At the beginning of November 2021, Google announced that it is rebranding Google My Business as Google Business Profile. The name change isn’t major news in itself as the product has undergone a few name changes over the years—most notably, the switch from Google Places to Google My Business back in 2014. However, with the latest rebrand, there’s also a number of changes to how businesses will manage their listings on Google. The biggest change is the forthcoming retirement of the Google My Business app for single listings. Going forward, local businesses will no longer be able to access and manage their listings in the app. Instead, they’ll rely solely on a control panel which appears when they enter their business name into Google Search. From here, listings managers will be able to do anything that’s possible within the app: update business information, add photos, publish Google Posts, etc. For businesses managing multiple locations—including agencies working with local clients—not much has changed. These users will still have access to the app, which is now called Business Profile Manager. There are also hints that Google will invest more resources into features and functionality for businesses managing multiple listings, but no big reveals have been made yet. Major changes from Google always inspire a lot of chatter within the local SEO community, and this update has been no different. Plenty of local SEO experts weighed in with their take—many of which we included in our blog post covering the changes. Some experts viewed it positively, some were more skeptical, and some were left with many unanswered questions. While the local SEO community was a tad divided, it’s worth recognizing that local SEO professionals make up a small fraction of people who use Google My Business. So we were keen to see how different types of Google My Business users feel about the rebrand, and if they were even aware of these changes in the first place?! We set out to answer these questions by polling over 500 BrightLocal customers, including local SEO professionals working in agencies or as consultants, marketers working in-house at multi-location businesses, and small business owners themselves. So what did we find out? Nearly a third of respondents weren’t aware of the changes Google is making to Google My Business32% feels particularly high given how integral this Google product is for any business marketing itself online. What’s more, it could be argued that BrightLocal customers are typically in the know and invested in their digital marketing efforts. So arguably the average local business owner is even less likely to be aware of these changes. Extrapolating out, it’s fair to posit that millions of business owners who have been using GMB have no idea about the changes. 22% of respondents felt that they were either very familiar with the changes or knew all about them. 46% of respondents felt that they were fairly familiar with the changes. Local businesses were the most unaware of the changesWithin the poll, we asked what type of business participants worked in. Segmenting this data down by business type we can see that local businesses are the least in the know. 42% of small local businesses were unaware of the changes and only 12% were very familiar or knew all about the changes. Only 15% of marketers at multi-location businesses weren’t aware of the changes. 28% of agency professionals and consultants didn’t know about the changes. Two-thirds of respondents weren’t sure how they felt about the changesNext we wanted to know how people felt about the changes. We excluded responses from anyone who wasn’t aware of the rebrand. The overwhelming majority (66%) said they weren’t sure how they felt about the changes. Interestingly, the split between negative and positive sentiment from respondents who did have an opinion was fairly even. 18% felt negative or very negative. Overall, only 2% of respondents consider the changes to be very negative. There can often be a knee-jerk negative reaction within the SEO community to any search-related changes made by Google. Google rewriting page titles is a recent example of this. But this data seems to suggest that people aren’t immediately going into panic mode and claiming that the sky is falling. It would seem most people are waiting to see how this plays out before making any kind of judgement. Nearly three quarters of local businesses are unsure how to feel about the changesNot only are small local businesses the most unaware of the changes, they’re also most undecided when it comes to viewing the changes positively or negatively. 73% of small local businesses weren’t sure how to feel about the rebrand. Given that the changes are more significant for local businesses, it could be the case that they’re waiting to see what impact they experience over time before reaching a conclusion. Agencies and consultants are most likely to view the changes as negativeGoogle was initially unclear about how these changes will affect agencies and consultants who work with local business clients. Their first announcement only discussed the changes in relation to businesses managing a single listing or multiple listings. Google later clarified that agencies would still be able to make use of Google Business Profile— which is going to cause significantly less disruption—but it’s still interesting to see that agencies and consultants were more likely to view the changes as negative than positive. When grouping these two segments together, the data shows that 24% of agencies, consultants, and freelancers have a negative view, compared to only 13% with a positive view. People are generally unfussed about the name changeWhat’s in a name? Not much it seems as only 12% of respondents felt like the name change would have an impact on their business. For businesses, this makes sense. The name of the product isn’t really that important when it comes to the day-to-day management of listings. But surprisingly, to me at least, agencies are even less fussed about the impact. Only 4% of agency respondents and 3% of consultants considered that the name change would have some impact. At BrightLocal, the name change is definitely going to have an impact—we have a tool called Google My Business Audit afterall! There’s also many more places that Google My Business is referenced across our website and product. We also rank highly in the search results for a number of GMB-related keywords. Right now, it’s safe to assume that search volumes around Google My Business are going to remain higher than Google Business Profile. Google Trends shows that it took nearly four years after the last name change for ‘Google My Business’ search volumes to overtake ‘Google Places’. My assumption is that agencies and consultants are likely to be in a similar position to us—they have services and content that refers to Google My Business, and will need to decide if and when they are going to make changes. Additionally, client education is a common ongoing struggle for agencies and consultants working with small businesses, so a new name could create confusion. But it seems we’re one of the few businesses out there who are experiencing an impact from the name change. Most small businesses don’t see the changes as having an impact on their businessOn the surface, the changes are clearly most drastic for small local