Andre and Tracy are in Dallas today talking with Rob Frost-Dean. Rob is part of the LOCALiQ team and is the director of SEO services. Rob works directly with clients and manages the team that helps them with their SEO campaigns. We get so many questions and find that there is so much confusion about SEO that we're really happy to have Rob here today to help shine a light on the world of SEO.

Before joining ReachLocal in 2015, Rob was the director of Professional Services at SearchDex, an SEO agency that is headquartered in Dallas. Rob has over 20 years of business experience in diverse work sectors including journalism. Rob helps demystify SEO and explain what it encompasses. He also shares some of his SEO success stories helping local and small businesses. We also learn a few quick tips that you can implement in your SEO strategy.

Show Notes:

• [08:14] Rob began working in journalism. He was very interested in design and interaction with people. This led to web development and IT support.
• [09:17] He's worked in a number of fields and lived in a number of cities.
• [09:39] Rob was working for an SEO agency in Dallas and ReachLocal asked him if he was interested in working with them.
• [11:47] SEO should be looked at as part of a comprehensive strategy.
• [12:29] We really have to understand what the people are looking for and make sure everything from the website to the business listings to the content are published in a way that reaches the people.
• [13:18] SEO isn't the same for everybody. The campaign starts with the website. It's important to know your audience and understand your competition. Make your website as attractive and user-friendly to your audience as possible.
• [14:17] Then focus on the other online aspects such as your directory and listings and things like that. All of this is important especially the customer generated content or the reviews.
• [15:24] You want to have a consistent presence where everyone knows who you are and where to find you.
• [15:47] Then you Branch out to social media and paid ads.
• [18:24] Google is a moving target with all of the algorithm changes.
• [21:14] SEO takes time. New clients have some type of SEO right off the bat. There will also be seasonal fluctuations and things need to be tested. SEO is a long-term play.
• [23:22] Organic search continues to grow.
• [24:01] Download speed matters on a website. Mobile speed is important. Content needs to be informative. Use Google Analytics to see if your content is performing.
• [26:43] Rob shares a success story of creating a web presence for a pond supply company. They focused on making this company the pond authority. People interacted through social channels. They used this interaction to generate content and FAQs that would generate more traffic.
• [31:34] Make your content important and useful. If you are an emergency plumber be available for emergencies.
• [32:34] The education phase of search includes reading blogs and reviews. Off site content like reviews is important.
• [33:39] Be an expert in the space. Be an authority. Be trustworthy. This is important for all businesses regardless of size.
• [34:44] They also worked on a local presence for a financial institution. They wanted to make sure all of the information was correct across all directories.
• [36:37] When people come to a page expecting one thing and they get something else, you will have a high bounce rate.
• [38:12] Audit your site and travel through it as if you were a customer. Fix any dead ends or content issues. Check your directory listings and see how you show up online. Google your business name and then your business address.
• [39:39] Look at your reviews and respond to them.

Links and Resources:

• ReachLocal
• Rob Frost-Dean on LinkedIn

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