Important Update for Local Service Businesses: Check Your Google My Business Listing

New Google My Business changes will affect local businesses and their GMB listings. Service-based businesses like contractors, plumbers, roofers, carpet cleaners and more need to update their GMB listing as soon as possible so as to provide accurate information to potential customers.

New service area added to GMB listings

Previously, businesses would list their address and that was it. However, as of yesterday, there is a new line in the info dashboard that reads “Add service area.”

Prior to this update, companies that served customers in an area around their business address would set their service area as a distance from their business address. For example, as you’ll see in the screenshot below, a flooring contractor that services the Portland area and 75 miles around the city could select that in their local GMB listing.

Service area radius for businesses in GMB

Now when you log-in though, you’ll see the following update (see image below), which reads “Update to service area selection: Choose specific cities, postal codes, and other areas.”

Updates to GMB service area businesses

Google isn’t allowing the mile radius any longer. Companies must choose how to present their business to visitors in one of three ways:

  1. For companies that serve customers from a brick and mortar location, they enter their business address only.
  2. Companies that don’t serve customers at their address will now leave the address field blank and enter their service area using either specific city names or postal zip codes.
  3. Companies who serve customers at their business location plus have a service enter will use both fields – the address and service area fields.

For more details, visit the Google support page here:
http://www.nichequest.com/google-support

Additionally, some businesses already ranking in the 3-pack no longer have their full address on display, even though they do have their main address in their listing. With the new changes, service-area businesses probably aren’t aware of the need to change their settings to add the new service areas.

  

It will be interesting to see the effects on local businesses already ranking in GMB listing and maps. But either way, if you have a service area business, it’s time to add your service area specifics to your listing so as not to lose any traffic or visitors to your site.

 

Source:  Google My Business Shakes up Service-Area Businesses: What Has Changed and What to Do

 

How Google Search Ads & Position Affect Clicks to Your Website

local Service Ads

local Service Ads

If you’re looking for ways to increase your online results, then it’s important to understand Google search and how potential visitors to your site find your business.

When you search on Google for the best local provider of products or services, there are 4 options to click on in the results.

  1. local Search Ads (LSA)

Google Local Search Ads

 

2. Pay Per Click  (PPC)

3. Google My Business (GMB) – The 3-pack listings and maps

Google My Business

 

4. Organic Results

local Service Ads

If someone needs a plumber in San Francisco (images above), which one of these areas do you think they will click: local search ads, pay per click ads, Google my business listings/maps or organic results?

Bright Local, a leader in local marketing information, recently published a case study about what source produces the most clicks and then focused on how local service ads impact the results.

What they determined is that organic results receive the most clicks of all SERP types. And even more importantly, review ratings are the biggest driver of clicks in local search engine results!

Key Findings by Bright Local

“Local Services ads in Google receive 13.8% of local SERP clicks. They affect the number of clicks for all other types of results. When they are present, 25.5% of all clicks are on paid results. When they are absent, they make up only 14.6%.”

As many business owners are aware, the #1 position in organic results receives the most clicks of any other item on the home page. But it’s important to keep in mind that online reviews receive the most clicks from consumers.

With that in mind, for your business to achieve the best results from any online efforts, you must rank high in organic search and have multiple 5-star ratings from your customers.

The Bright Local study shows that positive reviews are the #1 motivator for a click. Here’s what the case study looked at to determine what Google front page item received the most interest and clicks:

5 Factors For Audience Click Thru

  • Review rating in local pack (15.44%)
  • Link to a list of business in organic results (14.52%)
  • Link content of organic result (14.00%)
  • Chose organic result as it’s not an advert (11.98%)
  • Position on the page for PPC result (6.05%)

Most Clicked SERP Results

  • Organic position 1 (accounts for 25.5% of clicks when LSAs are present, 27.4% when they aren’t)
  • Local Pack position 1 (16.1% / 17.3%)
  • Local Pack position 2 (10.4% / 12%)
  • PPC Top position 1 (8.5% / 10.5%)
  • LSA position 1 (7.4%)

To read the full post, visit Bright Local’s article “Local Services Ads Case Study” – Click Here

Ed Winslow - NicheQuest
Ed Winslow – NicheQuest

If you would like to improve your ranking in Google My Business and organic results, contact us at (203) 762-1366. We specialize reputation marketing and ranking local businesses in the Google listings and maps to bring more customers to your site.

