Posted by
Suzy Venn on Wed, Feb 01, 2012 @ 10:37 AM
Google continues to make radical transformations so that connecting on the web is more like connecting in the real world, creating more social media outlets for users. They are calling their new social world Google + AND say it’s just the beginning of their new way of sharing on the web. Knowing their modem operandi, we’re pretty sure Google will deliver on that statement!
For businesses...this just adds more web marketing tools to the mix, which to some means more to manage. No need to jump or feel anxious. We’re just making you aware of Google’s new social direction. As with anything you’ll want to choose the tools that help you the most and not waste valuable time trying things that don’t have real potential to generate revenue.
Did you know…that when logged into your Google account, they already show you tailored content and relevant search results/ads? So whatever “Sally” sees in her search results will be different than “John’s”. How? Google uses your profile and historical search trends to customize your web experience. You have to be logged into your Google account in order to receive these tailored results.
To elevate their platform, they need to change their privacy policy and terms of use. If you have a Gmail account, you received an e-mail from Google with the subject: “Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service”? Be sure to read it. In order to make Google + work effectively, they need to streamline the information stored in all Google products (Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, etc). The new policy will take effect on March 1, 2012.
A key component of the Google + world is setting up circles, which allow you to share different things with different people. They say sharing the right stuff with the right people shouldn't be a hassle, BUT keep in mind you have to take the time to manage these circles. Just imagine Google+ becoming Facebook’s #1 competitor! Only time will tell if users will want to manage yet another high maintenance social channel, as if Facebook - Twitter and LinkedIn aren't enough.
Posted by
Suzy Venn on Wed, Feb 01, 2012 @ 10:00 AM
Over the past 5 years the rate of users going online through a smart phone such as the iPhone or Blackberry has increased at a rapid rate. This demand makes it important for business owners to have a mobile website AND mobile marketing!
Today we have the ability to target mobile users with Display Ads, Pay Per Click or Sponsored Marketing and SEO.
Facts & Trends:
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1/2 of ALL local searches are performed on mobile devices
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1/5 of Americans access the mobile web each day spending an average of 2.7 hours per day
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Mobile web will overtake the desktop within 2 years
Top 5 Reasons To Be Mobile Friendly:
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More Brand Exposure. Having a mobile website is an additional channel for which customers can discover and familiarize them your brand. Unifying multiple channels can be a very effective and persuasive marketing strategy. Tablet demand is increasing; industry calls it the ‘tablet gold rush’
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Increase in Mobile Usage. Nearly 1/5 Americans are accessing the web daily, which means there are more opportunities for retailers. In 2012, one in two mobile subscribers will own a smartphone. Mobile optimization is a must to keep up with increasing mobile web-user demand.
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Location Based Services. Location-based services/ applications on smartphones help people connect more intimately. Additionally, location based services and features create competition, promote offers, and reward customers, ultimately driving traffic and sales.
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Low Cost. Mobile websites are relatively inexpensive and economical; the cost of a mobile site is a lot less costly than a regular website.
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Convenience. Customers want convenience. Mobile web provides key information on the go- anytime, anywhere.
Learn more about Mobile Websites & Mobile Marketing...
Call us TODAY (866) 960-9353 - Get a quote!
Local search is nothing new, but it is growing at an alarming rate. As more people discover that they can use search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo, for local searches, more businesses will take advantage of local search capabilities.
Here are some interesting statistics that business owners will find interesting. These statistics should convince you why it is important to optimize your search listing.
Search engines
There were close to two billion local search queries in January 2011. A large amount of those searches were through Google. Additionally, there were 400 million search queries through the Internet Yellow Pages in that same month.
There were 5.6 billion total local searches in 2010.
Mobile search
Mobile searches account for most of the total local searches every year. Thanks to smartphones and iPhones, mobile searches are a major contributor to these statistics. Out of the total number of smartphone users, 95 percent of them performed local searches on their device.
The number of local searches performed from mobile devices is up 34 percent from last year. Additionally, the rate at which mobile users are searching is also rising.
You may also be surprised to know that 56 percent of mobile users are performing local searches using apps. However, mobile users still use browsers as their main tool for local mobile searches. As more people turn towards their smartphone for information, the statistic for local searches performed with apps will continue to grow.