businesses. They’ve lost access to the Google My Business app and are now going to be fully reliant on managing their listings in the search results. However, only 10% of small local business respondents believed losing access to the app would have an impact on their business. And, only 10% viewed relying on in-SERP listing management as having an impact. It’s worth noting that the in-SERP editing is not new. Businesses have been able to edit their listings in Google Maps and Search since August last year. So many local businesses might already be doing it this way. ConclusionReflecting on all of this data, the biggest takeaway is not how people feel about the changes—time will tell whether this is a good thing for businesses of all types—it’s the fact that a third of businesses who responded had no idea about the changes. As I alluded to earlier, our customers are likely more in the know than the average local business, which means that it’s possible that millions of businesses are completely unaware that things are changing. Hopefully these businesses will learn to adapt quickly and the changes will actually help make management of their Google Business Profile easier than ever. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3DLruBf Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/
0 Comments
In February 2021, Google updated the guidelines for Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) to include information about co-working spaces. While there’s a lot of information spread across the web covering this topic, I’ve put it all in one place so you can be sure you’re taking the right steps to avoid suspension. What is a co-working or shared office space?A co-working or shared office space is any physical space where different individuals or businesses gather and work in the same area, room, or building. Co-working spaces have become a cost-effective solution for many small businesses—and freelancers—who require a dedicated space to work outside of their home. Co-working allows for this without the need to purchase or lease a dedicated office space. Please note: It’s important to understand that a co-working space is different from a virtual office because it is a physical location where an individual can go to work, rather than just using a mailing address. Using a co-working space as a virtual office isn’t allowed. Are businesses in co-working or shared office spaces eligible for a Google Business Profile?Yes, businesses using co-working or shared office spaces are eligible for a Google Business Profile (GBP) as long as they follow Google’s guidelines. However, these businesses should err on the side of caution. Using a co-working or shared office space isn’t as straightforward as having a dedicated office space or brick-and-mortar location. Google is more suspicious of these types of GBP listings, which can make your clients’ businesses more susceptible to suspension. Google’s Guidelines for Businesses Using Co-working or Shared Office SpacesThe only thing that Google specifically mentions on creating a Business Profile for co-working or shared office spaces is this single sentence listed under ‘Address’: “Businesses can’t list an office at a co-working space unless that office maintains clear signage, receives customers at the location during business hours, and is staffed during business hours by your business staff.” To successfully create a Business Profile for a business using a co-working or shared office space address, do the following:
To successfully create a Business Profile for a business using a co-working or shared office space address, don’t do the following:
Examples of Businesses That May Use Co-working or Shared Office SpacesSome examples of businesses that may use a co-working or shared office space include:
Helpful Tips for Filling out the Business Information for Qualified BusinessesIf you’re absolutely sure that your client’s business is allowed to have a Business Profile at a co-working or shared office space, and you’re following all the guidelines, here are some helpful tips to make the most out of their profile! 1. Make Sure That the Business Name Matches the Physical SignageKeyword stuffing your business name on Google has been a sure-fire way for some businesses to get ahead in the rankings, but it’s also likely to cause a suspension. Google is already suspicious of businesses using a co-working space as a business address, so keyword stuffing the name will not only make it more difficult to get the profile verified, but it will also be easier for spam fighters or close competitors to spot and target. Even a single suggested edit or redressal form submission could lead to a suspension. It’s best practice to make sure your client’s business name matches all physical signage and proof of their business. 2. Pay Close Attention to the Business CategoryCheck with the owners to see how many other similar business types are using the space. If one of the other businesses has a Business Profile that shares the same business category, or competes for any overlapping keywords, it’s very likely one of the Business Profiles will get filtered. 3. Pay Attention to the ‘Located In’ FeatureDepending on the co-working or shared space, you may see a ‘Located In’ feature within your knowledge panel: If you don’t see this on your client’s Business Profile you may consider adding it to help their clients or customers easily find the co-working space. To include the ‘Located In’ feature, pull up your client’s Business Profile and click ‘Suggest an edit’. Under the ‘Change name or other details’ scroll down below the map and you’ll see a ‘Located within’ section. Add the co-working space it’s located in, and then hit ‘Send’. If you don’t see the change go live within three business days, reach out to Google Business Profile Help to escalate the request. 4. Don’t Forget about Including a Service AreaDoes your client’s business also meet customers where they live? If so, then include a service area. Not everyone wants to leave their homes, so if your client’s business provides services at their customer’s locations as well as at the co-working space, then showcase that on the Business Profile! Remember, if the business only meets with clients or customers outside of the co-working or shared space, do not create a GBP listing with this address. 5. Make Sure Your Hours of Operation Don’t Contradict the Hours of Operation for the Co-working SpaceCustomers need to be able to visit the business during the stated business hours. This is especially important if you have the ‘Located in’ feature present on your client’s Business Profile. An agency located in this co-working space: The actual hours of the co-working space: If the business hours contradict the co-working space’s hours, it could be a red flag for a potential suspension—plus it’s also easier for spam fighters to recognize! 6. Highlight Any Additional Products or Services That Fall Outside Regular Business Hours for JustificationsNot all parts of the business have to revolve around customers visiting in person—depending on your business category, you may have the option to include products or services. If the business has any unique side services or products, highlight these directly in the Google Business Profile. For example, if your client is a small business consisting of a couple of developers who staff a 24-hour emergency phone line, you can include this in the list of services (just don’t include a phone number or URL because Google doesn’t allow that). If the business is a group of tutors who also provide online courses that someone can purchase without seeing your client in person, create product posts. 7. Provide Extra Details about the Business in Google PostsA lot can be posted to help prove the business follows all guidelines, such as the business staff being available at the co-working space during stated business hours. Here are some different types of posts that might be worth sharing:
