Kurt Lambert, Director of SEO, Silverback Strategies

Search engine optimization is an extremely important yet ever-evolving aspect to any business. In the years prior, SEO would be done using the same methods and techniques for a company like Apple as it would for a local Arlington plumber. Over time, Google and other search engines smartened up and realized that users searching for a local plumber had a much different intent than when searching for a large corporation, and adjusted their algorithms accordingly. Search engines have now made it a priority to make sure searchers are finding the most relevant information as quickly as possible. For example, Google has started detecting whether the intent of someone’s search query can be best served through local businesses that are in close proximity to your desired location -- either by simply including a desired location as part of the search query (for example: “best plumber arlington va”) or by detecting your current location via the IP address of your computer or mobile device.

To see this example first hand, search “personal injury lawyer” on Google. Odds are the results that show up are centered around the city or town closest to you. Google’s Local listings will also most likely show up, with corresponding points from Google Maps along the right side of the page. 

​With this large shift in Google’s Local search and results, businesses have started to adjust their online presence to make sure their websites are as compatible as possible to these new local search algorithms in hopes of bringing in as much local organic traffic as possible. So exactly what kinds of adjustments have businesses started making? Let’s take a look at some key tactics to keep in mind when optimizing for local search:

 1. Local Business Citation Auditing

One of the first and most important factors to keep in mind when optimizing for local search is not so much about moving forward with any kind of SEO strategies, but rather taking inventory at what’s already been done and making sure that you have a good foundation to build off of. The best way to do this is by looking at business citations that currently exist on sites like SuperPages, Yelp, YellowPages, etc. and making sure that the name, address, and phone (NAP for short) information is accurate across all these directories. The benefit to this is two-fold; one being the fact that all the information is, in fact, correct in case a potential customer finds your business on one of these sites and decides to contact you directly from there. The other, arguably much more important, benefit is that the higher the number of citations that exist with all the same correct information across various websites and business directories like SuperPages, the more it builds up a business’ authority in the eyes of Google’s local algorithms. A popular and easy-to-use site for conducting this audit is GetListed.org.

2. Local Business Citation Building

Picking up right where #1 leaves off, the next step for optimizing for local search is to start building any other citations that may have been found to be missing after completion of the initial audit. The more new citations that are able to be created, the higher a local business’ authority will increase. Many business citation directories also allow the option to add in your website’s URL. This carries the added benefit of counting as a new, strong backlink to your site, which improves your website’s overall strength as well.

3. Google+ Local Listings

This platform was known as Google Places in the past. Now, Google+ Local is the central location for all of Google’s local business listings. This includes all search results that show up on Google Maps as well as the local results on a normal organic search (as seen in the screenshot above). Having Google verify your physical address (either via a postcard in the mail or by an automated phone call) and integrating your Google+ Local profile into your website are really big steps in improving your business’ credibility on their platform, thus resulting in higher visibility on local searches. If a local business isn’t on Google+ Local, they probably aren’t getting too much organic traffic to their website.

4. Positive Reviews

Much like the creation of the actual business citations themselves, having positive reviews on those citations have more than one advantage. Positive reviews for any company will certainly help the image of a business. High ratings on a website like Google+ Local or Yelp build trust in a potential customer’s mind. They also help build trust in local search algorithms (which is a very common theme here). So get all your satisfied customers to leave some nice reviews!

5. On-page Contact Info

Shouldn’t your actual address and phone number be as easy to find as possible on your website for potential a customer’s sake? It turns out Google thinks so too. Having the NAP information, even if it’s in the footer of each page, has some big local SEO benefits, as websites that do have this information visibly listed have better ranking positions in local searches when Google’s crawlers are able to read this information. It also allows you to take advantage of...

6. Schema.org Rich Snippet Integration

Schema.org is a collaboration of top search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo who have come together with a new standard of coding websites to “highlight” the most relevant information about that site. While there are many categories of Schema.org (Events, Products, Recipes, etc.) it is certainly very applicable to local search optimization. Under its Local Business category, there are literally dozens of subcategories for almost any local business out there. Implementing the Schema.org rich snippets will help tag your website with the most important information (NAP, business hours, reviews, etc.) customers and search engines both would want to see. For example, taking advantage of this extra HTML coding to let Google know what your reviewer rating is on a particular website helps it stand out from the result of the results, like so: 

​7. On-page Content

Featuring well-written content throughout your website will always be one SEO technique that’s consistent no matter how big or small the SEO project may be. It is certainly no different with local SEO -- if you don’t have content, search engines will not be able to “read” what your website is about, and will therefore not display your website highly in search results. Great content about your business’s main service or product offerings combined with having your address listed on the same page work wonders together.

8. Rich Media Geo-tagging

If your business has a rich media account like YouTube or Flickr, you typically have the option of “geo-tagging” the media that is featured on those sites. Search engines are able to crawl these rich media websites, and if they see your company name associated with a particular location, it is one more big step in building your company’s authority in that area.