How some businesses have benefited from these statistics…
Many business owners now know that many local searches are performed by a mobile device. Therefore, they are taking advantage of mobile apps that offer coupons, such as Groupon, to market to their consumers. Apps that offer coupons based on geo-location are effective when combined with a mobile search.
Of course, many businesses still benefit from simply being on the front page of a Google search for their area. For example, if a consumer were to look for a local plumber, he would perform a search for plumbers in his area. Plumbers who optimized their local listing will most likely show up on the first page, being on both the map section and the organic listing.
Of course, as local searches trend towards mobile users, business owners who incorporate mobile app marketing will benefit the most.
Harnessing wealth from local search trends
Recently, the Local Search Association (previously known as the Yellow Pages Association until April 2011) released a report called the "State of Local Search". This study (based on data from comeScore) shows huge growth in all areas of local search. The Click Depot brings you a breakdown of this data for your benefit and ultimate success.
If you are an internet marketer that uses Google, Yahoo or Bing in your daily marketing efforts or a webmaster looking for the best optimization techniques, then you are going to love the information contained here. After reading this newsletter, you will understand the need of including local search engine optimization in your marketing budget
Search engines like Yahoo, Bing and a host of others make up 74% of local search volume with the rest going to Internet Yellow Pages and similar sites. In January 2011 there were 2.3 billion local search queries through search engines, with a large portion going to Google. The Internet Yellow Pages totaled over 400 million queries in the same month, and 5.6 billion searches in 2010.
Mobile Search
Mobile search has been growing for a long time, and last year was no exception as. A few major changes in 2010 included:
- 95% of smartphone users performing local searches on their devices.
- The number of mobile users accessing local information growing 34% from last year, as well as how often they search
- The number of users that search almost every day or more has increased by 20% while less frequent search categories have dropped
Mobile App Users...
Up to 56% of mobile users are accessing local information with apps.
Although most local searches are still through a browser, that number is down slightly from last year. This is a stat that can only be on the rise with more users turning to their growing mobile devices instead of sitting down at a computer. Mobile marketing in the form of apps is a strategy any local businessman or internet marketer must embrace. This is a trend that is here to stay because of the ever increasing popularity of mobile applications. This is a trend that has been taken up by search engines like Google with the Android mobile phone apps, Yahoo with their app search, Bing with their mobile app store etc. If major internet businesses see the potential of mobile apps, it goes without saying that you as a local business person should too.
Online Coupons...
Online coupons are a local search success with 70% satisfaction and only 1% dissatisfied. This satisfaction led to 79% of customers buying
coupons again. It is also a trend that you, as an entrepreneur looking to tap into local search growth, should implement in your business. With the rise of companies like Groupon, it goes without saying that when properly implemented, the online coupon business can make you a fortune.
Get the Most from Google Reviews
Google is willing to take risks and remain forward thinking! As a result their search engine strategy has created a lot of attention and value. Now millions of users depend on them Internet searches.
Their #1 philosophy is to “
focus on the user and all else will follow.” http://www.google.com/about/corporate/company/tenthings.html The majority of users are consumers looking for business/services/information, which means Google gears its Internet Marketing tools to helping consumers find what they want, hence keywords (a whole other topic).
Google Reviews – let’s focus on this hot topic since it has become the bane of some businesses’ existence! As mentioned in our last newsletter,
Google is shifting away from to user generated content, therefore placing more emphasis on consumer reviews posted on business map listings.Reputation Management is all about minimizing your exposure to any chance of negative reviews while capitalizing on obtaining positive reviews. The only way to truly remove a negative review from Google is to ask the person who posted it to remove it. We've learned that Google is not responsive to negating bad reviews. Since their map listings are free, they’re not obligated to providing a dedicated customer service department to resolve issues. Yes, anyone that has a Google account can add a review, so the risk of getting negative reviews exists no matter what. However, posting any sort of review takes time and effort….use that to your advantage and minimize your risk!
Tips to get the most out of Google Reviews:
- Minimize exposure. Don’t ‘spoon feed’ OR make it easy for everyone to post reviews.
- Use a smart strategy to personally invite satisfied clients to post reviews.
- Use the ‘flag as inappropriate’ link next to a review to report it as inappropriate. Google will check if the review violates their guidelines listed below.
