Optimizing Product Catalogs for Multiple Brick & Mortar Locations

[RobertFisher]

Craig,

Listen to what EGOL says, especially this line: "There will also be a few types of products/services that I like to sell/provide.  So I would identify the targets on the basis of profit volume, success rate and services that make us whistle while we work.  I would attack these with  vigor."

When we interview our potential clients we go about his point this way: What do you sell, provide, etc. and, typically we get the laundry list. We then ask this: Every business sells a lot of things and over time they learn that they can sell a thousand widgets and it takes a ton of work and they only make $20. But, they can sell 20 hungtuns and it takes just an hour each and they make $1,000 per. We need to know which of these products are the hungtuns, the ones you really, really, want to sell.

Every business has just a few of these typically. I would rock these pages just like he says.

Best, great job as always EGOL.

Robert (Now I am really rolling out!)

[KeriMorgret]

To everyone who contributed to this thread, thank you! I'm humbled to see that there have been 12 responses in 12 hours to this question, on a Saturday, and on a (US) holiday weekend.

Thank you all for your answers, your time, your encouragement towards each other and towards all of the people in our community. I'm awed by all of you tonight.

[cballinger]

Thanks Robert. I think you really hit the nail on the head here. Your statement: "To a certain degree you are asking about eCommerce as if this were eCommerce while also asking about localization which is antithetical to eCommerce as it is viewed today." both describes my dilemma and my confusion. To your concern, we're squarely in the "local interest moving online" and not the "online interest appearing local" camp, we're also not specifically in the auto parts market.

Regarding your points:

• This point, I believe, really answers my question
• We will certainly attempt to localize each location + product page as much as possible. While it wouldn't be reasonable for us to be able to put a tailored blog article (or something similar) on 1000 products x 5 locations = 5,000 product + location pages, we could wrap the product with other store location level information like coupons, events, job opportunities, etc.
• I'm not really stuck on anything, it's likely we'll try variants of the title tag format you recommended, but I have suspicions that having the brand/company at the beginning of the title may be helpful for us. These are small local shops, some of which may been around for decades, while certainly not Nike, the local shoppers we're after know and trust the name. Imagine a search for "AEM Cold Air Intake" may result in "Bob's Auto Parts | AEM Cold Air intake - My Town, NC" which may result in "Oh, I didn't know Bob's carries AEM cold air intakes, I'll just drive down there and pick it up instead of ordering it online and having it shipped".
• The queries we're after aren't specifically company related, they're product ("AEM cold air intake") or manufacturer ("AEM My Town, NC").
• We're not currently using review schema, I'll certainly take a look at that.

Thanks again your thoughts and insight on this. This isn't a strategy I've found much information on (and I've done quite a bit of looking) so your recommendations are really valuable and appreciated. I wish you a speedy recovery!

[RobertFisher]

Keri,
I would appreciate it if while I am taking certain medications you refrain from emotional statements. People in this place know me as a former Marine and I am having to explain the difference between misty eyes due to allergies and that other thing that occurs to those less uh, you know, uhh strong manly Marine types.

Best to you and anyone whomever called themselves a Mozzer.

[EGOL]

lol...

Robert,  I am sure that you will be back to kicking ass by the end of this week.

Carry on!

[KeriMorgret]

Here's some manly maritime footage that might help with the allergies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iVaVqBjiqM

[RobertFisher]

84 Thumbs UP!!!!! Override the system Rand. This is true Rock and Roll...over.

Made my week. I have to have 5 of these. Really, really, really.

Oh, I am in trouble now with a new Hobby. Robert, Marine and now, Naval Captain!

[KeriMorgret]

You might want to check out my profile links.   My husband was just down in Houston in July for a national battle, but I don't see any more battles planned down that way for the rest of the year.

[MiriamEllis]

I just want to second Keri here in saying that this thread is AWESOME! I want to thank each of you for taking the time to contribute such carefully considered ideas. Just terrific.

And Robert, best wishes for a speedy recovery! Sending good thoughts your way.

[RobertFisher]

Thanks to you both. If anyone has any Unicorn dust or batwing hair, I could use it.

Still smiling cause I just love what we do.

Best

[BlueprintMarketing]

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone.

I wish you a speedy recovery Robert Godspeed.

Keri, thank you for your kind words.

Was that the Bismarck that was sunk in the video? I  have a business that sells plastic to Blohm & Voss that they use when manufacturing new ships.  I love remote control cars the ships look awesome.

17 years ago now I just turned 36 on August 24 I served in the German military as part of compulsory service or Wehrpflicht I did this for nine months although I live in the United States most of the time now I was born in Germany and still hold my citizenship. I never was deployed In an engagement. However I have the utmost respect for people who have served their country.

Creg,

I agree with what everyone has stated. It is fantastic advice.

To everyone.

I really enjoy search engine optimization as well and truly enjoy answering questions.

All the best,

Thomas

[Malika1]

Hi Thomas,

Before I ask in the community to everybody, I thought I would ask you since you know great deal of technical stuff. You helped me with Screaming Frog couple of months away.

Sorry OP for putting my question here.

Thomas, is it possible/good to have CDNs for different cities within the country to improve speed of loading? I just used GA to find out if there is difference in loading speed in different cities in New Zealand for a website and it seems like some of the cities have massively high page loading time than the other cities.

I do understand that some cities dont have super fast connections. I would like to know can I have CDNs for different locations within a country? Or am I thinking way too much stupid?

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks

Malika