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“Growing your business just got easier: Here’s $100 to try AdWords Express”

Google is sending out $100 AdWords Express Coupons, further undercutting their distribution partners like Yodle and ReachLocal:

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The question, “How do businesses get to the top of Google” is the most common question I am asked.

Nobody can guarantee top placement in the “FREE” sections (Google local business listings and natural search results) for ALL of your targeted keyword sets, but a professional search engine marketing consultant or agency that lives and breathes search engine marketing will make a pronounced impact on your online marketing initiatives and ensure an attractive return on investment.

Let’s take a look at what constitutes a high-impact search engine marketing campaign for businesses with a local business model–The Golden Triangle.

The Golden Triangle Of Search

The Golden Triangle is your goal–to rank #1 in the Google Local Business Listings, #1 in Google’s natural search engine results, and #1 in Google’s pay-per-click ads. For the Google search “tuxedo rental Houston TX,” Al’s Formal Wear blows away their competition in each section, taking the lion share of click-throughs and dominating the formal wear market in Houston.

1. Google Local Business Listings

Google Local Business Listings have made and broken small businesses in recent years.  Our clients report, on average and depending on the industry, a 20% to 40% increase in new business generated by Google business listings we have optimized for targeted keyword sets–considering we do not charge ongoing fees for this service it is an area of opportunity you do not want to miss out on.

Your ability to to get prominent search engine visibility, and ultimately, click-throughs in this section, is paramount to to a successful online marketing campaign.

Let’s say you run a Handyman Service in Tempe AZ.  Some of the top keyword sets you are targeting include:

• “handyman service”
• “handyman service 85281″
• “handyman service tempe”
• “handyman service tempe az”
• “home repair service”
• “home repair service 85281“
• “home repair service tempe az”
• “kitchen remodeling tempe az“
• “tile installation tempe az“
• “handyman coupons tempe az“

Let’s say you run a Handyman Service in Gilbert AZ.  Some of the top keyword sets you are targeting include:

• “handyman service”
• “handyman service 85297″
• “handyman service gilbert”
• “handyman service gilbert az”
• “home repair service”
• “home repair service 85297″
• “home repair service gilbert az“
• “kitchen remodeling gilbert az“
• “bathroom tile installation gilbert az“
• “handyman coupons gilbert az“

You get the point! 

Our experts will provide you with the most frequently searched keywords in your niche and cross-reference them with all of your local geo-modifiers, including cities, state, and zip codes.

We will use this research to optimize your local business listing(s) through a handful of techniques that will increase your rankings, click-throughs, and most importantly, generate additional customers/clients.

2. Google’s Natural Search Engine Results

Google’s natural search engine results have lost some steam in recent years due to the prominence of Google’s Local Business Listings, but still play a pivotal role in generating new business online.

Not only will our team of experts optimize all of the on-page and off-page elements to rank your web pages on the top of Google for targeted keywords sets, we also will provide you with marketing copy, calls-to-action, and conversion recommendations to make the most of the traffic you are generating.

Unlike Google’s Local Business Listings, natural search engine visibility may require an ongoing commitment to link building for those of you in highly competitive markets.

3. Google’s Pay-per-click (PPC) Ads

Widely admired for the ability to garner premium search engine visibility instantaneously, Google pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns offer you the unique ability to generate business in a flash.

The only downside to to pay-per-click is customer/client acquisition costs.  You can dramatically lower those costs by creating the Golden Triangle–optimizing your Google Local Business Listings and natural search listings to maximize your online marketing budget.

There are three (3) areas of opportunity in the search engine results–two of them are FREE, meaning search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing do not levy fees for your prominent placement, and the last opportunity assesses a small fee every time a search engine user clicks on your listing for targeted keyword searches. There are no marketing strategies as effective as search–SEARCH IS ON DEMAND ADVERTISING!

