Turning the “Page On” for Directories! February 2016

There was a time… When traditional media publishers were “fat and happy” Double digit top line advertising revenue growth Y/Y with healthy margins Robust product usage Strong ROI for advertisers

But eventually time and innovation changed everything Growth of Internet created new “web-mobile-social” marketing mediums Consumer shopping patterns were greatly impacted by digital innovation New ad opportunities arose, but it just hasn’t been enough for many publishers,

broadcasters and news media organizations to stay afloat

Publishers Learned to Befriend Search Engines The 800 lb. gorillas in local search

Over 11 billion Google desktop searches monthly Google has 90% of all mobile search which is now greater than desktop

Google Search is 4th most popular mobile app > 3 billion downloads

Google Maps > 1 billion downloads

But Not Everybody Played Nicely

Many Companies Gamed the System

Search Engines Clamped Down to Improve UX

Panda, Penguin, Pigeon and Hummingbird Search Algorithm Updates

No More Cloaking and Redirection, Invisible Text, Paid Linking, Keyword Stuffing, Duplicate Anchor Text, Link Building Schemes, Paid Links, Link Exchanges, Link Farms, Poor or Duplicate Content, Guest Blogs to gain an upper hand.

Internet Yellow Pages* Took a Big Hit

Few Sites Have Ever RecoveredProduct Usage Decreased

IYP’s lost page rank in local search resultso Search algorithm updates impacted directory performanceo Bad URL structures impacted visibility

Internet Directory Sales Plummeted IYP’s perceived value was lower (less visibility and site traffic) Sales reps confidence eroded

Operating Margins Shrunk IYP costs no longer aligned with revenue Better solutions needed

Publishers Shifted Towards Services Publishers have become Digital Agencies

* For better product positioning, we now refer to IYPs as Internet Business Directories

What’s Old is New! A Cause for Optimism

Directory Citations are now widely considered to be one of the most importantpage ranking factors in local search!

https://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors

4 Steps for Managing Local SEO citation audit processhttp://tinyurl.com/o6kdeaz

1. Gather all current and previous business information, especially old phone numbers and addresses.

2. Make a list of all priority directories to review.3. Create, or locate existing directory listings.4. Fix any outdated business information and be sure to remove

duplicate listings.

To Close the Visibility Gap, Internet Business Directories

Must Follow the Rules Internet Directories have to meet webmaster guidelines for speed, mobility, security; proper URL structure, page titles, tags, meta and schema to perform at the highest level!

And please no more skimpy

content!

Benchmarking Industry Leaders www.manta.com

Manta publishes information about businesses in an online directory that is collected from the businesses or from third-party publishers. Manta offers Premium Business Listings as a paid service. A credit card is required to set-up the Premium Business Listing for the Monthly or annual period.

SMB

SMB

Following Webmaster Guidelines and Industry Best Practices Can Earn Better ResultsBRAND SEARCH COMPANY SEARCH PRODUCT SEARCH

Page One Page One Page One

Shrewd Internet Directory Platform Debuts Search Rochester, NY and 18+ markets in the southeast to see it in action now!

Rolling out to all other parts of the U.S.--over 380 more MSA’s--in 1Q 2016

STATES MARKETS

Arkansas Bismarck, AR Georgia Leslie, GA

Hartwell, GAMetter, GANewington, GA

Mississippi Meadville, MS North Carolina Brevard, NC Oklahoma Guymon, OK South Carolina Abbeville, SC

Gilbert, SC

STATES MARKETS South Carolina Harleyville, SC

Jefferson, SCLancaster, SCLaurens, SCMonks Corner, SC

Rock Hill, SCWalterboro, SC

Tennessee Chapel Hill, TN Virginia Gate City, VA

MakeitLocal.com • Flagship domain of the MakeItLocal Advertising Network

10 year+ domain with high page rank authority

• Hyper local Internet Publishing PlatformGenerating local leads for participating agencies/business owners Industry Solutions for Ad Networks, Lead Generation & E-Commerce

• White Label Directory (Totally Branded for our Partners)• Proprietary Content Management System is “super” fast, mobile and

securePatented Search Application dynamically generates content for business

profiles to create a better user experience, UX

Local Business DirectoriesMSA Home Page

Business owners are allocating a greater share of their ad budgets to digital marketing to reach their target markets.We help publishers capitalize on this opportunity

Digital Display Banners: Leader boards

Featured Local Advertisers

Market Home Pages

Featured Business ListingsSearch Results Pages

Search Category Sponsorships

Premium Advertiser Packages• Platinum• Gold• Silver• Bronze• Priority Listings

Company ProfilesHyper Local Landing Pages

Custom Meta Data – Deep Website Links Tagline, Logo, Phone Address, Map, Directions Contact Us Button Links to Website, Social Media About Us – Categories – Services Provided Images – Videos Coupons – Menus Reviews Share It Feature

Business Profile Page

Business Development Opportunities

Shrewd Marketing llc (NY) redeveloped MakeItLocal.com as the foundation for a national advertising network for directory publishers, digital agencies and media sales organizations

Internet Platform includes a Full Suite of Digital Media Marketing Products & Services Directory advertising, social media management, website development (e-commerce), display retargeting,

PPC

White label Advertiser business center lets business owners manage web visibility, brand analytics, reputation intelligence and more

Business accounts can add/edit listings, upgrade company profiles and sign up for digital marketing services Lead Generation, E-Commerce, Marketing Automation for MakeItLocal Network partners leads to new $$$

For More Information, Contact Me

Direct: (202) 681-2635scott@shrewdmktg.com