Local SEO Unlocked

The Holy Trinity of SEO Unleashed!

• Don Phelps • Season 1 • Episode 8

Share episode

Ready to demystify SEO once and for all? Forget complicated algorithms and technical jargon—what if the secret to better search visibility could be distilled into just three fundamental pillars?

We're diving deep into Don Phelps' revolutionary "Holy Trinity of SEO" framework that's changing how businesses approach their online presence. This elegantly simple yet powerful concept focuses on three core elements: who you are (identity), what you do (offerings), and where you do it (location).

The identity pillar reveals why seemingly minor details like inconsistent business information across platforms can tank your rankings. Through real-world examples—like the bakery whose business surged after standardizing their contact details—we explore how NAP consistency, schema markup, compelling About Us content, and authentic reviews create the foundation of search visibility.

For the offerings pillar, we dispel the myth that keyword stuffing wins the day. Instead, we explore strategic keyword research methods that help you speak your customers' language, create dedicated service pages that convert, and develop content marketing approaches that establish true authority while naturally incorporating relevant search terms.

Local businesses will particularly benefit from our deep dive into the location pillar, where we unpack Google Business Profile optimization, the power of local citations as "trust signals," and how geo-specific content can bridge the gap between online searches and foot traffic to your physical location.

What makes this framework truly powerful is understanding how these three elements work together in harmony—not as separate tactics but as an interconnected system that creates a cohesive online presence. And unlike many marketing approaches, SEO isn't a "set it and forget it" solution. It's an ongoing journey requiring consistent attention, much like tending a garden that evolves with changing algorithms and consumer behaviors.

Whether you're a small business owner frustrated by poor visibility or a marketing professional looking to refine your approach, this episode provides the clear, actionable framework you need to take your digital presence to the next level. Subscribe now and join us on this SEO journey to connect with more customers and grow your business online!

Thanks for tuning in to Local SEO Unlocked! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others who want to master Local SEO. Stay connected with us weekly for more insights on SEO! Until next time, keep optimizing and stay ahead in local search!

Speaker 1:

All right, buckle up everybody, because today, on the deep dive, we are talking SEO.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, Love it Getting into the nitty gritty and we're not just skimming the surface, no way.

Speaker 1:

We're diving deep into the fundamentals with the help of SEO guru Don Phelps and his article the Holy Trinity of SEO Identity Offerings, Location, Identity offerings, location.

Speaker 2:

So this article presents a really cool, simple but powerful framework for boosting your online visibility, which is what we all want.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. I mean, who doesn't want to be seen, you know? So let's break down this holy trinity. What are the three elements that make it so holy?

Speaker 2:

The three pillars, or maybe we should say the three commandments of SEO are who you are, which is your brand identity, right?

Speaker 1:

Okay, what you?

Speaker 2:

do so, your services or your products, gotcha and, last but definitely not least, where you do it, which is all about location, location, location. And the cool thing is they all work together. They intertwine to create this holistic picture for search engines.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I'm already seeing how this is way more than just throwing a bunch of keywords on a page and hoping for the best. It's strategic, so let's start with pillar number one who you are. This sounds a lot like building a solid online rep. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. It's all about trust. Like, think about it Would you trust a business if they had a different name on their website, a different address on their social media and then a completely different phone number on some random directory?

Speaker 1:

Huge red flag.

Speaker 2:

Right, Exactly so sketchy and search engines, while they feel the same way. Consistency is key, my friend.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so you're telling me, even those little inconsistencies, like maybe a slightly different suite number or something like that, can actually hurt your SEO.

Speaker 2:

You would be surprised. I had this client, this lovely lady. She ran a bakery with like two locations right and they had these slightly different phone numbers listed online and their Google my Business listing. It was a mess and they just thought it was, you know, no big deal, just a minor difference, but their local search rankings were in the dumps. It was sad. Once we cleaned up their NAP information which stands for name, address, phone number and we made it consistent everywhere, bam, their rankings shot up, finally started showing up for those bakeries near me searches.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that's a real world example right there. So for businesses who might be listening and thinking, oh shoot, do I need to check all this stuff? What are the things, the specific things they should look out for?

Speaker 2:

The most important, like I just mentioned, is your NAP, that's your name, address and phone number. It needs to be exactly the same on your website, on your Google business profile, any online directories. You're listed in social media everywhere.

Speaker 1:

Makes sense. So, besides NAP consistency, what else falls under this? Who you are umbrella? What about all this schema markup stuff that I hear people talking about?