Whereas television, radio, and print advertising are known as “Push Marketing” vehicles because they broadcast a message to a passive audience, search engine advertising is rightly defined as a “Pull Marketing” strategy because the prospect is actively engaged in a real-time search for your products and services.  Will your message convert them into a sale?

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Download my white paper: Geotargeting: Local Seach Best Practices For Brands

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Google uses a system of categorizing terms that are identified as synonymous or frequently associated with each other to interpret the meaning of content.

This system is called Latent Semantic Indexing and this part of the algorithm assigns a “relevancy score” to a web page’s content, and as such, is a major factor in determining Google search results for any given query.

Google highlights terms in bold which have been tagged as synonymous or frequently associated to the terms in your search string.

For example, the term “auto” is synonymous with the term “car,” therefore, in Google’s algorithm, auto = car in terms of relevancy.  Note the emboldened term “car” in the Google search results for the phrase “Esurance auto insurance” below:

Google has determined, based on extensive analysis of search behavior, that the term “sucks” has a relevant home in the American Lexicon.  Check out the results for the Google search “Mystic Lake Casino sucks:”

For Google, Sucks = Reviews.

Hyperlocal advertising was conceived as the next logical step for local businesses to connect with the residents and other small business owners in neighborhood communities.

The explosion of social media has intersected with the steady upward growth of local online marketing, and the ensuing convergence has positioned hyperlocal marketing as the next “megatrend” online.

Television news websites like KFOR.com channel 4 (top five NBC affiliate) in Oklahoma City present you the option to select your local community front and center.  If you do not select a community in your first few visits it automatically selects one for you through IP address targeting.

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For brand management, PPC (pay-per-click) advertising in Google is no longer a consideration, it is a mandatory practice for two reasons:

• To capture high-converting search traffic looking specifically for your company’s products, services, locations, and coupons/promotions
• To stop branded searches from being redirected to the web assets of direct and indirect competitors

More Than One In Seven Branded Searches Gets Hijacked

If you are not aggressively advertising on your trademarks you need to re-evaluate your priorities.  A few years ago Hitwise reported that one in seven branded searches gets hijacked by direct and indirect competitors.

Since then, the competition in Google search advertising has only increased and the creative has improved–often focusing on low-ball pricing or special offers specifically meant to siphon away branded search traffic.

The cost for a company to build a brand is a massive expense.  Are you protecting your brand and policing your trademarks in the search engines?  Think about it, if you are relying on your brand to drive business, why aren’t you aggressively protecting it in the search engines?

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All types of shenanigans take place in the Reviews Sections of Google business listings, aka, Google Places pages. The example below will likely shock the leadership and management of brands with a local business model.

Google has avoided legal culpability for occurrences of calumny, slander, libel, copyright infringement and trademark abuse in their main search engine results because their application simply indexes and organizes the web pages of others on the world wide web–kind of like a library indexing and organizing the books of unaffiliated authors and publishers.

I mention this because I hear from companies and individuals all the time telling me they are going to sue Google for this or that displayed in Google’s SERP’s (search engine results pages). How much do they make?

In the past, Google has not been held responsible

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Google is on a mission.  They are replacing the usefulness and popularity of a relic known as the “Yellow Pages.”

The name and concept of “Yellow Pages” came about in 1883, when a printer in Cheyenne, Wyoming, working on a regular telephone directory, ran out of white paper and used yellow paper instead. In 1886 Reuben H. Donnelley created the first official yellow pages directory, inventing an industry.

With Google’s replacement, your fingers are still doing the walking (or your voice can do the talking), but the amount of data you will find for each business listed will be mind-blowing, even for us “internet geeks.”

There are a number of updates coming to the functionality, and indexing of data for each Google business listing, known as Google Places pages.

The most recent is the ability for business owners or representatives to publicly respond to the reviews created on a Google business listing (Place page).

Here is an example:

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How can we get our Google business listing(s) to rank at the top of Google’s local business results for targeted searches in the city we do business in?