Posting regularly won’t prove the business’s eligibility or stop them from getting suspended, but it can help build up enough dated proof that the business is staffed, that there’s permanent signage, and that it’s meeting with customers during stated business hours. Suspensions can (and will) happen, but every bit of proof you can get your hands on—in this case screenshots with dates—will make it easier to get reinstated. For more tips and tricks, check out Claire Carlile’s guide to Google Posts. 8. Don’t Forget about UTM ParametersThis isn’t necessarily specific to Google Business Profiles for co-working spaces, but UTM parameters are the best way to track traffic coming from your GBP listing and Google Posts! If you’re not already tracking website clicks on your clients Business Profile, I recommend getting familiar with Claire Carlile’s guide on UTM parameters. 9. Pictures Are Worth a Thousand WordsRegularly update images of the business staff in the co-working space. This isn’t just to prove it’s staffed, it can help showcase what clients or customers can expect from the business and what the day-to-day work looks like. It’s also helpful to remember to update the photos section of the Business Profile listing with images of the following:
10. Use the Question & Answer Feature to Provide Detailed Directions or InstructionsThe Question and Answer (Q&A) feature on Business Profiles is still underutilized across many industries. For co-working and shared office spaces, this is a great opportunity to provide more detailed directions to find the business. Some shared offices may also have special instructions on how to access the space. The Q&A feature is a great way to provide those instructions directly on your client’s Business Profile. Questions for Using Co-working Spaces and GoogleThese are some of the questions that people have already asked us about listing shared workspaces on a Google Business Profile. Let us know any others in the comments at the bottom of this post! What happens if the business is hot-desking at a shared office space?Hot-desking is when a workplace allocates desks to workers on either a first-come, first-served basis or on a rotating schedule, rather than assigning a specific desk for each individual worker. In a co-working or shared office space this might mean there’s no specific desk or room available to rent, rather it’s dependent on the day. As a result, your client’s business may be unable to have permanent signage. Some co-working and shared office spaces may include permanent signage at the entrance or in their business directory. Check with the owners to find out! What about ‘by appointment only’ businesses?As long as your client’s business can prove or commit to being regularly staffed at the co-working or shared space, you can still create a Business Profile. However, for ‘by appointment only’ businesses, Google still recommends you remove the business hours from your client’s profile. You can then highlight in the business description, or in a COVID-19 post, that your client’s business is ‘by appointment only’. Be wary that this can look suspicious to spam fighters or competitors if you can’t prove that the business is still regularly staffed at this shared space. How long can a business use a shared office space?A business can use a shared office for as long as it’s allowed to rent that space, but it’s best practice to stay at the same place for at least one year, if not more, to avoid having to change address. Remember, using a co-working or shared office space as an address is already a red flag for suspension, so if the business has to change address often, this might not be a great option. Updating the address on your client’s Business Profile also triggers re-verification that (lately) can take up to three or four months for the verification postcard to arrive. More often than not, I’m unable to re-verify a Business Profile listing using any other method but the dreaded snail mail. What should your client do when it’s time for them to renew?Unfortunately, renewing a contract at a co-working or shared office space can involve a change in what office or desk space the business occupies. Sometimes they may not be able to renew at all, requiring a change of address. If so, you’ll want to make sure you document everything regarding the move. This includes documented proof of both the old and new address as well as updated images of signage or any other physical marketing materials showcasing the real-world business name. Tip: To avoid a higher risk of suspension, tell your client to find a co-working space that can be secured for more than a year. Cautions About Using Co-working Spaces for a Business on GoogleThere’s a lot of spam in Google Maps from businesses not utilizing co-working or shared office spaces correctly. These spammy Business Profiles then make it harder for Business Profiles that have been accurately set up and managed to avoid unnecessary suspensions. Competitors are also more likely to be able to get your client’s Business Profile suspended by filling out a redressal complaint form. Even if you have all the proof that your client’s business is following Google Business Profile guidelines, Ben Fischer shares that it’s difficult to get reinstated and that Google is “just no good at policing it”. Ongoing Optimization to Your Client’s Business ProfileIf you’re able to verify a Business Profile using a co-working or shared office space as the address, have all the documentation and proof you think you might need and monitor your client’s Business Profile closely. As time goes on, keep up with the following features:
All of these things will help you to maintain accurate information that is not only beneficial to the business’s clients or customers, but can also help to avoid a GBP suspension. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3oQXHkl Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ Building a Local SEO Strategy for Multi-location Businesses: What You Need to Audit and Why11/22/2021 This is an edited excerpt of the ‘Elements to Audit and Why’ lesson from Amanda Jordan’s free ‘How to Perform Local SEO Audits for Multi-location Businesses’ course in BrightLocal Academy. In order to build a strong SEO strategy for any multi-location business, you need to conduct a thorough local SEO audit. This audit will enable you to understand where the business is flourishing and where it’s failing in local search. This will help you to create a successful strategy that will allow the business to focus its efforts in all of the right places. Before you can conduct a local SEO audit, you first need to understand what to audit and why. My local SEO audits include multiple sections focusing on the different principles that impact rankings, as well as those that have the ability to convert searchers into customers. These sections include:
While how important each of these actions is can be debated, local SEO professionals generally agree that all of these factors impact rankings. Let’s take a look at each one in more detail. Google Business Profile ListingA recent survey from Whitespark found that Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is THE number one ranking factor for the Local Pack. This means that a Google Business Profile (GBP) listing is the foundation for all ranking factors. After all, you can’t rank in Google Maps without a GBP listing. There are several elements of a Google Business Profile that impact your ability to rank or convert, such as Google Reviews, business categories, and business attributes. So knowing how well a client’s GBP listing is performing is essential for a local SEO audit. Online ReputationAccording to the Whitespark survey, reviews are the second most important factor for ranking in the Local Pack. This means that Google reviews from customers that include keywords about your client’s products or services are critical to their search success. Your client’s overall online reputation is extremely important for conversions. This means you should be aware of results across all platforms for searches related to your client’s reputation. For example “company x reviews,” “is x a good company,” and “reviews for company x.” Google Business Profile Landing PageWithin a GBP listing, a business can provide a link to its website. The content on this site can impact online rankings in Google Maps and organic search results. So it’s important to know how well the homepage is optimized for your client’s top products and services. It’s also wise to have a clear unique value proposition and conversion opportunity on this page. Additionally, ensure searchers are provided with the information they need to encourage them to choose your client over a competitor. The page should answer these questions:
CitationsFor those of you who aren’t familiar, citations are online mentions of your client’s business name, address, and phone number. This is often within social media listings and directories, but also includes anywhere online where this data is shown. Google often uses third-party data in Google Business Profile. When data on directory listings and third-party sites is incorrect, it can lead to Google pulling inaccurate data about a business. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your client’s data is correct everywhere in case a searcher finds the business on a third-party site. There is thought to be a strong correlation between the quantity and quality of citations, and rankings. Citations also often provide links to your client’s website, which can be extremely helpful for businesses who need help building links. For your audit, you’ll need to track the business’s citations. This is so you know where it’s listed and how accurate the information in those listings is. You will also want to find out which citations the top competitors have that this business doesn’t so it can level up. BacklinksBacklinks are links to a client’s website from any other website. While link building is not always considered to be within the remit of a local SEO, there are ways to use your local SEO expertise to provide insight into backlink opportunities. Backlinks help improve rankings in organic results, as well as in Google Maps, so they’re extremely important and need to be part of a local SEO audit. To be able to offer your client recommendations on their backlinks, and help them close the gap on their competition, you’ll need to know what backlinks they already have and which ones their competitors have. Want to learn how to audit each of these elements for any multi-location business? Head over to BrightLocal Academy and enrol on Amanda’s ‘How to Perform Local SEO Audits for Multi-location Businesses’ course for free! via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3kVqgMs Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ The creation and management of local citations is foundational to a comprehensive local SEO strategy. If you’re a business owner who isn’t currently harnessing the power of citations, then you’ll want to learn more about these simple SEO-boosting assets. What are local citations?Local citations are listings of a business’s information online. As a local business owner, building these citations should be one of the starting points for expanding your visibility and authority online. The information included in a local citation is primarily the business name, address, and phone number—also known as NAP data. A link to your website can also often be included, and this link naturally has SEO benefits. Adding your business information to directories and other third-party websites will help consumers to find your business online. Doing so also serves to boost how authoritative and trustworthy Google considers your business to be--more on this later! Below you can see a typical example of a local citation. What are the different types of local citations?There are two different types of local citations—structured and unstructured. What are structured citations?Structured citations are the most common type of local citation. They’re the listings of your business on relevant business directories and third-party websites. These websites are huge, pre-existing databases of business information that Google already trusts. When it comes to structured citations, being listed on the directories that are most relevant to your industry is key. On the more general directories and other sites, choosing the most appropriate category for your business is essential. This helps Google to understand your products or services and helps the right customers find you. What are unstructured citations?Unstructured citations are mentions of key business data on a page, but where the information isn’t grouped together. This is likely to happen if your business is mentioned in an online news article or a blog post, such as the example below from Westgate Resorts. As you can see, the name of the bar is referenced throughout the text, with the address and phone number appearing at the end. Although unstructured citations aren’t as immediately obvious to search engines as the structured variety, they are valuable to local SEO. The value of unstructured citations is influenced by three factors:
LocationIf your business is mentioned on a website that is connected to your local area, then this is likely to be more valuable than a mention on a website with no local connection. This is true of both the potential SEO value and also the potential for local residents to discover your business from this mention. Industry RelevanceAppearing on websites that are related to your industry or niche is helpful from an SEO perspective. This also helps to put your message in front of interested people. For example, if you run a bakery, and a nearby café talks about your goods on its website, this could be more valuable than being referenced on a textile company’s website. Website AuthorityWebsite authority—or domain authority—is important to consider when determining the value of unstructured citations. If the website the citation appears on has a high domain authority, then this citation will likely be more valuable to you than one from a website with low domain authority. This is because domain authority is a recognized signifier of a website’s rankability in the eyes of Google. What are the core components of local citations?NAP information is always the core component of local citations. Local SEO citations might also feature:
There may also be additional features, depending on the site in question. For example, Manta (as seen below) allows businesses to feature NAP citations data, an ‘About’ section, website link, map directions, and opening hours. The site also offers separate tabs within the listing for additional contact information, details, and reviews. Popular Local Citations SitesThere are many different directory sites that you can create listings on. Some of the best platforms for local businesses to build citations are: What about sites like Google, Facebook, Apple Maps, and Yelp? These are all technically places where local citations exist. However, as people are engaging with them far more regularly, they require much more management than standard citations sites, which is what we’re exploring here. The high level of engagement these giant sites and services receive means that we refer to them instead as part of the ‘engagement layer’ of listings management. Citation sites, on the other hand, make up the ‘authority layer’, as accurate data on these sites helps boost authority with search engines. Why are citations beneficial for local SEO?Building citations is beneficial for SEO because it helps Google—and other search engines—to trust the authenticity of your business and the accuracy of your information. When Google can see that exactly the same information exists across a number of trusted websites, then this trust can be passed on to your business. NAP citation consistency is therefore particularly important for enjoying the maximum SEO benefit of local citations. This means that your business name, address, and phone number must be accurate across all of the websites on which your business is listed. Although links are great, a local citation doesn’t need to link to your business website in order for it to have SEO advantages. Google will identify that your business has been mentioned through the presence of your NAP citations data, and this is enough to influence trust signals towards your brand. What’s the problem with inaccurate business listings?Inaccurate citations are problematic because they can cause a decrease in the level of trust Google has in your business. Conflicting information could be seen as misleading, and this can often come down to seemingly insignificant differences, such as spellings and abbreviations. For example, if you use a shortened version of your business name on certain sites, but use the business name in full for other listings, then this may appear to be two separate businesses in the eyes of Google. This might mean that less authority is attributed to your website as a result. Inaccurate business listings can also confuse and deter potential customers. If someone finds your business through a directory, but the contact details are incorrect, then they may struggle to communicate with you. This could cause them to shift their attention—and their money—to one of your competitors. Did you know? 63% of consumers say that finding incorrect information would actively stop them from choosing your business. Our own research shows which inaccurate elements cause consumers the most frustration. Unsurprisingly name, address and phone number make up the top three: Additionally, if your citations become outdated, such as due to a change in address, then it’s important to resolve this without delay. Accidentally directing potential customers to your old business location could cause frustration for them, and the loss of a sale for you. What are the business benefits of building citations?Getting listed on business directories and third-party websites is generally free, making it a cost-effective way to boost awareness of your brand. When customers search on Google for specific services, business directories will often feature in the results. Therefore, having a presence on these sites can help to put your business in front of more consumers. Additionally, a number of business directory sites allow customers to leave reviews. Positive reviews can go a long way to bolstering your business reputation, so the more sites you can build these assets on, the better! Ready to build citations?Now that you understand the advantages of building local citations, you’ll want to get started right away. Here are some guides to adding and claiming listings on popular citation sites: Creating local citations by yourself can be a lengthy and repetitive task. Fortunately, our Citation Builder service does all the hard work for you, leaving you more time to grow your business and focus on more enjoyable tasks! via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/32gfdqJ Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ 26% of adults in the US live with a disability—but less than 1% of the top million website homepages meet the most widely used accessibility standards. That’s a lot of potential customers who aren’t getting a good brand experience, which is bad for them and for those businesses’ bottom-lines. This article will help you identify common areas of poor website accessibility, and provides recommendations, tools, and additional resources to improve inclusion-for-all. As well as addressing current issues, this will enable you to create an accessibility checklist to draw upon moving forwards. What is web accessibility?The goal of website accessibility is ‘inclusion-for-all’—meaning that nobody is excluded from doing something because of the extra time or effort required. This means accounting for a range of temporary and permanent user situations, and the tools then used as part of these, such as:
It’s important to note that these are just some examples that reflect a range of potential situations. Making your website usable for one or two situational groups doesn’t mean that it’s accessible, and assuming that a specific group of people don’t visit your website is just bad marketing. A Post-pandemic AudienceIf a person has difficulty using a website, they’ll likely bounce to another one where the experience is better. This can result in lower sales, fewer newsletter sign-ups for your future pipeline, and even increased customer service costs (ever had to stop work and explain to someone how to use the website?) Digital accessible design boosts customer satisfaction through increased usability. From a business point of view, this decreases bounce rates, boosts conversions rates, and improves search engine visibility. The latest COVID web statistics show that almost 70% of internet consumers have much higher expectations for businesses’ digital capabilities than they did pre-pandemic. The benefits of an inclusive digital policy have now been amplified, and offer any business the opportunity of a real competitive advantage. A word of warning: effective website accessibility implementation is like technical SEO… it requires a range of people to understand its importance, and to all be working towards a unified goal. This means that content producers, designers, developers—anyone with input on how a website looks, reads or works—need to be involved from the very beginning. In the same way that there’s a constant balance between having an all-singing website and one that loads quickly, there will need to be conversations around making a website work well for one audience while still making it appealing to others. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) are the guardians of web accessibility, with the goal of “providing a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.” Under Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, accessibility is organized into four main principles, stating that content must be: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