Speaker 2:

Ah, schema markup, that's a good one. It's like imagine giving search engines a little cheat sheet, like a backstage pass, so they can understand your website better.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I like that Right.

Speaker 2:

So let's say you've got a page full of glowing reviews for your restaurant. Schema markup can be like hey, google, look, these are reviews specifically for this restaurant, not just some random reviews about food. It helps Google showcase those reviews more prominently in search results, which means hopefully more clicks and customers for you.

Speaker 1:

So it's all about being crystal clear, super explicit, about what your business is all about.

Speaker 2:

Exactly. And while we're at it, don't forget about your about us page. I know it can sound kind of basic, but this is your chance to tell your story. You know. Highlight your unique selling points, let your brand personality shine through, make it engaging and don't forget to optimize it for your brand name keywords.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so NAP consistency schema markup a killer about us page. Anything else. We need to know about this who you are pillar.

Speaker 2:

He almost got it Almost there. Reviews man Never underestimate the power of reviews.

Speaker 1:

Ooh, good point.

Speaker 2:

Online reviews and social media. They're like little gold stars, yeah. They show everyone your potential customers, but also those search engines. You're trustworthy, yeah, and that people have good things to say about you. So encourage those happy customers to leave those glowing reviews and stay active on social media to build that social proof, that street cred.

Speaker 1:

All right, so we've laid down a solid foundation with who you are.

Speaker 2:

We're on our way.

Speaker 1:

We've got our identity, our brand is strong, but now we've got to move on to the next pillar of this SEO trinity. So we'll be right back after a quick break to discuss what you do. This is where it gets really juicy for me. I think this whole idea of effectively communicating what you offer to the right people and I know keywords are important here but is it really just like cramming as many keywords as you can onto your website? Is that the secret?

Speaker 2:

You know, that's what a lot of people think. But honestly, it's not about just stuffing keywords everywhere. It's got to be strategic. It's more about quality over quantity, you know what I mean Like put yourself in the shoes of someone who's searching online. They're typing in very specific words and phrases, right? Because they're trying to find exactly what they need, so your job is to figure out what those words and phrases are so how do you do that?

Speaker 1:

is there some like secret formula for t-word research?

Speaker 2:

if I had a secret formula, I'd be like a millionaire right but no, there's no magic formula, but there are definitely some smart strategies you can use. I always tell people start by thinking like your customer, you know, like really put yourself in their shoes. What kind of problems are they facing? What are they looking for? What words would they use to describe those problems, or even the solutions they're hoping to find?

Speaker 1:

That's such a good point. It's like almost empathy, right Understanding your audience on a deeper level.

Speaker 2:

Exactly, and you know, we've got some really cool tools nowadays that can help us out with this, Things like Google Keyword Planner, RRIFs. They can give you some really valuable data like how many people are actually searching for a particular keyword and how competitive that keyword is.

Speaker 1:

Oh. So you can kind of see, like, what's the demand? What are people looking for Exactly?

Speaker 2:

And it helps you find those sweet spot keywords, the ones that are relevant to your business and also have the potential to drive a ton of traffic to your site.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so let's say we've done our keyword research. We've got this awesome list of words and phrases. Now what? What do we do with them? Where do they go?

Speaker 2:

Time to sprinkle them like magic fairy dust all over your website. No, I'm just kidding.

Speaker 1:

Oh man, I got so excited.

Speaker 2:

It's not about sprinkling. It's about weaving those keywords strategically into your content. Each product or service that you offer should have its own dedicated page on your website, right?

Speaker 1:

Okay, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And on that page you want a clear, compelling description that naturally incorporates those relevant keywords.

Speaker 1:

So it's not just like listing all your products or services. Like you know, a boring old catalog.

Speaker 2:

No, nobody wants to read a catalog online. You want to create something engaging, informative. You want to highlight the benefits of what you're offering, maybe address some potential objections that people might have, really entice them to learn more or to take action.

Speaker 1:

So it's kind of like each page is like a mini sales pitch, but in a way that's, you know, helpful and informative. Yeah exactly.

Speaker 2:

And don't forget those little things like your meta tags and descriptions. Those are super important too. It's like the headline for your website in those search results.

Speaker 1:

It's like the first impression, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, exactly, make them catchy, Make them informative and make sure you're using those keywords there too, so people actually click on your listing.

