LocalSearch for Biz Owners - OCCA - June 2014

Oregon ComputerConsultants Association

Local BusinessOnline VisibilityOnline Visibility

June 24, 2014:

Scott Hendison

About Me

• I started marketing online in 1999, as the owner of a computer repair & software store

• I began internet marketing full time in 2004 after forming Search Commander, Inc.

• Since then, I‘ve been muddling along with • Since then, I‘ve been muddling along with everything from SEO consulting & affiliate marketing, to membership sites & WordPress plugins.

• SEOdinosaur.com

What we‘ll cover

• Search Results & Evolution

• What‘s Important for LOCAL (before Google)

• Structured Data

• Google

– G+ Personal – G+ Personal

– G+ for Business

– Google Places for Business

– Google Offers

• Then What

• Reviews

Search Results & Evolution

Search Results

• ALL results are personalized, & vary by:

– Geographic location

– Users web browser history

– User signed in - or not!

– What type of device is in use

• The presentation of the results also vary by:

– Industry

– Device

– Geographic location

– Inexplicable whims and fluctuations

Layout

Search Results

• There are no “normal“ search results

• Two people will almost never see the exact same set of 10 search results for a phrase.

• Google changes and tests results on the fly, based on their best guess at user intent.based on their best guess at user intent.

• Often we see different layouts in the same day or even on two pc‘s at the same time.

• It will be changing again tomorrow, BTW.

Before Google – Get Consistent

Your Business Infomation

• Comes from multiple sources

• Not just from your website– Other websites

– Web directories

– Review sites– Review sites

– Membership sites

– Business organizations

– State & Federal registries

• That‘s why the single most important thing you can deliver is consistent information

Business Fact Sheet

• Before you go to the internet, put together a consistent message

• Establish all of your facts, info, and style and submission guidelines like the big brands do

• From logos to marketing messages, to printed advertizements, the search engines (and your customers) value consistency.

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. and key personel bios, profile links, etc.

• Everything you might need for your listings should be in one place.

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.data source on the web.

• You‘ll be amazed at the inconsistencies you can find from site to site

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 actually matter – i.e. • Subtle differences actually matter – i.e. Greta‘s Grocer vs. Gretas Grocer, etc.

• NEVER EVER stuff a key phrase into your biz name, despite what you see from others.

NAP – Address - Start at USPS

NAP - Address

• USPS has no consistency on address abreviation, so see how they have your address listed.

• USPS uses punctuation ONLY for biz names

• USPS always uses Zip+4

• Good luck correcting the USPS

NAP - Phone

• Which is better 503- or (503) ?

• Most directories use (503)

• WWGD? Google uses (503)

• So why differ?

NAP - Name, Address and Phone

• Change your website to match the USPS

• Single location biz - Use main NAP on every page, in the footer, or sidebar, etc.

• NAP must be in text – not an image of text! Can • NAP must be in text – not an image of text! Can you click, copy and paste it? Then it‘s text.

• Multi location biz - Ensure a separate page is available on your website for each location, but just use one sitewide NAP.

Business Fact Sheet

• Complete a Business Fact Sheet -http://bit.ly/bizsheet - recreate as needed.

• Include key personel and facts for your company

• Take the time to do it right, so that you can delegate future submissions to others.

• It‘s the foundation for everything you‘ll do.

Business Fact Sheet

http://bit.ly/bizsheet

Business Fact Sheet

Business Fact Sheet

After your worksheet is complete...

After your fact sheet is complete...

The order in which you work actually matters. work actually matters.

Where Should You Start?

Not where you might think!

Infogroup # 1

Infogroup # 1 http://ExpressUpdateUSA.com

What Next?

Localeze # 2

Localeze # 2

http://bit.ly/localeze

After Localeze ?

Acxiom # 3

Acxiom # 3http://MyBusinessListingManager.com

Acxiom # 3

http://MyBusinessListingManager.com

After Acxiom...

Factual # 4

Action Steps:

• Check USPS for correct address format

• Verify NAP on site

• Complete your http://bit.ly/bizsheet

• #1 go to Infogroup / ExpressUpdateUSA

• #2 go to Localeze & Claim / Complete

• #3 go to Acxiom & Claim / Complete

• #4 go to Factual & Claim / Complete

Now do we go to Google?

If this wasn‘t the OCCA I‘d say yes, but there‘s

a geeky way to gain an edge...a geeky way to gain an edge...

Structured Data – Geek Alert

Structured Data

• Data can be structured in a better format to engourage search engines showing more of it in more ways and in more places.

• The search and data industries have come together in a scheme to standardize things, together in a scheme to standardize things, and make the sharing of information simpler.

• This has resulted in what are called “rich snippets“ – Google and others scrape content from your website and display on their sites.