- If you receive a review you do not agree with, we encourage you to use business owner responses to reconcile the situation with the customer diplomatically. You have a chance to turn a negative into a positive.
According to Google’s actual policy and procedures, “Google Places reviews are a forum for users to share both positive and negative opinions. We do not arbitrate disputes and more often than not, we leave the review up.” Google’s guidelines for removing reviews:
- Inappropriate content
- Advertising and spam
- Off-topic reviews
- Conflict of interest
Google’s policies & procedures pertaining to Places for businesses, click HERE:
http://www.google.com/support/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=187622
The Click Depot.com, an industry leader in Internet Marketing, announces its expansion to offer services to local businesses in the state of Florida. While the newly opened office is located in Ormond Beach, The Click Depot.com also has presence in the Melbourne area. Business owners in the Sunshine State can now reap the benefits of their experience in online promotion.
Founded in 2007 in Raleigh, North Carolina, The Click Depot.com began with a distinct mission in mind: taking the guesswork out of internet marketing, while providing easy to use and affordable solutions for small business in need of such services They've set out to help small business forge ahead as internet marketing continues to become more relevant than other forms of advertising, such as newspapers, magazines, and radio ads. A second office was opened in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2010.
The Click Depot.com's founders have an extensive history of marketing and advertising for such large companies as BellSouth and AT&T. Since the opening of the original office in Raleigh, they've worked with a diverse client base, including Peak Motorcyles, Seagate Self Storage, Full Circle Construction, and the Law Firm of Younce and Vtipil. Their online portfolio boasts many more satisfied customers, from several different business categories, including a dental offices, a spa, and a niche entertainment company. The portfolio may be viewed online at {
http://www.theclickdepot.com/webdesignportfolio.html} .
The Click Depot.com offers a wide array of useful internet marketing services. Among the offerings are pay per click (PPC) marketing, with monthly bid management, and search engine optimization (SEO) service, which is designed to increase a website's page ranking on popular search engines. Website design services are also offered, to help create the perfect site to convey a company's message to potential customers. The Click Depot.com's local internet marketing service helps target products and services to people in a set geographical area. For the business on a budget, free internet marketing tools are also offered, such as Google PageRank Lookup and Link Popularity Tracker. Business clients may also purchase a bundle of these services, at their discretion.
Internet marketing is the best way for business to get noticed. In a crowded marketplace, a company can greatly benefit from the expertise The Click Depot.com offers. Whether through the use of PPC marketing that places your company at the top of the search results page, or organic search result listings created through SEO, The Click Depot.com has the experience and proven tools to help a business shine.
The Click Depot.com can be reached toll free at (866)960-9353. The new Ormond Beach office is located at 200 E. Granada Boulevard, Suite 207. The local phone number for the Ormond Beach office is (919)858-6360.
Google has made some major changes, affecting every single map listing. Although they note their algorithm will continue to include the company description, additional details, service areas, etc. to determine rankings; Google says that information will no longer show on map listings. They are shifting away from owner generated content to user generated content, making Google Place-related features more social.
For example, Google is placing its emphasis on reviews generated from Google user accounts and less on third party reviews. The only evidence of third party reviews is a small link to other review sites at the bottom of the Reviews section.
The new layout lists your primary information like company name, address, phone number and web site. To emphasize reviews they have added a big red “Write a Review” button. Next to that you will find an “Upload a Photo” button. Underneath those two buttons you will find some of the categories for your business and the operating hours for today’s date. Then any photos you have added to your listing and the coveted Review section.
Let’s also note that with the impending release of Google + to the general public it is likely that you will see many more changes to come. The bottom line is that Google will continue to evolve and refine their product offerings (for better or for worse) and reviews are becoming the new social currency on the web.
SCAM ALERT: There have been instances reported of reputation management companies posting negative reviews on a listing then calling the owner of the listing offering their services to remove the negative review for a fee. Beware of anyone who tells you they can remove a negative review. It’s simply impossible to do that UNLESS they own the Google account that posted the negative review. If you post a review from a Google account you can edit or erase the posting. Google has no way of determining if you provided service to a particular individual and therefore will not remove a negative review.
Website structure is important to your on-line presence and success. Here are 5 tips to help you think like a search engine:
Focus & Layout
- Focus on the products/services that are most valuable to your consumers.