When it comes to optimizing your Google business listing for local search we are really talking about optimizing many of the  elements within your free local business listing, as well as elements we call off-page ranking factors.

The goal is to rank at the top of local business results for your brand ( i.e., Kramer Muffler Shop) and core non-branded keyword sets (i.e., Reno muffler repair, muffler replacement Reno NV, etc.)

Driven by the developments of Google, Local is the fastest growing segment of search marketing.  SMB’s  have taken note and are adopting strategies to connect with targeted customers.

Local search expert David Mihm released his third annual edition of “Local Search Ranking Factors,”  a comprehensive look at the tactics that can help, and in some cases, hurt your rankings in the local business results of Google, Yahoo, and Bing–with an emphasis on Google Places.

The 2010 results feature the responses of 34 prominent bloggers and search marketing practitioners.

This year’s insights and wrap-up:

Local Search Ranking Factors 2010
by Dev Basu

2010 Local Search Ranking Factors Released
by Aaron Weiche

David Mihm’s Annual Local Search Ranking Factor is now Online
by Mike Blumenthal

How Local Search Works in 2010
by Matt McGee

Do you need help with your Google business listings and local search marketing?  Contact me by email or phone at (623) 252-1780 and I will provide you with an easy-to-understand opportunity/obstacles assessment.

Accurate business listings in the search engines, internet yellow pages, and interactive business directories allow customers and important contacts to find you.

Local business listings optimized for targeted keyword sets are an incredible source of free local search traffic.

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CALL OR EMAIL NOW FOR YOUR
FREE REPORT (623) 252-1780

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Last year I wrote how important a Google business listing is to a locksmith company in Texas–85% of their new business emanates from their Google business listing.

Google is the directory of focus, but it is paramount to optimize your listings in several directories.

When it comes to managing your local business listings, you need to focus on three essential components:

1. Is your N-A-P accurate?

If your N-A-P, or Name, Address, and Phone Number are not accurate it will cost you customers and other problems, affecting your bottom line.  When Google sees accurate N-A-P’s for your business in other trusted directories and websites they deem your Google listing to be a trustworthy place.  The net affect is an increase in ranking in the local business results for targeted category searches.

2. Is your website address accurate?

One of the factors to outranking your competitors in the organic search results of Google is link popularity.  Google considers links from other trusted directories as votes for your website.  The net affect is an increased ranking in Google’s organic results for targeted searches.

3. Are your local business listings optimized for targeted searches?

Some attributes in your local business listings, such as categories, business description, service area, etc., empower you to outrank local competitors for your most precious keyword sets.  For an example of optimizing your local business listing for targeted local searches, download our white paper, Geotargeting.

Call us today at (623) 252-1780 for a free report, detailing the efficacy of your business listings.

This article is designed to arm SMB’s with insights that will better help them understand the local search marketing landscape on Google.

As a local online marketing consultant, it is important for me to point out that Google is the most important resource, online or offline, to market your small business.

This should not be a surprise to anybody, but I emphasize this fact because Google is where most local business marketing campaigns should begin. How do you make a root beer float?

Local search marketing revolves around a universe of keywords.  What keyword sets are important to your business?

For the purpose of this article I am going to use The Tuxedo Gallery, a tuxedo rental shop in Santa Rosa, CA as my example.  The Tuxedo Gallery not only rents, but sells designer formal wear for men–think homecomings, proms, weddings, and other special events.

Using the Google Keyword Tool, it is easy to get some quick insights as to how people search for tuxedos and formal wear for men:

Read the rest of this entry »

This weeks cover story on iMedia is my article “How to protect your brand from bad business reviews.”

The article explains what local business reviews are and why brands with several locations need a solution to manage local business reviews.

There are three fundamental elements of a local business review management strategy:

monitoring reviews, responding to reviews, and proactively generating reviews.

The article shares best practices, as well as important tools to manage reviews like Customer Lobby and the Marchex Reputation Management tool.