9. Organic Backlink Building

While not always as vital as some of the other local SEO strategies, it is always best SEO practice to keep a diversified backlink profile from a variety of referring domains to help boost the strength of your own website. For local businesses, having a few backlinks from other websites can make all the difference in dominating the competition. Organic backlink building for local businesses can sometimes be easier than it is for larger sites -- links from community websites like Patch.com are often times very attainable and relevant to that community’s audience.

While local search is constantly evolving, these strategies will continue to be mainstays of good local SEO practice. Local businesses that are able to use these techniques will have a clear edge over their competitors that have neglected local SEO. 

By Jennifer Paquette Galloway, President, Arlington Jaycees

Lately, the topic of giving back has become a hot commodity.  Whether it is through volunteer hours or financial contribution, giving back is “in”.

Additionally, giving back is now an official part of a business’s mission.  It is not enough to simply encourage your employees to volunteer and support local charities.  Corporations more and more are prioritizing their philanthropic efforts.  In 2007, I joined the Jaycees (in Connecticut).  I am a proud second generation member (my mother before me) and have been a Jaycee in Virginia for almost four years.  The Jaycees are my way of giving back to the Community that has given me so much. 

I’m often asked: Who are the Jaycees?

A quick history, the Arlington Junior Chamber or commonly known as the Jaycees or JCs was founded in 1948 and have been serving the Arlington community ever since.  The Arlington Jaycees is a leadership training and civic organization for young professionals between the ages of 21 and 40.  We are an all-volunteer organization with areas of emphasis on community service, business development and individual development.  (Fun Fact - Notable Jaycees in History: President Ford, President Humphrey and Charles Lindberg.  The Jaycees were instrumental in the creation of the U.S. Air Mail Service and the establishment of the National Wildlife Federation.)

What can you or your business do today to spread goodwill in Arlington? Consider the following options: 

Volunteer Leave: The Advisory Board Company provides their employees with up to 10 hours of paid daytime leave per MONTH to pursue volunteer activities of their choosing.
Socially Conscious Business: Phoenix Bikes is a wonderful example of a Company whose mission is to give back while providing a superior project.  Teach local youth to repair a bike,provide a skill – now you’re doing more than just selling a bike! 
Strategic Partnerships: Aligning your corporate philanthropy with a likeminded Non-Profit Organization.  For example, if diversity (age) is of importance to your business perhaps partnering with the Jaycees on a volunteer project would be beneficial. The Jaycees Creed has one very strong line, and it’s the last one, “service to humanity is the best work of life”.

By Carl Lander, Owner/Personal Financial Coach C3 Financial Services

Recently, I heard a banging against the sliding glass door leading to our deck.  It sounded like a big “thud” and then happened again before I went to investigate.  As I approached the sliding glass door, I noticed a couple carpenter bees hovering nearby.  One of them flew towards the glass and smacked into it, making the “thud” sound I heard earlier.  The carpenter bees developed a plan and finally flew around the side of the house to get where they wanted to go.

This reminded me of what happens when you don’t have a budget and make a plan for your money.  Without a plan, we can hit our heads against a wall (or glass in this case) trying to get from one place to another without realizing that way is blocked.  You have to take a different path to get around the problem and find a solution.  It’s the same with making a monthly budget to control your money instead of it controlling you.  Once you make a plan for your money by budgeting every dollar, on paper, on purpose, before the month begins, you start down the path to finding a solution.  The budget is your roadmap for financial success!

If you’re figuratively hitting your head against the wall with your money, isn’t it time to take a different approach?  One that helps you win with money and become more successful in the long term?  That’s what a budget does.  A budget is nothing more than telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.  When you make a monthly budget, it can feel like you’ve gotten a raise because now you have a plan.

The first priorities of your budget should be: food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and utilities.  Everything else needs to get paid, but you need to have a plan.  If you’ve never made a monthly budget before, there can be some growing pains.  Just keep working on it and make adjustments as needed.  After a couple of months (2-3), the monthly budget can take about 15 minutes to plan for the next month.  The hard part is taking that first step towards controlling your money.

Your budget can be created using software, an excel spreadsheet, or a piece of paper.  You make two columns, one for income and the other for expenses.  List all of your income (take home pay) in one column and all of your expenses in the other.  If you are married, this includes your spouse’s income, and any income from any side jobs.  Add up all of the income and then subtract the expenses.  You should have more income than expenses.  If not, you have to cut expenses somewhere.  After all, you are not Congress.  If you need to cut your expenses, be sure to cut wants and not needs. After writing all the income and expenses down, it should balance and equal zero.

