality

Content struggles for quality in order to achieve the necessary attention. This makes sense, because in the last 20 years, inflationary content has been created on most topics, which is often as similar as one egg to another. In the text area, it is mostly created by spinning, i.e. the mere rewriting of existing texts so that the Google algorithms identify the new text as unique content. In this case, it is supposedly only important that no more than four to seven words of the source text are repeated (depending on the setting of the CopyScape tool). However, Google's algorithms have been more advanced for years. It is known that since the Penguin update in 2012 at the latest, they already measure the dwell time on a page that results from a user getting stuck in a text. However, it is not enough to simply post a very long text, which in turn is the result of spinning. Long texts also contradict the postulate formulated at the beginning that (in terms of mobile optimization) concise, catchy formulations are important. Rather, content must be relevant, excitingly written, creative, lateral thinking and of high quality. This applies to texts as well as to any other content. It is gratifying for content authors that Google is finally rewarding artistic freedom. It would be desirable that the marketers - probably 80-90 % affiliates who commission the content - also recognize this and give the creatives the necessary freedom.

5. artificial intelligence in the search engines

In 2015, Google introduced Rank Brain and thus also officially relied on AI. Rank Brain is one of the algorithms that determine the position of a post in the SERPs, it uses AI and machine learning to answer questions that were not even asked. It translates search queries into a mathematical pattern that the search engine can process. Rank Brain is linked to the 2013 Hummingbird update, which emphasized semantic search more. Rank Brain is able to semantically link unknown words to known linguistic entities. The system learns on its own in this way. As a user, we experience that a question similar to our search query is (also) answered - possibly because we were mistaken about the query, but possibly also because the similar question could also be relevant. It was known before 2015 that AI was playing an increasing role in Google's algorithms. In October 2015, a Google spokesperson confirmed in a post on bloomberg.com that the Rank Brain algorithm was using AI to rank search results. By mid-2019, it is estimated that ~15 % of search inputs are absolutely original, meaning they have never been entered that way before. Rank Brain nevertheless identifies what the user likely meant. It is part of those algorithms that are based on AI. These are playing an increasing role in SEO and are expected to lead to search engines thinking more and more like a human: what could my counterpart have meant? What associations are associated with this topic? What should I therefore offer as an answer? This in turn fits in with point 4, namely the abandonment of keyword spamming, which has become completely superfluous. Regular bloggers have noticed this for quite some time. They therefore mostly do without keywords altogether. If they fit the topic, they automatically appear in the text anyway. The fact that Google no longer values them as much as it used to is also related to the increasing weight of visual-based platforms like Instagram. Placing keywords in video and photos or their captions has long been considered difficult and not very helpful in the process. But the important visual messages are nevertheless gaining the rank they deserve, namely viral: they are shared voluntarily. This is also a ranking factor, so Google's AI is much more likely to reward content relevance than mechanical keyword piling. This SEO trend in 2019 is gratifying, but also challenging.

6. what role do backlinks still play?

Their importance has diminished, but they are far from irrelevant. However, purchased backlinks are a nasty trap (and by the way, so are purchased likes and comments on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook & Co.), the search engines and social networks have long identified them. Backlinks have to be natural. That doesn't mean that targeted off-page SEO can't help things along a bit. It is perfectly legitimate to set a backlink to your own page from your own blog post or PR contribution. However, it must be really relevant, and link spamming must be strictly avoided. Referral links that deliver high-quality traffic remain useful. Ideally, they should come from a page that itself ranks relatively well. This increases the importance of press portals and, accordingly, the importance of PR for companies - which brings us back to high-quality content. How backlinks should be technically constituted is described in the E-A-T guidelines in their section 3.2 (Search Quality Evaluator guidelines).

7. progressive web apps

PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) are websites with special features of native apps. Thus, they improve the user experience in mobile search and basically combine app and responsive web design. SEO has paid little attention to them so far, but that is changing in 2019. In the spirit of increasing mobile search (see 2.), it is worth considering running new websites as PWAs. These also work offline, they can also send push messages, can be used across the entire screen (the display) and can still be installed as an icon on the HomeScreen like any native app. For SEO, it is extremely interesting that search engines do index PWAs if they meet their guidelines. Another advantage of a PWA is: it convinces with its usability, because it does not have to be downloaded and also does not require any updates. This SEO trend 2019 is still young, we should keep an eye on it.

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