Local business reviews are important to national and regional brands for three primary reasons:

1. Local business reviews affect brand reputation and the actions of prospective customers.  As a result, negative reviews provide companies the opportunity to publicly engage dissatisfied customers and seek resolution to correct adverse customer experiences.  As a brand, demonstrating that you care about what customers have to say is a best practice.
2. Local business reviews inform brands about customer experiences and can provide actionable business intelligence regarding products, services, and policies.
3. Search engine visibility.  Simply having local business reviews increases your business listing rankings in the local business results of Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

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Download our white paper: Geotargeting: Local Seach Best Practices For Brands

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Periodically we work with SMB’s that provide services nationally but still require a local business listing because they do a large amount of business in their region.  One example is Fairway Auto Transport.

With 25 years of experience, they provide auto transport services nationally but serve a lot of customers in Florida, so it is important for them to establish local visibility online.

It is a best practice for Fairway Auto Transport to ensure their NAP (name, address, phone number) is consistent across all business data providers, business directories, their website, and even their auto transport blog.

Data providers include InfoUSA and Localeze.  Business directories include search engines, internet yellow pages (IYP’s), interactive directories (like Kudzu & Citysearch), local business directories, and industry directories.  An example of an industry directory for Fairway Auto Transport would be Transport Reviews.

Catalyzed by Yelp’s success with local business reviews (29 million monthly unique visitors and 9 million reviews), Yellowbook.com has been running a contest for nearly a month that compensates individuals for writing reviews: 

What would you do with $10,000? Make your dreams a reality with Yellowbook’s Imagine What You Can Do Review & Win Contest. Two $10,000 Grand Prize packages will be awarded to the Top Reviewer (most points) and the person with the Best Individual Review posted on yellowbook.com. And that’s not all - TEN lucky winners will each receive a $500 American Express Gift Card in our weekly sweepstakes (one winner per week).

It’s as easy as writing a review. Share your experiences to WIN! Get started now. The contest clock starts ticking January 18, 2010 and keeps going until March 31, 2010.

The current leader has 5,478 entries.  How does this compensation impact the integrity and accuracy of the contributions?

It appears they did.  Kyle Kazak points out that the Local Listing Ads web page (Google.com/help/lbc/listingads/) has been removed by Google and buzz has discontinued.

In a recent article I pointed out that Google could not afford to get rid of AdWords in lieu of Local Listing Ads because the ad revenue is very limited with Local Listing Ads.

It appears that net revenue created by a combination of AdWords/Local Listing Ads could not compete with the AdWords model flying solo.

In addition, I pined that Google couldn’t replace the 7-Pack with Local Listing Ads.  But what if they offered an advertising enhancement to local business listings–something to make your listing “pop” within the 7-Pack and Google Maps results?

They have done just that.  Google Enhanced Listings allow a business to stand out with an “enhanced” presence on the 7-Pack or in the map-related listings on the SERP.

Local businesses can call attention to something it wants to highlight to customers and/or prospects: a menu, a coupon, a video, for example.

The cost is $25 per month and the business can choose from one of seven types of enhancements, drawn from content in the Local Business Center.

The available categories of enhancements include the following:

• photos
• videos
• website
• coupons
• directions
• menu
• reservations

Will this offering, at a cost of $300/year, per location, create a return on investment?

A couple weeks ago the Nifty Marketing blog highlighted Google’s offline marketing initiative to engage local business owners with a $100 AdWords offer ($100 offer ends January 31, 2010).

The promotional offer applies to local businesses that have verified their local  listing(s).

“I got a letter from Google today with $100 worth of free advertising.

The letter is being sent out to businesses with claimed LBC listings and starts out saying “You already use Google’s Local Business Center to help customers discover your business online when they search locally on Google or Google Maps.

Then goes on to explain the effectiveness of search advertising.

I have included an image of the letter for your enjoyment.”