 

How to Be Profitable with Local SEO in 2014 and 2015

The core fundamentals  of search engine ranking and ranking at the top of a Google search specifically (Bing and Yahoo make up about 20%) has not changed. It’s still all about picking the right keywords, quality onpage content and inbound links from other sites.

Keywords – In some cases, ranking for a high traffic keyword will produce huge traffic and sales. However, 90% of sales typically come from longtail keywords. If not familiar with a longtail keyword, it’s a query or a question. To be profitable, you need to rank for hundreds of search terms.

The question is, how do you rank for 100’s of search terms and unknown search queries? Continue reading

Google My Business Meets .NYC – It’s Free?

New York City Domain Names

You need to buy the domain, but the combination of a simple website, a .NYC domain name and Google my Business will reward you with huge returns on your investment.

The reality is this. The world is going local and in the case of New York City, it’s going hyperlocal. For example, if you trip and fall and chip your tooth at 14th Street and Fifth Avenue, you’re not going to pull out your IPhone and search for dentists in NYC. You are going to search emergency dentists near Union Square or near 14th Street. That’s hyperlocal and the dentist who gets your call is the one who ranks. With a .NYC domain name, that emergency dentist has an edge over all others (example – www.joethedentist.nyc ).

The bottom line is that a .NYC domain name is valuable and the new Google my Business tools validate that fact.. For local businesses a .NYC means more customers if you have the right strategy for promoting your business. Continue reading

Celebrate Small Business Week with Google

Small Business Week with Google

Google Small Business CommunityNational Small Business Week is here again! This Small Business Administration (SBA) annual event celebrates small business owners and entrepreneurs along with the important contributions they make to the economy. Not to be left out of the celebration, search giant Google decided to use the week to celebrate and thank the “the dreamers, doers, shakers, and makers” in its own unique way.

There’s no doubt that small businesses play a vital role in the United States economy. According to the SBA, more than 50 percent of the entire American working population is involved in some way with small business activities. They either own a small business or work for one. In fact, two out of every three new jobs come from small businesses. To help boost small business success even further, Google announced the launch of the Google Small Business Community and a new Google Helpouts page for small business owners. These sites are expected to enhance networking opportunities and make useful information easy to access.

Small Business Week and Google Communities

Google Small Business Community on Google+The Google Small Business Community operates on the Google+ social network. It is a wonderful place to make new business connections and share business ideas. The Community is free to join and the number of members has steadily increased since its launch.

Check out the community events from May 12 to May 16 for special messages including one from President Barack Obama. The site also plans to feature useful tips from top businesspeople across a range of industries. Already, business owners are introducing themselves in the community using a variety of hash tags such as #SmallBusinessWeek, #SmallBusiness and #SmallBusinessOwners. You’ll definitely want to use one of these hash tags in order to improve the visibility of your business and engage other small business owners in the process.

Even after National Small Business Week, the community will continue to be the source of helpful information. According to the blog Google and Your Business, training ideas such as daily and weekly posts, series and training will come from what business owners decide they want to learn. Googlers and an advisory team will also be available to handle all your questions.

Helpouts Page for Small Businesses

Google Small Business Community HelpoutsThe Helpouts Page provides an avenue for small business owners to access individual consultations with business experts. These consultations will take the form of video calls. There are expert advisors on a variety of business topics including web design, online marketing, WordPress, bookkeeping and branding.

While there are plenty of Helpouts offered without any charge, you will need to pay to have access to expert opinions in others. Identifying free Helpouts from paid ones is easy. Rates are clearly posted and differ based on the expert offering the consultation. Some sessions use per-minute rates while others charge flat rates. Additionally, Helpout rates may also depend on the level of individual expert’s skills, which you will find outlined in the session description. If you join the Google Small Business Community between May 12 and 16, you’ll also be eligible to get $20 off a Helpout of your choice.

