Local Listing Fundamentals
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The document presents a guide on optimizing local business visibility online, emphasizing the importance of maintaining consistency in business information (NAP: Name, Address, Phone) across all platforms. It discusses utilizing schema markup for better search engine recognition, claiming Google listings, encouraging customer reviews, and leveraging tools like Google Offers. The final recommendations include completing a business fact sheet, marking up websites effectively, and measuring traffic using Google Analytics.
Local Listing Fundamentals
- 1. Getting Your Local Business Found Online February 8, 2013 Presented by: Scott Hendison Search Commander, Inc.
- 2. About Me • I started marketing online in 1999, as the owner of a computer repair & software store • I began full time SEO consulting in 2004 with Search Commander, Inc. and founded SEO Automatic, a set of end user & “white label“ Internet Marketing tools & WordPress plugins. • In 2006, I co-founded SEMpdx, an educational non-profit group (SearchFest Feb 22nd)
- 3. What we‘ll cover • Consistency & Your Business • More important than Google • Listing at Google • Offers & Reviews • Measuring Traffic
- 5. Business Fact Sheet • Before you go to the internet, put together a consistent message • Establish all of your facts and create style and submission guidelines like the big brands do • From logos to marketing messages, customers (and the search industry) value consistency.
- 6. Business Fact Sheet • Getting everything into a single document means there will never be incomplete data. • Include online images, descriptions, history, and key personel bios, profile links, etc. • Everything you might need for your listings should be in one place.
- 7. Business Fact Sheet • It all starts with your NAP – your Name, Address and Phone • It should be identical everywhere at every data source on the web. • You‘ll be amazed at the inconsistencies you can find from site to site
- 8. NAP - Name • How are you registered? What do the bills say? Using a legal business name is important, and may be worth a $50 dba. • Subtle differences matter – i.e. Tabby‘s Travel vs. Tabbys Travel, etc. • NEVER EVER stuff a key phrase into your name, despite what you see from others.
- 10. NAP - Address • USPS uses all caps • USPS has no consistency on address abreviation • USPS only uses punctuation for biz names • USPS always uses Zip+4
- 11. NAP - Phone • Which is better 503- or (503) ? • Most directories use (503) • WWGD? Google uses (503) • So why would you differ?
- 12. NAP - Name, Address and Phone • Change your website to match USPS • NAP should be visible from every single page of your site, in the header or the sidebar • It should be text, not just an image of text. • There‘s also a format of adding info that can give you an edge over your competitors...
- 13. GEEK ALERT - Schema
- 14. What‘s Schema? • Having a text NAP alone is not enough, and it should be properly formatted on your website. • Plain text or older standardized web formats like vCard, or hCard are acceptable but... • The search and data industries have come together in a scheme to standardize things, and make the sharing of information simpler.
- 15. What‘s Schema? • Schema.org provides a collection of html tags so webmasters can markup their pages in ways recognized by major search providers. • ‘Search providers‘ means not only G, Y and B, but everything from Global Positioning Systems like TomTom to services like Apple Maps • Schema-Creator.org helps your web designer easily add the correct to your site
- 16. What‘s Schema?
- 17. What‘s Schema?
- 18. END GEEK ALERT
- 19. Business Fact Sheet • Complete a Business Fact Sheet in it‘s entirety, skipping nothing. • Take the time to do it right, so that you can delegate future submissions to others. • It‘s the foundation for everything you do.
- 20. Business Fact Sheet My example sheet – http://bit.ly/bizsheet
- 22. Business Fact Sheet After your worksheet is complete...
- 23. After your fact sheet is complete...
- 24. GetListed.org
- 25. Where Should You Start?
- 26. Not where you might think!
- 27. Infogroup # 1
- 29. Infogroup # 1
- 30. Localeze # 2
- 32. Localeze # 2
- 33. Acxiom # 3
- 35. Acxiom # 3
- 36. Pre-Google Action Items • Check USPS for correct address format • Match Your Website NAP • Use Schema markup • Complete your http://bit.ly/bizsheet • #1 go to Infogroup (ExpressUpdateUSA) • #2 go to Localeze • #3 go to Axciom • THEN verify / claim / edit Google
- 37. Google
- 38. Google
- 39. Google • Changed what they call Places at least 3 times • Google+ was completely reinvented • Many businesses have listings at both • In some cases you can connect the two • Visit both of these URLs while logged in... http://www.google.com/places/ http://www.google.com/+/business/
- 40. Google Places
- 41. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ You‘ll see EITHER, “add a business“ like this...
- 42. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ Or you‘ll see a dashboard like this...
- 43. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ • If you see the option to add a business, type in your phone number and proceed
- 44. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ If you see a dashboard, hit EDIT...
- 45. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ Once you are in the business editing area... • NAP • Description • Fill out everything you can from your biz sheet • Use all ten photo uploads and add (YOUR) videos • Fill out or add all category opportunities • Be careful with Service Areas & Locations Served
- 47. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ • Add all 10 photos • 1st one added is main • NEVER stock immages • Use your phone camera • Got Videos? Add links to your YouTube videos too
- 49. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ Two areas to be REALLY careful with... 1. The categories you choose 2. Service area and location setting
- 50. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ Categories: • NEVER use a geographic location in the categories, despite what you see from others • Always use as many categories as you can by hitting “Add Another Category“, BUT... • Improper use or “category spamming“ can get your listing suspended from Google.