If there is income left over after subtracting your expenses, you can do 3 things with it: spend it, save it, or give it away.  If you don’t have an emergency fund, you should start building one.  A beginner emergency fund is $500-$1,000, depending on your annual income.  A fully funded emergency fund is 3-6 months of expenses, regardless of your income.  If you are in debt, any leftover money should go towards paying that down after establishing a beginner emergency fund. 

Once you have the budget created and balanced, track your spending to see where your money goes each month.  Don’t spend any money unless it has a name attached to it.  When you have a plan for your money, you have control over it and can make adjustments accordingly.  If the numbers aren’t working, have a budget committee meeting with your spouse (or accountability partner) to change the budget and re-balance it.  

Each month is different and you need to do a budget each month.  The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Make a plan today for your money in order to be more successful in the long term.  Your income is your greatest wealth-building tool.  A working monthly budget is the most useful tool in your personal financial arsenal!

By Liz Haberkorn, Communications, Living Vicky

"Soft skills” are the most important skillset you, as an employee, can offer an employer. When interviewing for positions, the hiring professional will most likely consider the soft skills more of a plus than hard skills. 

“Hard skills” are the abilities you can bring to a position: the second language you are fluent in, the number of words per minute you can type, the software you can use. Hard skills are often a result of your education, and your work experience. “Soft skills,” on the other hand, are the skills that reflect your personality, emotional IQ, and communication abilities.  Soft skills come into play when you are working as a team with colleagues, dealing with difficult clients, and illustrate your work ethic.

The soft skills that matter most to potential employers are the ones that will convince them that you can do the job, and do it well. Will you see a tough task through to the end? Will you do your best work, regardless of how small or menial the job may seem? Will you establish a reputation for yourself as a strong, reliable worker, and gain the trust of your fellow colleagues and your supervisors?

Other things to consider that affect your soft skills “credit score”:

• Is your self-confidence apparent, but not overbearing? 
• Are you willing to accept criticism, and can you learn from the criticism you are given? 
• Are you flexible, or do things have to be done your way? 

All these traits are important for working as a member of a successful team, which is what most jobs are all about. When being interviewed, the hiring professional is not just listening to your successes and accomplishments, but also sizing up the positive personality traits you can potentially contribute to the organization. No one wants to work with a pessimistic, criticizing know-it-all! You will want to portray yourself as an inspiring employee, someone that others can look to for positive feedback, or be comfortable bouncing ideas off of. You don’t want to come across as always needing to be the star of the show. Knowing when to step up when a leader is needed, or cheerfully following direction as given is an invaluable trait, and one any employer will appreciate.

Hard skills are easily taught and, with practice, can be learned. Not so simple for soft skills! Finding out what soft skills you already possess and what soft skills you could use some work on is just as important as your resume, cover letter, or references.

To learn more about what set of soft skills you can offer an employer, use assessments like Peggy Klaus’ Soft Skills Quiz.

Learning more about soft skills is easy, but possessing them is priceless!

By Kelly Doherty, Technology Management Initiative
TMI was recently awarded the Green Business Award by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.  What does it mean to “be green?”  Here at TMI we think being green is as simple as remembering the three r's: reduce, reuse, recycle. 

During the luncheon on May 20th, Ann Isaacson  had the pleasure of briefly introducing our partnership with the Arlington Community Foundation (ACF) and our newest project – the Technology Management Initiative.  The Technology Management Initiative (T.M.I.) is an opportunity for us all to apply the three r's to our technology: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Every day we are reducing the amount of technology that we need to get our jobs done. We used to require a desktop computer, a telephone and perhaps a handheld calendar device.(Remember the Palm Pilot?!) Many of us are now doing with one or two devices what used to require three or four!

But what should we do with last year's technology? How can we reuse it? TMI will collect used computers as donations and refurbish them. TMI (and their trained volunteers) will completely erase your hard drive and reinstall an operating system. Those computers that were collecting dust have an opportunity to be reused and we are reducing the waste that ends up in county landfills!

The last step is to recycle your technology. ACF will take applications from local non-profits explaining how a computer could help them help our community. It's that simple.From the applicants ACF will match existing technology in the T.M.I. inventory with the needs of local non-profits. The laptop that was destined for the landfill that you've been hanging onto because you didn't know how to safely dispose of it – it can be recycled into our community!

How do I get involved?

Do you have items to donate?  We will be accepting used laptops, desktops, monitors, keyboards and printers! Are you a non-profit that has identified a need? If you are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving those who live or work in Arlington you are eligible to submit an application with the Arlington Community Foundation.

Want to volunteer?

TMI will require some volunteer efforts to refurbish equipment. If you are interested in donating, applying or volunteering please contact David Isaacson at david@tmi.net and he will be in touch.

We are really excited about this new venture with ACF and we wanted to get you all of the details that we have currently. We are still in the process of developing our volunteer program and our application process and we will be sending out new information as soon as we have it available. In the interim, we wanted to make sure that you knew that you no longer have to wonder what to do with that computer that has been collecting dust!