Focus Your SEO on Going Local with Google Places

Google Places

Google PlacesSEO definitely helps your website bring in more sales, but going local with Google Places can make all the difference in your internet marketing strategy.

By its very nature, search engine optimization brings in more traffic to your website. But the ultimate goal of SEO strategy is really to target your audience so that they visit your website and then take the action you want them to take once they arrive.

You may have the biggest audience in the world, but if they’re not interested in your products or services, than SEO isn’t going to help you one bit. The action you must take is to come up with concepts that are relevant to your potential buying audience, create keywords around those concepts and then place them within your website. Those small changes in focus will help you draw in the right kind of traffic that’s motivated to take the action you want.

Optimize Your Website for Local Search

You probably wonder what actionable steps will make the most difference when trying to achieve search results. A great start for every business interested in improving their website traffic is Google Places.

Why Google Places?

Google Places for Business offers something that few online sites provide – action tracking (such as how many people visited your listing), map clicks with directions and data about how many times your listing shows up in search results. Places gives businesses the option to add coupons, offers, images and videos to make listings come alive for potential customers. There’s also a “place” for customer ratings and client references as well. And, Google isn’t the only site offering a specialized listing for businesses. Yahoo! Local and Bing Local are also entering this arena by offering their own versions for business clients as well.

How to Use Listings on Google Places Effectively

Google Places for Local SEO example
Example of Google Places for Business

Want to know if you’re included in Google Places? Simply search for your company name and include the name of your city. For example, if you are a pool & spa company in Hamburg, New Jersey, search for “pool & spa in Hamburg, NJ” to view the search results (see photo at right). When you hover over the results, the column on the right side of the search results in Google displays company information so that you’ll quickly know if your local data is optimized within that keyword selection. If you are not showing up for local keyword terms, then it’s time to focus on updating your Google Places listings to get the most out of your listing.

Also, categories place an important role in helping potential customers find your business. Choose the right categories for your company since you may only add a total of 5 to your Google Places listing. Also, review your competition to find out where they are ranking in search results and see how their category listings compare.

On your Google Places site, include as much information about your business as possible. Keeping potential customers up-to-date with your store hours, phone number, email, website address, videos and coupons not only builds trust, but it ensures that they always know where and how to reach you. Google Places allows up to five videos and 10 pictures.

Ask for Reviews

If you are lacking business reviews on Google Places for Business, ask your best customers to leave a brief description of their experience with your company. You may also want to have them stop by Yelp or Merchant Circle to leave reviews on those sites too. You could even create a special offer for extra discounts on return visits for customers that leave a review. Don’t be afraid to ask for customer testimonials. You want prospects to completely understand the product or service you offer, but you don’t want your page to be all about your sales offer. Let them know right up front what your customers think about your offerings.

Combine SEO Strategies for Better Results

Consider pay-per-click advertising as an additional source to combine with your search engine optimization strategies. Target your local region in your pay-per-click ad so that it matches your SEO goals for local traffic, and you’ll ultimately find that you bring in more traffic with this hyper local targeting using paid and organic internet strategies.

Here at Niche Quest, we talk alot about SEO, but more importantly, our blogs, courses and ebooks teach you to focus your website optimization on going local. The Niche Quest Formula method shows you how to optimize your website for local search because this is the one area where you can bring prospects to your website before they find your competitors first.

Learn more about how about internet marketing strategies that really work by using the Ultimate Beginners Guide to Internet Marketing. Watch our roadmap video below. After you review this step-by-step guide that includes a visual, an eBook and videos, you’ll have everything you need to get the internet marketing results you need to rank your business website.

 

5 Steps to Website Success with Local SEO

Internet Marketing Strategy for Local SEO

Internet Marketing Strategy for Local SEOBetter local SEO ranking is not only critical for businesses with worldwide reach, but it is also effective for companies interested in reaching customers in their immediate area. Local SEO actually helps brick and mortar businesses compete against larger companies. How does it level the playing field for small business to compete against big brands? By leveraging technology to better serve potential prospects in their own communities.

