In this article, we explain the ‘UULE’ parameter and how it fits within your local SEO efforts.
Since the Google Venice algorithm update from years ago, local search intent has been permanently integrated into Google search results.
What appears on your organic search results is influenced either by the physical location you set on your device or based on your IP address.
This is essential for customers looking for location-specific results or businesses aiming to attract customers in specific regions.
However, since search queries today are impacted by user location, it is difficult to ascertain accurate ranking positions. This is especially true for local business owners tracking keyword rankings across multiple service areas or physical store locations.
This is where the Google UULE parameter comes into play.
By leveraging UULE parameters, businesses can more accurately monitor and optimize their rankings across different regions, giving them a competitive edge in local SEO results.
What is the Google UULE Parameter?
UULE parameter is a location-based identifier used by Google to tailor search results based on the user’s geographic position.
These parameters are base64 encoded forms of locations, formed from “Canonical Names” provided by Google.
They play a crucial role in local SEO, as appending the specific UULE parameter to search result URL strings can replicate organic listings in the designated location.
For SEO professionals and business owners, understanding the UULE parameter helps optimize keyword rankings, track performance across various locations, and deliver location-specific content.
Below, we’ll explore the step-by-step guide on creating and using UULE parameter string to isolate local organic search results.
Differences Between Global and Local Search Results
As mentioned previously, search results for both national and local searches show widely different results at times.
Specific search queries, especially those based on proximity-based services or products (hotels, restaurants, hairdressers, etc.), almost always serve search results to users that are altered by locality.
Furthermore, phrase queries are more prominent than ever for users conducting a search.
Queries like “Italian restaurants near me” or “hardware stores in Akron” are highly influenced by local intent. These types of search queries are rising as voice search continues to gain popularity (particularly with mobile phone voice assistants like Siri).
What are the Local Search Signals that Google Uses
No one knows the exact signals Google uses to determine the most appropriate search results for a specific query, at a particular location.
However, based on case studies conducted for local search engine optimization, we know the following factors play significant roles for local keyword rankings:
A. Google Business Profile Listing
Google Business Profile is a free platform provided by Google that allows entrepreneurs to register their local business, manage their online reputation, and provide essential information to local customers.
Listings are displayed prominently in search results for users directly querying a business name or address, offering a range of functions including:
- Google Maps location: Where the physical business is pinned on Google Maps.
- Products: The core products and services offered by the business, which are perfect for boosting click-through rate. Specific industries also have additional options here.
- Questions & Answers: See frequently asked questions by customers and responses by the business. Suitable for covering common customer queries about products or services.
- Popular Times: The average times of day when business is most hectic. This helps potential customers plan their trip by giving them a better idea of the store’s operational hours.
- Google Posts: These are special posts businesses can pin onto their Google Business Profile listing and display to users. These can refer to events a business is running or help promote a special offer.
B. Business Reviews
While Google Reviews (within Google Business Profile listing) probably holds the most weight for local Google search results, business reviews across the web have been shown to be a local ranking signal.
They help verify business authority, specifically if reviews are positive. Business owners should try to acquire legitimate reviews across various platforms, such as Google Reviews, Yelp, etc.
Importantly, reviews are not to be manipulated or ‘faked’. Unnatural reviews may impact local ranking signals, harming local SEO efforts.
C. Backlink Signals
Search engines like Google review website backlink profiles when determining local search intent.
Backlink relevancy to a location is still important as a local ranking factor.
For example, websites with links from sources in particular locations show search engines a stronger signal for that given region.
Business owners can use this to their advantage when prospecting for new link opportunities.
By additionally verifying geo-relevance of backlinks, opportunities for boosting local search rankings in main business locations are found.
D. Photos and Video
Good selection of images and video can be a crucial local search signal.
Google uses photos and videos more often in local search results, so business owners would be wise to have a good selection highlighting their products and services.
Depending on the business, video also plays a major role regarding local search intent.
E. Business Citations & Consistent NAP
Business citations also form local search signals, especially regarding the business name, address, and phone number (NAP).
Ensuring you have an accurate and consistent NAP can significantly assist local SEO keyword rankings.
This is because leveraging NAP citation opportunities is a direct local business signal.
This includes local business directories featuring a particular region and sources relevant to your niche or industry.
Citations also benefit from business brand mentions. Your business search authority will grow as search engines find more mentions of your brand across blogs, social media, news sites, and other resources.
This authority is believed to be both a local search signal and used as a measure to improve your local search ranking results.
If your business name, address, or phone number (as well as any other crucial information, such as your website address) changes, make certain to update these details in all sources containing your NAP/citation data.
Some top NAP/citation sources to list your US business include:
- Google My Business
- Bing Places
- Apple Maps
- Yelp
- Yellow Pages
- Superpages
- Local.com
Some service providers also specialize in publishing and organizing business citations and NAP.
Using a service provider can free up valuable time, as they ensure the accuracy of your business information across the web.
These services are specifically helpful if you are moving physical business or website addresses and need to have all current citations updated.