Nifty’s article goes on to ask the question, “…why would Google be promoting AdWords to LBC users if they are planning to launch local listing ads any time soon?”

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On Friday, local search expert David Mihm announced the launch of GetListed.org University:

“Back in 2008, when Pat Sexton and I were brainstorming the ideas that would eventually turn into GetListed.org, one of our very first long-term goals was to put together a low-cost, non-profit seminar series that would introduce business owners to the world of online marketing.  It pleases us greatly to announce a major step towards that goal: the very first GetListed.org Local University event in Spokane, WA on February 4th.”

David has assembled an all-star cast of local search marketing consultants to present the intensive sessions including Matt McGee, Mike Blumenthal, Mary Bowling, Tracy Lynn Jury, and Ed Reese. 

Here is a look at the Agenda:

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There are a number of opportunities but what caught my eye this morning was a screenshot in an article by Aaron Wall, Google’s Youtube Caught Cloaking to Spam Google Users & Increase Ad Revenues.

Aaron makes an important point regarding Google’s lack of ethics–how Google is abusing their universal search results to spam searchers with YouTube results.  He goes on to make the case that Google could repeat this type of behavior with additional acquisitions such as Yelp, stating:

“…as soon as Google gets a market dominant position, you can bet on them locking it down to enhance ad revenues. The secret search relevancy algorithms, AdWords ad quality score, using AdWords rebates to push Google Checkout, always-on search personalization (even when logged out), mystery meat payout rates to AdSense publishing partners, universal search algorithms that allow them to arbitrarily promote their own websites, YouTube cloaking, etc etc etc”

Aaron then points out that Google jumped the gun on Yelp by integrating Yelp reviews in their AdWords ads before the acquisition was finalized:

I was not aware Google was testing this.  It is certainly a great way to leverage the Yelp brand if Google was able to acquire them.  Follow Greg Sterling’s updates on Google-Yelp developments here, here, here, here, and here.

Aaron also addresses the Mahalo hypocrisy here and here.

Free local business listings on search engines, internet yellow pages (IYP’s), interactive business directories, local business directories, and vertical directories are the foundation of a comprehensive local search marketing campaign for your small business.

Four Reasons To Optimize Your Free Business Listings Now

There are four primary reasons why you need to be proactive and optimize your business listings for local search in multiple, trusted directories.

First, each directory has their own audience/sphere of influence to bring visibility to your local business listings.

Second, many of the listing and category pages of these directories appear in the organic results of search engines and mobile search.

Third, many of the directories listed below publish local business reviews that are displayed in Google local business listings.

Fourth, when Google finds your business listing in a trusted directory through a web crawl, they often cite the web page featuring your business within your Google local business listing, also known as your Place Page.

Here is an example:

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Maybe.  According to Google Trends, Yelp gets more unique daily visitors than SuperPages & Dex combined:

Yellowpages is right behind Yelp and if AT&T Interactive were to act on Greg Sterling’s insight, they could create quite a powerhouse.

Citysearch and SuperPages are neck and neck.  Is the Google Trends data accurate?  This data doesn’t measure flush with the recent TMPDM/comScore study of Local Search Market Share.  Is it apples and oranges?  Do TMP and their study bias IYP’s?  Here’s a look:

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The inspiration for this article emanates from emails and phone calls I have received from a few local businesses.  They want to know how they can remove sponsored listing ads from their Google business listings (Google Place Pages).

While it may be wrong for Google to charge local businesses a fee to remove sponsored ads from their listings (a la Merchant Circle), common good business sense should compel Google to remove the ads from the business listing of any business subscribed to their new Local Listing Ads.

If you’re not familiar with Local Listing Ads, it is a new local online advertising service Google has currently rolled out to the markets of San Diego and San Francisco for testing:

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Prospective customers expect a certain level of professional design, usability, and navigation when they visit local, small business websites.  And then there is content—the information your customers are searching for; the reason they are looking for you online.