Speaker 1:

All right, so we've grabbed their attention. They've clicked on our link. Now they're on our website. How do we keep them engaged? How do we keep them from bouncing right off?

Speaker 2:

Ah, that's where content strategy comes in. This is key. You need a good content strategy to establish your authority, build that trust with your audience and really keep those people coming back for more. So think blog posts, articles, guides, maybe some FAQs, videos, really any type of content that's going to provide value to your target audience and hopefully answer those burning questions they have.

Speaker 1:

So we're not just creating content just for the sake of creating content. We're creating content that actually serves a purpose, that helps people and really showcases our expertise right 100%.

Speaker 2:

And here's the cool thing Content marketing. It naturally lends itself to incorporating those keywords we were talking about earlier. So when you're writing about topics related to your business and you're using those keywords in a natural way, you're basically sending a signal to those search engines saying, hey, this is what my website is all about, this is who I am, this is who I'm here to help.

Speaker 1:

So it's all connected right, Like it's a beautiful tapestry woven together with those keywords.

Speaker 2:

I like that A tapestry. That's a good one.

Speaker 1:

OK, so to sum up this whole, what you do, pillar, is about really showcasing your offerings in a way that's clear, engaging, search engine friendly and, ultimately, valuable to your audience.

Speaker 2:

Nailed it.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So we've got a solid brand identity, we're putting out amazing content about what we do, but now we got to tackle that final piece of the puzzle where you do it, and I know this is all about local SEO. So why is this so critical, especially for businesses that have a physical location?

Speaker 2:

Okay, imagine this You're craving pizza, like really bad.

Speaker 1:

Oh, this is a scenario I can get behind.

Speaker 2:

Right, so you grab your phone and you search for pizza near me. Now are you going to scroll through, like pages and pages of search results.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely not.

Speaker 2:

No, you want those options, those pizza places that are closest to you, to pop up first like instant gratification.

Speaker 1:

Exactly when I want pizza. I want it now.

Speaker 2:

Exactly, and that's why local SEO is so important. It's all about making sure your business shows up in those search results when people are looking for those products or services in their specific local area.

Speaker 1:

So what are the must-dos, like the essential ingredients for really nailing local SEO? And I know you mentioned the Google Business Profile before.

Speaker 2:

Oh, the GBP, that's your baby. Like your digital storefront, right? It's that first thing people are going to see when they search for you on Google. So it needs to be accurate, it needs to be complete and it needs to be optimized. So make sure your business name, your address, your phone number, all that NAP information we talked about earlier make sure it's consistent with what's on your website and any other platforms that you're on.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so GBP huge. But what about those local citations we talked about earlier? How do those fit into the picture?

Speaker 2:

Local citations are like those little shout outs, those mentions of your business on other websites so think Yelp, TripAdvisor, those industry specific directories, even your local news sites, anything like that and they're like little votes of confidence, like tiny little gold stars for search engines.

Speaker 1:

Oh, okay.

Speaker 2:

Because it signals to them that, hey, this business is legit, they're located where they say they are, they're real.

Speaker 1:

So, basically, the more consistent and accurate your information is across all those different citations, the more trustworthy you appear to Google and you know all those other search engines out there.

Speaker 2:

Exactly, and those reviews. Don't forget about the power of reviews. Make sure you're encouraging those happy customers to leave reviews on your GBP and other platforms too, because those positive reviews they not only boost your credibility with potential customers, but they can also give you a nice little bump in those local search rankings.

Speaker 1:

It's all connected. Okay, so local SEO a whole world in itself. Anything else businesses should be thinking about when it comes to attracting local customers online?

Speaker 2:

You know what's cool, this idea of geo-specific content.

Speaker 1:

What's that?

Speaker 2:

So think about it. Like this Blog posts about local events, maybe you do, a guide to the cool attractions in your area, or even case studies featuring some of your awesome local clients. This kind of content shows search engines that you're not just some random business. You're deeply rooted in your community. You're part of the fabric of this local area.

Speaker 1:

OK, so we've got our GBP. All sparkling Citations are in check. We're creating awesome content that resonates with our local people. Is there anything else we need to?

Speaker 2:

I think the main takeaway here is this Local SEO is all about bridging that gap between the online world and the offline world. It's about making it super easy for people to find your business, whether they're searching online or they're just walking down the street.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's a great way to put it. So we've covered all three pillars of the SEO Holy Trinity who you are, what you do and where you do it and I think what's really cool is seeing how it all fits together right, it's not just these random separate things.