5 Steps to Maximize Your Website & Gain Local Customers

When you take specific actions in small steps, you’ll find that achieving your business goals will be that much easier. Use the 5 steps below to maximize your website efforts and gain local customers for your business.

1) Take Advantage of Google Local SEO

This free service allows you to set up a local business listing with maps for directions as well as your company’s address to make it simple for potential customers to find you. You’ll also want to optimize your keywords in the business description section so that customers searching for your keywords find your company rather than your competitor’s. Take steps to ensure that your Google Place listing images match the same ones you have in your other listings. The same goes for your company’s contact information. The same information and images across all internet platforms helps with branding your business online. When possible, also include video testimonials from clients for an extra effective method of reaching your ideal prospect.

2) Set Up Google Plus for Social Media Sharing

With a Google Plus account, you’ll have a way to interact with your customers. They’ll also be able to write reviews about your products or services. Google+ provides you with the opportunity to leave comments and gain insight into what your clients need. Because Google Plus is a social media service, you may promote special offers and services to your customers. In return, your audience may share posts, which ultimately may lead to page posts going viral and gaining more exposure for your company.

3) Optimize your Website for Local Searches

Review your website to ensure that keywords and meta tags are specific to your local area as well as industry. For instance, if you are a mechanic in San Diego, use keywords such as “San Diego mechanic” or “San Diego auto repair.” These location-specific keywords help potential customers quickly narrow down the businesses in the local marketplace. Long tail keywords (descriptive keyword phrases usually at least three words long) will also bring you visitors that are more specifically looking for what your offers. Don’t forget to focus on your specialties. Always include any products or services that help you stand out from the competition.

By delivering high quality content as you optimize your website, you’ll find that you also benefit from higher search engine rankings. Your content should offer services or information that will keep your clients coming back. For instance, auto repair shops can include content such as regular tips for car maintenance or create posts that answer customer questions.

4) Keep Contact Information Consistent

As mentioned about Google Plus listings above, make sure all your company details remain consistent throughout all your social media profiles, accounts and directory listings. Your branding and reputation relies on providing accurate and relevant information including the exact address of your location, name of your company, website, email address and phone numbers.

5) Design a Mobile Responsive Website

Mobile Friendly Websites for Local SearchNow more than ever, people are using their mobile devices to search online. Specific links like your Contact, Product and About Us pages should be enabled so that mobile device users can easily access information. Also note that Flash pages and PDF files are not readable on mobile devices. A mobile-friendly website or blog ensures that you don’t miss potential customers searching for your products or services.

Implement these 5 easy local SEO steps as part of your internet marketing strategy, and you’ll discover that your rankings grow while you gain new customers for your products or services.

Which of these steps have you used on your site? If you haven’t used them before, which ones do you plan to implement immediately? Let us know in the comments below.

Smart Ways Roofing Companies Promote Their Businesses Online

Roofing Company Online Business Promotion

Roofing Company Online Business PromotionRoofing companies looking to expand business through the use of internet marketing strategies are definitely making wise online decisions. Statistics reveal that more than 50 percent of individuals considering large purchases will conduct an internet search to investigate possible product or service providers. That number jumps up to more than 85 percent when the purchase will be made locally. This means that creating and managing an effective online campaign is vital for any business.

There are numerous avenues available for roofing business promotion, but the following three strategies help roofers effectively promote their companies online: organic traffic, YouTube and social media marketing.

Organic Traffic

Niche Quest free ebookOne of the most effective ways to leverage the power of the internet is to increase the amount of organic traffic that visits your site. Organic traffic can be best described as visitors that you did not directly generate through efforts of direct contact. Organic traffic is comprised of visitors that conduct a general search for the services or products you provide and subsequently click on the link to your site. Organic traffic is a huge part of the promotional tree.

Proper and effective SEO (search engine optimization) is required to see any measurable results from organic searches. This means properly optimizing your website, the creation of relevant content, legitimate back linking campaigns and more. With major search engines, such as Google, constantly changing their algorithms, it can be difficult to understand all of the rules and requirements that must be met to build your page ranking — leading to better search placement. If you have not mastered SEO, our free e-book will get you on the right path. Our Niche Quest Formula course offers expert step-by-step assistance that is definitely a worthwhile investment.