Step-by-step Guide on How to Identify UULE Parameters for Your Specific Location
The following steps show how to uncover a parameter for your chosen location.
Step #1: Download Google’s Geo Target CSV file.
Step #2: Search for your location and obtain the ‘Canonical Name’ string.
For example, the string for West New York looks like this:
“West New York,New Jersey,United States”
Step #3: Determine the length of the ‘Canonical Name’ string. This can be done easily by using an online tool. Simply copy the string and paste it into the field.
Using the previous example, we can see West New York,New Jersey,United States has a string length of 38.
Step #4: Use the following graph to determine an additional required character key, based on the ‘Canonical Name’ string length:
Continuing with the current example, the required character key for the string length of 38 is ‘m’.
Step #5: Use Base64encode to convert your selected ‘Canonical Name’.
The Base64 format for West New York,New Jersey,United States encodes as:
V2VzdCBOZXcgWW9yayxOZXcgSmVyc2V5LFVuaXRlZCBTdGF0ZXM=
Step #6: Confirm your country ISO code that is represented by two characters by searching countrycode.org. Our West New York example is in the United States, so our ISO code is ‘US’.
Step #7: Combine the following to finalize your completed location ‘uule’ parameter string:
&uule=w+CAIQICI + <string key> + ‘Canonical Name’ Base64 format + &cr=country<country ISO code>
Using our ongoing West New York example:
| UULE Parameter: | &uule=w+CAIQICI |
| String Key: | m |
| Base64 Canonical Name: | V2VzdCBOZXcgWW9yayxOZXcgSmVyc2V5LFVuaXRlZCBTdGF0ZXM= |
| Country Parameter: | &cr=countryUS |
Combined, the final output is as follows:
&uule=w+CAIQICImV2VzdCBOZXcgWW9yayxOZXcgSmVyc2V5LFVuaXRlZCBTdGF0ZXM&cr=countryUS
Save it somewhere safe so you can always refer to it later!
(Important Note: When obtaining the string length and Base64 encode format for your ‘Canonical Name’, be extra careful about accidental spaces in your copy and pasted field text.)
How to Use Your Generated UULE Using Parameters in Google Search
With the above process complete, apply it to modify organic search results with the following steps.
Step #1: Open your chosen web browser in private mode and proceed to Google Search.
Conduct a search for the required keyword. In this example, we will use “buy bicycle” as the search query.
Step #2: Inspect the address bar and find where your given keyword is mentioned for the FIRST time within the search parameters.
Step #3: Delete the current search parameter URL after the keyword mention, before copying and pasting your completed UULE parameter in its place.
Step #4: Press enter to refresh the page and you will now be presented with localized search ranking results!
Scroll to the bottom of the page to confirm the results in your desired location:
If your business relies on local rankings for a few key terms this solution is a fairly accurate, practical way of getting a better idea of where you stand in local SEO.
Don’t forget to also use these parameters to gather competitor information on who is ranking where for certain keywords.
Likewise, use ‘uule’ parameters to uncover new opportunities to push into regions with weak search competition.
If you find a geo-location where search results don’t offer any value, you may want to consider creating content that targets the location specifically.
Alternative Ways to Track Local Search Results
While it is possible to manually check keyword rankings by physically searching for a chosen zip code, it is neither practical nor scalable.
Other methods often used in getting a better understanding of local keyword rankings include using:
Keyword ranking trackers – Web-based tools that crawl location-based keyword rankings and provide data, usually with daily updates at a set, specific time.
There are many on the market with varying degrees of features and pricing. Some are stand-alone applications, while others are a part of a greater SEO suite toolset that business owners do not necessarily require.
Virtual Private Networks (VPN) – Creates connections to other networks over the internet to specific regions. This emulates location-based search results, as users connected to the VPN are counted if they are searching in that region.
Both allow users to see location-based ranking results, methods often requiring an ongoing subscription-based fee, especially for keyword ranking trackers. Their fees often rise with the number of locations you track (and for some businesses, that can be many!)
Virtual Private Networks have their own limitations. Network connections are usually only available at the city or country level.
Search engines use zip codes to facilitate local search results, so a VPN may not provide the most accurate results.
Finally, using a VPN can be time-consuming, as you need to reconnect to a network when changing regions.
If you need to check keyword rankings in multiple locations, these two methods can be more frustrating than using UULE parameters.
Conclusion
Local search is extremely important if you serve local products or services. Understanding the relationship between local search signals and local keyword rankings is just as important.
As Google uses a range of local search signals to better satisfy user search intent, measuring your local keyword rankings and their movement better helps you understand your optimization initiatives.
While rank tracker software provides automatic updates, the ongoing pricing requirements may not be feasible for smaller, local businesses.
By noting down UULE parameters for your key business locations relevant to your market, you can spot-check at any time how well you are ranking locally for your keywords.
Author’s bio.
Matt Bassos is the Head of SEO for Vuly Trampolines Australia. Matt has been working in organic search for over half a decade, helping business of all sizes increase their search visibility within their respective industries.