Speaker 2:

It all works together to create this like cohesive online presence.

Speaker 1:

But I have a feeling it's not a set it and forget it kind of thing.

Speaker 2:

Oh no.

Speaker 1:

We can't just do this once and then, like you know, call it a day, absolutely not yeah. The Call it a day, absolutely not yeah.

Speaker 2:

The online world. It's constantly changing, it's dynamic and SEO it's part of that right. Search engine algorithms they change, new trends pop up, and your business itself is probably evolving too. Hopefully.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

So it's essential to stay informed. You got to adapt your strategy and just continuously optimize your online presence.

Speaker 1:

You can't just sit back and relax. So it's kind of like a garden right, you need to tend to it, prune those dead leaves, add some new plants and keep it thriving.

Speaker 2:

I like that. That's a perfect analogy. Seo it's an ongoing process. It's about monitoring, analyzing, adjusting, so you're always staying ahead of the curve and reaching those people you want to reach.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so wow, we have covered so much ground today. It's amazing, you so?

Speaker 2:

wow, we have covered so much ground today. It's amazing. You've really broken down this whole SEO thing in a way that I think I can finally wrap my head around. Yeah, it can seem overwhelming, but honestly it's really not that complicated once you understand the basics.

Speaker 1:

Exactly, and I think our listener is probably feeling a lot more confident about their SEO game now too, which is awesome. So before we wrap up this deep dive, let's take a minute to kind of zoom out and recap the key takeaways from Don Phelps's Holy Trinity of SEO framework, just to make sure it's all nice and solidified in our brains.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, good idea, always good to review, right? Okay, so first up, we've got who you are. This is all about creating that strong, consistent brand identity online. Am I remembering that correctly? You got it. It's like building trust, but not just with potential customers, with search engines too, and the way you do that is by making sure your business name, your address, that phone number, it's the same across all your online platforms no discrepancies, no variations.

Speaker 1:

Keep it consistent and of course we can't forget about that, about us page and all the magic of schema markup right.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Schema markup. It can be a little bit techy, I'll admit, but it's super powerful. It gives those search engines that extra context about your business so they can really understand what you're all about. And as for the About Us page, don't underestimate it. It's your chance to tell your story, connect with people on a deeper level.

Speaker 1:

All right, next up, we've got what you do, so this is where we're really showcasing those products or services in a way that speaks to our target audience.

Speaker 2:

Right, it's all about talking their language using the words and phrases that they're actually typing into those search bars. That's why keyword research is so important. You got to know what your people are searching for.

Speaker 1:

And then, once you have those keywords, you weave them strategically into your website content, whether it's those dedicated product or service pages. Or maybe you're creating some killer blog posts, informative articles, whatever it may be.

Speaker 2:

The goal is to create content that ranks well, of course, but also content that provides real value, something that people actually want to read and share.

Speaker 1:

And finally we've got where you do it. This is where local SEO comes into play, helping those businesses with a physical location really connect with those local customers.

Speaker 2:

It's about bridging that online world with the offline world, making it super easy for people to find you, whether they're searching on their phone or just walking down the street. So make sure you've claimed and optimized your Google business profile, you're building those local citations and you're creating content that speaks directly to that local audience.

Speaker 1:

So Don Phelps's holy trinity of SEO, it's a really powerful framework. It gives you that roadmap to success. But, as we've talked about, seo is not a one and done kind of deal. Right, it's a journey, it's an ongoing process.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you got to keep learning. You got to keep adapting. The online world is always changing, so your SEO strategy needs to change with it.

Speaker 1:

Well, on that note, I think it's time to wrap things up, but before we go, I want to leave our listeners with one final thought to ponder. We've talked a lot about how understanding SEO can help you rank higher in those search results, but what I find even more exciting is the idea of using SEO to create an online experience that really delights your visitors. So think about it. How can you weave these SEO principles into your website in a way that not only improves your rankings, but also makes it enjoyable and easy for people to find what they're looking for and to connect with your brand on a deeper level?

Speaker 2:

I love that. At the end of the day, it's all about people, right?

Speaker 1:

Exactly so. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive into the world of SEO. I hope you learned a ton and, most importantly, I hope you're feeling inspired to take your online presence to the next level.

Speaker 2:

It's been a blast, as always.

Speaker 1:

And to all of you listening out there keep exploring, keep learning and keep optimizing. Until next time, happy.