YouTube Exposure

YouTube VideosEveryone knows that Google is the largest search engine in the world, but many people are not aware that YouTube, now owned by Google, is the second largest search engine in the world. A growing number of internet users prefer to access the content they are looking for via video rather than in written form. You can create business how-to videos that are highly informative and engaging to provide individuals with relevant content that will help them deal with minor issues around the home. Videos centered on roofing material brands, products and do-it-yourself assistance develops exposure for your brand, services and products. To learn more about the benefits of videos for your business, see our post How to Optimize Videos in Local Markets Before It’s Too Late.

Social Media Marketing

This aspect of online marketing can be very broad so you will have to find ways to make it specific to your roofing businesses and the services that you offer. Social media is one of the most powerful leveraging platforms business owners encounter. When you create a profile or a fan page along with relevant, engaging content helpful to your target audience, your brand can become extremely popular in a relatively short period of time.

The most important thing to remember when marketing your business online is customer engagement. You want to engage the customer by providing useful information that entices the customer to come back to your page or site, even when they have no immediate roofing needs. When you develop a relationship of trust, you build customer loyalty, return visits and referrals that will bring new and existing customers back to your roofing company again and again.

Is a Virtual Office Legitimate For Google Places

Is a Virtual Office Legitimate For Google Places

Is a Virtual Office Legitimate For Google PlacesIf a virtual office is legitimate for Google Places, it opens up amazing business models for businesses who want to go nationwide or global without the expense of permanent locations.

For example, my business provides a range of online marketing services for companies nationwide. If I had a virtual office in every major city, I could appear as a marketing titan while working in my pajamas in my basement. I could go as far as having live, virtual meetings with a shirt and tie and an impressive backdrop with computers, books, picture of my yacht (i don’t have a yacht) and photos of me with celebrities. Who would know?

So before getting in to what a virtual office is and are they legitimate for Google Places/Plus you have to ask yourself. Will a business model based on deception succeed? And what is deceptive?

What Is a Virtual Office?

Virgo Business CentersA virtual office provides businesses with a commercial address, mail delivery, local phone number, office space and conference rooms available by hour, day, week or month.You also get listed in the building directory and reception services for answering phone calls..

For my business a virtual office in NYC is perfect. I’m in Connecticut but frequently in New York City for meetings, maybe once per week. Without an office or access to a meeting room, I’m subject to meetings in coffee shops, hotel lobbies, restaurants or client offices. Without an office location I’m really an out of towner.

In a scenario where you actually use your virtual office location and you are a legally registered business in the state, this is legitimate or at least passes the smell test of a legitimate virtual office.

Certainly a Google Places listing in NYC, or any major city, provides credibility. And a nationwide Google Places strategy provides huge credibility plus tons of new business.

Google Places Produces Leads If you rank well on Google Places you will get calls from customers searching online. So, in theory, I could get virtual office locations nationwide for $50.00 – $100.00 per month and build a nationwide business. But, is gaming the system worth the risk? Every business has a different situation. What does Google say about it? Click here for Google Places for Business Quality Guidelines.

Here’s a summary of 5 Important Guidelines

  1. Businesses must make in person contact to quality. You may ask, does a Google Hangout meeting quality?
  2. You Must Be an Owner – owning stock in a company with a location does not quality.
  3. Businesses That Do Not Exist at that location do not qualify. I guess that is a debatable topic.
  4. Businesses Must Be staffed during operating hours. Quality business center operators provide receptionists and on site staff. What does this mean? Another debatable topic. What does “staffed” mean?
  5. Rental Properties Do Not Qualify, but an onsite office does qualify. Another questionable guideline. What if you own investment properties in numerous locations? If you have a central office in another location for managing the property, does that qualify?

Virtual Office and Google Places – What Is legitimate?

Google has a disclaimer on the bottom of their guidelines page. It’s worth taking a look. Yes, I would say it’s possible to have a nationwide Google Places strategy with virtual office locations and from what I read online, many do. The question is. Do you want to build a business model based on gaming the system? And what does gaming the system really mean to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.