The content you present to search engines and prospective customers can make or break opportunities to generate local business online, especially if the prospect has never heard of you before (brand awareness = trust).

The right way to build a small business website, designed to produce local customers, is to present the content your prospective customers are searching for.  I brand this reflexive content.

Through years of keyword research and access to search analytics for well-known brands (with thousands of locations), I can share how people generally search for local businesses.

Reflexive Content

Let’s say you own a chain of dry cleaning stores in Scottsdale, Arizona.   The image below illustrates the pages of website content, and is followed by specific descriptions of each content category listed:

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Last week Peter Krasilovsky at Local Onliner summed up data from the recent TMP/comScore study:

The report notes that Google has overtaken online business directories in both IYP/local searches, where it has a 26 percent share, and in local portal searches, where it has a 45 percent share. But that doesn’t mean that the Yellow Pages industry is on the ropes.

While Yellow Pages usage is down three percent and now comprises 28 percent of local search, Internet Yellow Pages have jumped from 19 percent in 2008 to 21 percent of all searches. In certain categories, such as home services, IYP account for nearly half of all searches.

“By adapting to the world of online search, the Yellow Pages are proving to be a competitive and effective cross-platform reference,” notes the report. But local search remains very low on the totem pole for certain categories.  

In another example of adapting to the world of online search, R.H. Donnelley property Dex has recently been shooting up all over Google local searches.  Dex places advertisements with co-branded landing pages (powered by Dex) on Google for a number of categorical searches for local businesses.

I did see something similar to this on behalf of YellowPages.com last year with local automotive and professional services searches but they seemed to have dropped off.

I don’t know if this is just a short-term, introductory promotion (Google promo?), or if they are truly getting traction with local businesses advertising on Google AdWords–and this is part of the local online advertising mix.

What Caught My Eye

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The Google Local Business Center sent out their third newsletter last Friday.  Instead of pointing out changes to prohibit spam in the Business Listing Quality Guidelines (Mike Blumenthal chart comparison, Matt McGee recap), the newsletter reflects on the features of Google Place Pages:

When Google and Google Maps users click to learn more about your business listing, they’ll now see a new layout, with new information that we think will make it easier for them to learn about - and decide to purchase from - your business.

We’re calling this new feature Place Pages for Google Maps, and it allows people to view your basic business information, ratings, reviews, related maps, nearby transit and even a look at your business on Street View in Google Maps - all in one snap shot view. Previously, users had to click through several tabs to get a good view at everything about your business.

With this enhanced page, we expect even more potential customers to be viewing these pages, so it’s especially important to make sure that your basic information is accurate, and that you’ve added enhanced content like coupons, photos, and hours (hint: it’s free to do all of this). We’ve made a short video featuring the Place Page of Kasa Indian Restaurant in San Francisco, to give you a closer look at what this means to your business.

To make sure your business’ Place Page looks as good as it can, update your content in your account at https://www.google.com/local/add.

Why the new layout?

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While the yellow pages are creating a reputation as the fastest recycled paper product in America, Google is driving the evolution of local business marketing online with a blistering pace of updates to local search, local business listings, and local online advertising in 2009.

Google Displays “Reputation Trend” In Local Business Listings

Inside the Details section of the new Google Maps business listings, also called Google Place Pages, you may see a field called “Reputation Trend.”

Let’s say you’re looking for a hair salon in Seattle:

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The success of your ability to convert desired actions (phone call, registration form submission, pdf download, directions search, coupon download, gift certificate purchase, etc.) and generate local business online will hinge on a handful of factors—here are three:

1.    Creating a professional web presence

2.    Establishing online visibility where your local market searches

3.    Providing reflexive content—the exact information your customers are looking for

However, being seen and heard online by prospective customers will not be enough in the future.  By 2012, the majority of small businesses will be following many of the same local online marketing principles, then what?

What is your competitive edge?

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