Structured Data

Structured Data

• There are other structured data types, but for local businesses, I recommend that you simply follow the basic guidelines set at Schema.org

• Schema.org provides a collection of html tags • Schema.org provides a collection of html tags so webmasters can markup their pages in ways recognized by major search providers.

Schema.org (official)

Schema.org

Schema.org

• ‘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 • Schema-Creator.org helps your web designer easily add the correct to your site

Schema-Creator.org (basic)

Schema-Creator.org

One Google Account

Okay?

Use One Google Account

For Your Related Business

Keep it all Tidy

• You already have one if you have...

– Gmail Address

– Google Docs / Google Drive

– Youtube account

– Google Analytics – Google Analytics

– Webmaster Tools

– Any other Google services

• Having multiple accounts is fine, but keep the services together for each business

Google

As of June 11, 2014...As of June 11, 2014...

Brand New June 11, 2014

Before June 11, 2014:

After June 11, 2014:

After June 11, 2014:

These are all dead…

Google My Business

Google.com/business

After July 11, 2014:

Single Location at /mybusiness

Multiple Locations at /pages

10+ Locations at /local/manage

Edit your business here

Or here – it takes you to same place

Or Edit Here –

Complete Your Profile Fully

• Link back to your website from the Google+ profile

• Link back from your website to your biz page

– <a href="http://YOURGOOGLE.COM/BIZPAGE" rel=“publisher“>+Google</a>rel=“publisher“>+Google</a>

• http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippet

After Google

• Yahoo, Bing, Foursquare, Yelp, & Superpages

• Yext.com does all these, but are they best?

After Google

Reviews

• Reviews are critical – Quantity, diversity, velocity, etc. but not necessarily the quality

• You (or AOYB) should *not* gather the reviews then create accounts and post them.

Google Reviews

• Employees and owners of businesses may not even leave reviews according to Googles TOS

• Never ever leave fake reviews, OR hire services that get you the reviews (and post)

http://www.pdxtc.com/wpblog/google/how-to-get-fake-reviews/

Google Reviews

http://consumerist.com/2010/04/14/how-you-spot-fake-online-reviews/

Fake Reviews

• Always take time to respond to a customer complaint or a negative review, whether on Google, Yelp or elsewhere. Make things right.

• Responding to positive reviews too, is a trust signal to your customers. Appreciate them.

Google Reviews

signal to your customers. Appreciate them.

• Report any of the fake reviews to the service, AND call it out right there on that page as a fake, if its suspicious.

https://support.google.com/places/answer/184271?hl=en

How To Respond to Reviews

• 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 *not* a good idea (same IP address)

Get More Reviews

are *not* a good idea (same IP address)

• FOLLOW UP - Send users to a page on your site designed to facilitate getting more reviews, linking to your profiles.

• Encourage people to leave reviews in their own account from their own devices

Get More Reviews

Get More Reviews

Get More Reviews

• QR codes are easy

• Popularity is gaining VERY slowly

• Send code to specicic URLs

• Put them on receipts, exit door stickers, counter cards, menus, stickers, counter cards, menus, vehicles, business cards, T-shirts, print ads, or even on products themselves.

• Who here has ever scanned one?

http://bit.ly/scottsqr

• Match your website with USPS text NAP

• Create your business profile sheet

• Claim the major three data providers

• Get a personal Google+ account

Summing Up

• Complete Google listings

• Claim Bing, Yahoo, Foursquare & Superpages

• Gather, encourage and respond to reviews

• GET MOBILIZED (I assume we‘re out of time)

Thank You

This presentation is available here

http://bit.ly/occa201406

Contact me (Scott Hendison) at:

@shendison on Twitter is fastest

or email...

[email protected]

What‘s This?Easter eggs? Bonus slides? Bonus slides?

Google Brands – WTF?

Then who should use Brands? http://www.google.com/+/business/

Google OffersGoogle Offers

Google Offers

• Less than 5% of businesses use G offers

• Opportunity to stand out

• Costs you nothing (for now)

• Reach new customers

Google Offers

• Reach new customers

• Reach more devices

• Chance to be daring and creative

• Put disclaimers right in the offer

http://www.google.com/places/

Google Offers

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,

Google Offers

• 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.

Oops – June 2013

Measuring Traffic

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?

Google Analytics can easily show you...

• Nothing about traffic from your profiles

• There is no easy way to see it at a glance

Google Analytics

• You CAN...

• Use a custom page in your profile

• Set up advanced segmenting

• 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

Google Analytics

they are easily tracked in Analytics by creating one at http://bit.ly/urlbuilder

• Or you can create an “advanced segment“...

Which might make your head explode...

Google Analytics

Step by step Advanced Segmenting

http://bit.ly/trackinggooglelocal

LocalSearch for Biz Owners - OCCA - June 2014

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Transcript of LocalSearch for Biz Owners - OCCA - June 2014