- 51. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ Service Area and Location Settings:
- 52. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ • If you ONLY serve customers at their location, you MUST check “Do not show my address...“
- 53. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ • If you have a PO Box or other type of maildrop, you MUST check “Do not show my address...“
- 54. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ • If you live on a residential street w/ no biz sign, you MUST check “Do not show my address...“
- 55. Google Places Page Here is how I screwed my friend Randy...
- 56. Google Places Page • His page was bare so I filled out his profile • I added legitimate categories & info • I deleted all old, and added 10 new images (First image added becomes the logo) • He had over 500 monthly impressions, so I did *not* check the box to hide his address. • We received the verification code by mail, punched it in, and two days later...
- 57. Google Places
- 58. Google Places Page • Every time you edit, moderators will review • No business is safe from scrutiny • Biz name, categories, street view, etc. are all looked at again, no matter how long the listing has been live and receiving traffic. • Any prior “bad acts“ are held against you • This is the most common cause of listing suspension – someone makes changes, and the listing gets disabled for older TOS violations.
- 59. Google Places http://bit.ly/googlelocalhelp If you have a problem, get help by phone!
- 60. Google Places http://bit.ly/googlelocalhelp After checking the magic combination of boxes
- 61. Google Places http://bit.ly/googlelocalhelp Add your info, and your phone will ring...
- 62. Google Places http://bit.ly/googlelocalhelp • You cannot get to the ‘call‘ link any other way • It does not have to be the business line, or even the business owner initiating the call • I‘ve talked to Google reps four times, and each time I‘ve found them to be VERY helpful • The rep for Randys suspension suggested a yard sign until the next Google Street View update! • Listings have returned within 48 hours
- 63. Google Places http://www.google.com/places/ • After making changes, you will often have to verify ownership again. • Sometimes by phone, sometimes by postcard • Phone verification requires auto-answering to be turned off • Even after verification, changes you‘ve made can take literally weeks to appear
- 64. Google Offers
- 66. Google Offers Less than 10% of businesses use Google offers* • Opportunity to stand out • Costs you nothing (for now) • Reach new customers • Chance to be daring and creative, but put any disclaimer right in the offer * Source: I made it up out of thin air, but I‘d bet it‘s even lower than that...
- 68. Google Offers
- 69. Google Offers
- 70. Google Offers
- 71. Google Offers
- 72. Google Offers
- 73. Google Offers
- 74. Google Offers
- 75. Google Offers
- 76. Google Offers • Must not be for specific services* • Must be printable • Must be “real world“ – no online offers • You get to reach new customers • It‘s your chance to be daring and creative, and put a disclaimer right on the coupon • Does Google favor businesses using offers? * Academic aids, adult services, alcohol, gambling, drugs, fireworks, hacking, health care, medicine, intelectual property, regulated goods, tobacco, radar detectors, weapons, or anything else that Google might add in the future.
- 77. Google+ Local
- 78. Google+ Local http://www.google.com/+/business/ • Who Has a Google+ Local Page? • Who has seen or edited both? • Who has merged them together? • Who wonders what they‘ll call it next?
- 85. Connecting + Place Pages
- 86. Connecting + and Place pages • Connecting / associating the two pages together is possible, but not a full merge yet • Although some have done it successfully, others have seen problems, including lost reviews, and temporarily disapearing listings • Most SEOs say to wait, Google will sort it out
- 87. Reviews
- 88. Google Reviews • Reviews are critical, although review volume does not seem to be a ranking factor • Never leave fake reviews, or hire services that get you illegitimate reviews • Employees and owners of businesses may not leave reviewsm according to Googles TOS
- 89. Google Reviews • Always take time to respond to a customer complaint or a negative review, whether on Google, Yelp or elsewhere. • It‘s helpful to encourage, nag, induce or even incentivize people into leaving reviews through postcards, emails, contests etc. • Kiosks in your business for leaving reviews are no longer a good idea (same IP address)
- 90. Google Reviews
- 92. Measuring Traffic • Is what you‘re doing worth the effort? • How do you justify the time or money spent? • Where can you get quick snapshots of performance metrics?
- 93. Measuring Traffic • Google Places Dashboard • Google Analytics
- 94. Google Places Dashboard http://www.google.com/places/
- 95. Google Places Dashboard http://www.google.com/places/
- 96. Google Places Dashboard http://www.google.com/places/
- 97. Google Analytics Google Analytics can easily show you... • Nothing about traffic from your profiles • There is no easy way to see it at a glance • You CAN... • Use a custom page in your profile • Set up advanced segmenting
- 98. Google Analytics • You can create a distinct URL, such as www.yoursite.com/localcontact and list that as the URL people click from profile pages • Or you can apend the URLs with a “tag“ so they are easily tracked in Analytics by creating one at http://bit.ly/urlbuilder • Or you can create an “advanced segment“...
- 99. Google Analytics Which might make your head explode... Step by step Advanced Segmenting http://bit.ly/trackinggooglelocal
- 100. Summing Up • Create your business profile sheet • Mark up your website with schema data • Claim the major three data providers • Complete Google thoroughly • Try Google Offers while it‘s free • Gather, encourage and respond to reviews • Don‘t sweat the stats – Analytics will come
- 101. Thank You This presentation may be downloaded now- http://bit.ly/2-8-2013 Contact me... Scott Hendison scott@searchcommander.com