- On the homepage, prominently display your phone number and a call to action.
- Make your highest valued products/services the focus of your second navigation bar and continue the process until all that’s left is About/Contact Us.
Site Map
- The site map tells search engines what is contained within your site, likened to what a table of contents does for a book. Search engines like organized content for each page.
- Submit site maps to search engines so they crawl your site to index the information, which is directly related to your keywords for each page.
Flash and Java Script - Less is More
- Flash can do some really cool things, but search engines do not index anything inside a flash file nor can they read text on images. Use enough to stand out but don’t overdo it. Use flash/java script carefully.
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
- The W3C sets standards for web design, including site structure. A website designed to W3C standards is search engine friendly, thus key to building proper on-line presence.
Conversions
- Make sure your website converts traffic into sales. Make the process easy for your customers to find what they want with the fewest clicks, also a good reason for calls to action on the homepage. Again, less is more.
The way business works changes rapidly everyday through new advances in technology. The Internet has made business transactions easier for both producer and consumer in today’s economy. Increasing the site traffic for your website as well as informing potential customers about what your business has to offer is very important. Listing your business on map websites is very important for attracting customers who are quickly searching for a product or service by location. By listing your business on a map site customers will not only be instantly informed of it when searching but also be aware of its location. Listing your business on map website will help you spread knowledge of your business an thus boost commerce for your company.
Specialized searches in search engines are becoming a growing way for businesses to inform the customers of their services and allow priority viewing when a subject is typed into a search engine. Listing your business by location on a map website allows for local customers or even confused tourists to be aware of what business are in their area. It is a great and simple solution to Internet marketing. Internet usage is becoming more and more normal and an everyday thing for citizens and consumers. Most Americans use the Internet to find businesses and services in their area. In fact, businesses of all sizes and types can benefit from local Internet marketing to attract new customers in the area.
Targeted Internet marketing, especially for local customers is an easy and effective way to gain new business. Prioritizing your company on map websites allows you to stay ahead of the competition. It is also convenient for local consumers to be able to readily access what products and services are available nearest to them. Gaining customers through Internet marketing is one of the largest sectors for increasing sales and business. The more traffic on your company’s website chances are the more customers are going to be taking part in what your business has to offer.
Internet marketing is an easy solution to spreading knowledge of your business. But why not take it one step further with prioritized, targeted marketing that will really set your business apart from the competition. Maximizing your business’s reputation can be as simple as posting your company’s name first in local searches on map websites. Increasing the chances of your company showing up on a search will boost website traffic and overall increase amount of business done by your company. Local customers are always the most important whether your business is small, large, privately or publicly owned. Allowing for your business to show up first on searches is convenient for local customers and will also increase business transactions.
Every business wants to get their name out there to the public. Whether they spread their name via tv commercials, local advertisements in the newspaper, or through internet marketing, every industry has the same goal: to be known. There are some marketing methods, however, that are more effective than others. Putting your company through a local business submission could be the answer to successfully getting your name to everyone’s front door.
For those are not accustomed with the newfound service, a business submission is the process of submitting your company’s name and information to all the popular online sources. That may include top sites like HotFrog, CitySearch, WhitePages, Yelp, Yahoo! Local, and more. This process is advantageous to all businesses old or new. Neglected or new websites will especially benefit from this service.
A local business submission is especially important for local and niche markets. Above and beyond the normal business submitting process, a local submission is also available to business owners. This allows companies to not only be integrated in the larger span of searches, but also the city specific searches. For example, Yahoo! Local makes it possible for your local hair salon to be listed in your specific area. Many times a local business directory can be a company’s most valuable listing.
Something you want to be looking for is hiring a company that provides natural and manual submissions. Then you can be certain you are getting the quality you are looking for. Nobody likes spam, and the last thing you want is an auto-submitted service that does not take the time to take the needs of your business seriously. This can be compared to an automated phone service versus speaking to an actual customer service representative. Isn’t always better to have a human dealing with your needs and wants instead of an automated service? Remember, quality over quantity is important when it comes to all Internet marketing services.
If you are looking to get the most of your business submission, it is smart to have a top SEO company do the job. Then you can be confident you are not only receiving quantity, but you are getting the quality post your company deserves.
