Search Marketing
New Developments in Google’s Local Business Search Results
By Ken Arp
Google Has Done It Again! They’ve Changed the Local Game with “Place Search”
Just when we were getting comfortable with local search, Google flipped everything on its head with the launch of their Place Search feature. This new kind of local search organizes information around specific locations making it easier for users to compare places and decide where to go.
If you’ve conducted a local search within the last week or so (November 2010), you will have noticed a number of changes to the results page, including the following:
• Elimination of the 7-Pack Google Map listing
• Ranking algorithm for local listings has been updated
• Google Places pages have greater visibility
• Local results with more information (ie: 3rd party review sites)
• Information is grouped to make it easier to digest and compare
• New link for “Places” in the left-hand panel of the search results page so you can switch to these results whenever you want
• Google map now on the right side above the paid search listings, which scrolls as you scroll down the page
Google is building in web intelligence! A Google Place Search result will begin appearing automatically on Google when they predict you’re looking for local information. Their goal is make it faster and easier for searchers to find the local information they are looking for that will ultimately help them decide where they want to go.
What Do These Changes Mean To Your Business? It means that a web presence is a must and credibility matters. Google’s launch of their “Place Search” feature is another step toward becoming an online version of the Yellow Pages. This means an optimized web presence is a “must” for businesses if they want to attract local customers online. Experts are saying that unless businesses have engaged in long-term search optimization best practices across all fronts, including organic, local and social, they will likely be impacted by this change. For example, the fixed-position map now located on the right-hand side of the page moves pay-per-click ad positions down the page. In addition, it hides their ads and continues to draw attention from users as they scroll their way down the page. Essentially, local search results are now much more prominent on the page, pushing general content down.
Online reviews and ratings also have more prominence on the page (appearing alongside the listing). This makes online brand credibility and brand reputation management critical for businesses that appear in a local search result. Early testing indicates that listings from third party directories are also being pushed further down in Google’s results pages, by listings of companies who have combined a solid web page, with their Places listing and customer reviews.
These new adjustments are a real game changer as far as local search is concerned. So what can you do to stay competitive?
Its now more important than ever for businesses to claim their Google Place, complete their company profile and ensure they have a well-optimized site with relevant, localized content to ensure strong visibility. Here are 10 things you can do to optimize your Google Place listing.
Step 1. Make sure you select relevant Place categories
Step 2. Use long and short tail keywords and avoid duplication
Step 3. Create customized fields and complete business descriptions using relevant keywords
Step 4. Integrate photos and videos into your listing
Step 5. Fill out every applicable field possible, including hours of operation, payment methods and your service area
Step 6. Use Google Places Posts to keep information current
Step 7. Encourage online customer reviews
Step 8. Respond to reviews through Google Places
Step 9. Make sure your Google Places flag is in the correct spot on the map
Step 10. Add coupons and experiment with Google Tags
SEO Is Still Priority #1
By Ken Arp
For most businesses SEO (search engine optimization) is still the #1 priority when it comes to an internet marketing plan and research on user behavior supports that fact. A recent study has confirmed that searching online is the most popular activity online which may surprise some dedicated social media users.
The data gathered by Hitwise revealed that in Canada internet users visiting search engines made up almost 15% of all online visits followed closely by social networking and forum sites at nearly 14%. Previous data has shown us that 94% of Canadians use search engines, but this data is significant in that it drives home how much time people put into searching. When you consider how many people are getting addicted to social networks, checking their Facebook repeatedly to see if anything has changed, it’s a pretty significant statistic.
Another interesting trend is entertainment sites which includes YouTube ranking 3rd, ahead of email services. Clearly today’s under 30′s and especially under 20′s are not as dedicated to email which is not as fast paced as their social media connections.
Where are Canadians searching? Well it’s no surprise that Google is #1 and the their market share is very impressive. With 82% of Canadian searches being done on Google and their affiliate sites they are dominating their closest rivals Yahoo and Bing that each have just 4% on their sites including affiliates.
What does it all mean? There are definitely opportunities for some types of businesses to market themselves online through social media or video optimization. But optimizing for search traffic continues to be a critical part of most businesses that want to thrive in today’s economy and should be their first priority. If you aren’t being found in the search engines for the type of search terms that your potential customers are searching for then your competition is and they are getting the business.
Quality Website Traffic
By Ken Arp
Getting quality website traffic is one of the key elements to a successful internet marketing campaign. Not all traffic is created equal and it makes more sense to invest in attracting quality website traffic than to attract visitors with a lower likelihood of ever converting into a customer.
When considering how to attract quality website traffic it’s important to consider the sales cycle that your potential customer goes through. For a general look at sales cycles I’d like to reference a 2009 study that found that just 31% of sales are completed in the first 60 days. The report also showed that more than 20% of sales cycles stretch on for a year or more. Dealing with long sales cycles is a challenge facing sales people in many industries and it’s by no means new. What is new is how the growth and development of the internet fits in with this phenomenon.
For companies that are aggressively and successfully marketing on the internet the priority is typically to try to capture quality search traffic that is in the “buying mode”. By this I mean the people that are right near the end of the sales cycle that are ready to make a purchase. Clearly if they are at that stage they are more likely to make a purchasing decision. This should lead to a higher conversion rate and a better return on investment for the companies’ marketing investment. So how do you target this type of quality search traffic? If we are talking about search marketing it means getting an understanding of what people in a buying mode are going to type into the search bar. For example, on an average day in Canada there are 62 searches for “kitchen design ideas” and 79 searches for “kitchen designers”. The first search term would be more likely to be someone in the early stages of their cycle, while someone that types in “kitchen designers” is a more likely prospect that is ready to make a decision – definitely considered quality search traffic.
An important element in maximizing your return on investment is being aware of who your visitor is and making sure that the content speaks to them. If someone is searching for “kitchen design ideas” and their search brings them to your site you need to provide the type of ideas that they are looking for. If not then they are likely to bounce off your website to another until they do find some ideas. People in the earlier stages of a sales cycle are more likely to be looking for information, comparisons, ideas and pricing. If they find a site that provides all of this it is more likely that they’ll consider it a good reference site and bookmark it for when they are closing in on a purchase. This is where sites that have more content can be more effective. On the other hand, if someone is ready to hire someone and searches for “kitchen designers” you may not need to be as much of a resource site as long as your website inspires their confidence that you are the right company for the job.
What strategy you choose depends on many factors; what industry you are in, what your goals are, how involved do you want to be, where you are located and who you compete against to name a few. The important thing is to plan a strategy and then execute it and the quality search traffic should follow.
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