These four principles apply not only to web pages, but also to other kinds of digital materials, like online videos and PDFs. In order for a website to be considered accessible, everything on it needs to have Level AA conformance with the (WCAG) 2.0. Content AccessibilityContent refers to the written words, images, and other information on the page. The content of your site should be legible and easy to understand. This applies not just for users who are visually impaired, but also for those who may not know certain words or phrases. While visuals can enhance a user experience, they can often be subjective or unclear in meaning. Address this potential issue by adding alt text and (unique) image descriptions. See what a screen reader sees and test your site with these free tools: JargonKeep your website free from jargon (or if you do use it, make sure you include a reference resource, such as this local SEO glossary). While it’s possible that some terms may be understood by all readers, it’s best practice to avoid them where you can. Anchor TextScreen readers are programs that read the written content of webpages out loud. They can get confused when anchor text is generic. For example, ‘Click Here’ isn’t suitable as a screen reader can’t see the cursor. Make your anchor text specific to help screen readers jump straight to the relevant content. “Book an appointment at our Brooklyn medical practice”, is more descriptive. This will help screen readers—and so help blind and visually impaired users—find the information that they’re looking for. Alt TextYou may have seen alt text appear on a website when an image doesn’t load (for example if you were using slow mobile internet). This written substitute provides the context for what should have been shown, and screen readers use this in the same way. Empty alt text means that screen readers will skip over the image. If an image is being used purely for decoration, set the alt to <alt=””> to speed up a screen reader’s journey towards the main content. Alt text is also used by search engines to understand a website and determine what content should be indexed in the search results, which in turn helps visibility in search rankings. Alt text also goes by the names ‘alt tag’, ‘alt attribute’, and—confusingly—’alt description’, but these all refer to the same thing. Never embed text into an image without providing a text alternative. Things like graphs of success, photographs of menus, SaaS dashboard screenshots—without alt text these all add zero value to screen reader users and search engines alike. Image DescriptionsThe image description is a separate field that’s used to provide more complete information about a picture, graph, etc., and with a greater depth than the alt text (which shouldn’t really go above 80 characters). Remember to include ‘local’ information in these descriptions where appropriate—if you’re showing off a client’s showroom, restaurant, or store, then be sure to mention its location. Image Titles / Image CaptionsImage titles and captions don’t need to be added for every image, however, it’s still worth covering the benefits of their use:
VideosThe guidance here is simple… never show text that you don’t read out loud, always add subtitles, and never rely on YouTube’s automatic captioning feature. Form AccessibilityForms are the primary way by which users request information from websites. Best practice is to limit the amount of data that you ask for, and this goes double for required data. Also, be aware that screen readers may not read out asterisks—instead ARIA can be used to indicate required/optional fields. Other form best practice recommendations include:
A note on ARIA roles: these are attributes that can be added to HTML elements to add more meaning to the purpose of the element. For example, if a website is using a lot of <div> instead of semantic HTML elements like <header> , <main> , and <nav> , you can add an ARIA role to specify their purpose without having to change any markup. However, while ARIA is a suitable solution for features not currently available in HTML, native HTML elements or attributes should always remain the first implementation choice. Links and ButtonsNearly all forms have some sort of ‘submit’ area, either with a text link or an image link, usually in the style of a button:
User Actions
Code AccessibilityHow well your site works for visitors has a lot to do with how well browsers can understand it, and its position in the search results has a lot to do with how well search engines can understand it. As with technical SEO, good code accessibility means moving away from how a website looks and feels, and instead towards how well it can be understood and navigated by both users and search engines. CSS and HTMLMake sure that your CSS is written in a way so it can be overridden if necessary, for example by adding !important onto the end of selectors. This will ensure users with certain stylesheets or browsers won’t have their style overridden from what they need. Other code readability recommendations:
BreadcrumbsBreadcrumbs are designed to help users understand where they are within a website’s structure, and how it links together. They usually appear as a series of links that show the webpage’s location in relation to other pages on the site. So something like ‘Contact Us’ with three links under it saying ‘About Us’, ‘Our Products’ and ‘Tutorials’. Breadcrumbs are very important from an accessibility perspective because many users rely on them for navigational context. This is particularly true for those who don’t have much experience navigating websites, or those with cognitive disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Make sure that breadcrumb anchor text is descriptive. Descriptive link text not only tells users where they are but also gives them an idea of where the next part of the breadcrumb trail will lead. Keyboard NavigationIncorporate keyboard navigation so blind users can use Braille keyboards to find their way around without a mouse. This can be done by focusing on what order different parts of the website should appear in, and making more advanced elements easily available through keyboard shortcuts. Manual Adjustment OptionsFinally, there’s coding a website so that it offers manual adjustment options—allowing users to self-serve an experience that works for them. Text sizeDon’t dictate how large text should be, or rely on a user changing their browser settings to accommodate your website. Provide an option to change the size of text in situ, as you’ll be able to control the experience so that pages remain pleasing to the eye. ColorsThere are various types of color blindess, and so a preset alternative palette should be offered to account for each (including monochrome). Resources and tools for colors: ContrastMany websites already offer a ‘dark mode’ experience to meet WCAG guidelines, while others go the extra step and allow users to adjust levels to meet their individual needs. Resource for contrast: Wrapping Up Web AccessibilityDesigning for web accessibility and inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the ability to enjoy your website. The benefits to the business are simple—a larger website audience means more engagement with your brand, and more conversions at the end. And since search engines want their users to have a good experience, following accessibility and inclusion recommendations will mean better rankings, too. Other introductory resources: So what do you think? Has designing for WCAG accessibility made a difference to your business? Are you struggling with hitting those AA guidelines? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3FfXttw Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ As a business owner, you’ll already know just how powerful a positive reputation is. Perception of your business will have a strong influence over whether a potential customer makes a purchase or not. It also plays a part in turning a first-time customer into a loyal fan of your brand. One of the best ways to build and boost your reputation online is through Google business reviews. Although Google isn’t the only place you can receive this kind of feedback, it’s undeniably the most commonly-used tool for finding information online. This means it should always be your first port of call when building your reputation! Google Reviews For BusinessGoogle reviews are left by customers on your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) listing. You, as the business owner, then have the option to respond to this feedback. Doing so is a fantastic way to demonstrate that you’re engaged with your audience and that their feedback is valuable to you. These reviews are important for a number of reasons, which we’ll explore further later! Giving a Google Business ReviewTo leave a Google business review, a customer must give a star rating out of five—with five being the highest mark and one being the lowest. Based on this, Google allocates an overall star rating to your business, which is then visible alongside your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing. The more stars you have, the more confidence potential customers will have in your business. While giving a review, users also have the option to write in detail about their experience and to add photos: Photos added during a review of your business will automatically feature in your GBP listing. You won’t have any control over which photos get shown, or in which order they appear, but you can flag a photo for removal if you feel it violates the Google Photo Guidelines. Once a review is submitted by a customer, it’ll become visible on your business listing. Each review will feature the name and profile photo of the person who wrote it, which helps potential customers assess the legitimacy of each recommendation. Anyone can click through to a user’s profile and read all of the reviews they’ve left on GBP listings. Being able to check previous reviews can help a user trust in the validity of a person’s experience. Google Local GuidesAs well as getting reviews from regular users, you may also get them from Google Local Guides. Involvement in the Google Local Guides program requires contributors to submit reviews and photos of local businesses, as well as to make edits to business information, answer questions, and check facts on Google Maps. Guides are rewarded for their contributions with special perks and badges--read more about Google Local Guides here. Where do Google reviews for businesses appear online?The Local PackWhen a user searches for a local business in Google, they’ll usually be presented with the best three results at the top of the page. These three results are separate from the additional organic listings, and this section is known as the Local Pack. Within the Local Pack, the average star rating from reviews will be shown within the listing: Google MapsWhen a user is searching for local businesses in Google Maps, the reviews will appear within each result as a star rating: When a user makes a specific search for a particular business within Google Maps, they’ll be presented with comprehensive information from the GBP listing to the left of the map. Users can scroll down through this area to find the review summary with an overall star rating, followed by photos and snippets from reviews. These reviews can be filtered by keywords, or sorted according to relevance, recency, and rating: Review JustificationsWhen a searcher provides specific intent for a local search, such as ‘vegetarian cafe’, then Google will take information from reviews to provide the most relevant results. As you can see in the image below, part of the search term appears in bold where mentioned—these results are known as review justifications. Encouraging your customers to use specific keywords when leaving reviews can help you to improve your search visibility for relevant terms. Your WebsiteAs well as appearing in various places in Google Search and Maps, Google reviews can also feature directly on your business website. You’ll definitely want to show yours off so that prospective customers can better understand the benefits and value of your business. Our Showcase Reviews widget is an easy-to-use tool that enables you to display your Google reviews on your website. This tool also allows you to showcase your customer feedback from more than 80 other review sites! Why are Google reviews for businesses important?As many as 96% of consumers will read responses to their reviews, with many expecting a prompt reply as standard. This expectation means that responding to reviews has become a normal aspect of good customer service. Earning a consistent stream of positive reviews from past and present customers will encourage others to have trust in your business. Amplifying your online reputation through reviews is a free way to increase sales and grow your future profits. What’s more, research has determined review responses to be a Google ranking signal, meaning you can easily give your brand a boost by simply taking the time to reply. How to set up Google reviews for your businessIf you don’t have a Google Business Profile listing for your business, then you’ll need to set one up before you can start collecting reviews. Read our step-by-step guide on setting up a GBP listing to get started. Once your listing is set up, you should spend some time optimizing it before you move on to thinking about reviews. For full details on how to optimize GBP, check out chapter three of our Complete Guide to Google My Business. In Google Business Profile, managers of single listings now manage their profiles—and their reviews—directly within Google Search and Google Maps. Simply type the name of your business into the search bar, and you’ll bring up the GBP control panel. From here, you can navigate to the ‘Customers’ section, where you’ll find the ‘Reviews’ area. Here you can view and reply to customer feedback: How to get more Google reviews for your businessRequesting feedback from your customers might not always be as easy as it sounds. Check out Brian Barwig’s guide to asking for reviews for some simple tips on getting started, as well as an expansion on the many benefits of getting more reviews. For more in-depth guidance on getting reviews specifically on Google, check out this dedicated guide. How to respond to Google business reviewsResponding to your customer feedback is essential for building and maintaining an amazing reputation. You’ll be notified by Google whenever a customer leaves you a new review—making the monitoring process practically effortless. However, once you receive a notification email, you shouldn’t put off providing a response. Types of reviews can be broken down into three categories:
Regardless of the sentiment or legitimacy of a review, it’s still important that you respond! Always responding in a timely and professional way can be tricky. Fortunately, we’ve taken the hard work out of it for you with these review response templates. How to respond to positive Google reviews for your businessYou’ve received a positive review—great! You now have an opportunity to build upon your relationship with the reviewer and hopefully turn them into a repeat customer. Begin by thanking the customer (by name) for taking the time to leave their comments. You should then address the feedback in a personable way. Make sure to reference any specific points that they have raised to avoid a ‘cookie cutter’-sounding response. It’s a good idea to always end your reply by inviting the customer to visit your business again soon. How to respond to negative Google reviews for your businessNegative reviews are not only disheartening, but can also be damaging to your reputation. Whenever you receive negative feedback, avoid the urge to immediately reply. Instead, take some time to absorb this feedback and to craft an appropriate response. You may have an opportunity to turn this situation around, and to repair the relationship with the unhappy customer. A negative review response should still begin by thanking the customer for sharing their thoughts. Continue by apologizing for the negative experience, and invite the customer to share further feedback on what went wrong. Make sure you supply contact details should they wish to discuss the matter further. You should also always make it clear that you’d like the opportunity to put things right. Find out more in our dedicated and detailed guide to responding to negative reviews online. How to respond to fake Google business reviewsFake reviews can be just as harmful to your reputation as negative ones…and even more frustrating to deal with. If you receive a review and you believe it to be fake, then stay calm and refrain from responding immediately. Take some time to figure out if the feedback has come from a genuine customer or not. If you think it’s fake, then politely respond by asking the customer to get in touch directly. You can then decide if you want to report the incident to Google or not. Google has created a tool specifically for requesting the removal of fake reviews which also helps business owners to track and manage the escalation process. Getting to grips with this tool will help you to understand how to delete Google business reviews. A BrightLocal study revealed that a shocking 82% of consumers will have read a fake review in the last year, demonstrating just how prevalent this problem is. Trust in Online ReviewsWord-of-mouth advertising has long been recognized as one of the most powerful methods of marketing, and this is still true today. For example, we know that 92% of consumers would trust a product or service recommendation from someone they know over any other type of advertising. In the digital age, online reviews are effectively word-of-mouth recommendations between strangers. Although these reviews don’t have the same personal touch as those from friends or family, they are generally perceived as a trusted source of information by consumers. Research has shown that 84% of people trust online recommendations just as much as they trust those from their peers. This highlights the importance of establishing and maintaining a positive reputation online. This can be achieved through:
Getting the Word OutNow that you are all set up with your Google Business Profile listing and the reviews are starting to come in, you’ll want to do all you can to get the word out there! Our free review link generator allows you to generate a Google review link for your customers that can be easily shared to encourage more feedback. Conquered Google Business Reviews?When you’ve conquered the process of getting Google business reviews, responding to them, and using them to your business advantage, you’ll be asking yourself “what’s next?” Depending on the size of your to-do list, you’ll be pleased to know there are many other places online that you can source customer feedback and enhance your reputation. Ready to discover the next steps in your customer satisfaction journey? Let’s go! via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3qBW64x Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ Adventures in Local Marketing is back for a second season! Throughout season two, we’re going to be branching out to cover a broad range of topics to truly help you become better at local marketing. Amanda Jordan is our first guest of the season, and we have been lucky enough to hear her valuable insights on the local SEO issues faced by multi-location businesses. This is a topic we haven’t had the opportunity to explore in-depth before, so it was great to sit down with Amanda and listen to her advice. Having worked in the industry for over ten years, Amanda has a great deal of firsthand SEO experience with large companies. As you’ll learn, multi-location businesses face unique challenges when it comes to local SEO, but all of these hurdles can be overcome with a powerful strategy. Listen to learn:
Resources:
Subscribe todayIf you like what you hear and want instant access to the latest episodes, be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:
Tell us what you think:Are you an SEO agency working with multi-location businesses? We’d love to hear about it. Head to the comments and let us know how you use it and how it gives you the edge in local search. And be sure to share your thoughts on the episode while you’re there! via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3wyK5hc Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ Update Nov 5, 2022: Search Engine Land has reported that “if … you are a local SEO that manages a number of businesses, you will still continue to use an interface like Google My Business, renamed to Business Profile Manager going forward,” so that should put some local SEOs’ fears to rest. Google has announced that it’s renaming Google My Business to Google Business Profile, amid a number of additional developments within the local business management tool. Local SEO experts have been quick to react to the update, and we’ve taken our own look to see what has actually changed for local business owners. What’s new with Google Business Profiles?In addition to the name change, Google has announced that single listings will now be managed directly within Google Maps and Google Search. To manage a listing, the owner can simply type their business name into Google Search. They’ll then be presented with this control panel: Managers can easily edit their profiles in this way without leaving Search. It’s worth noting that this is not a new feature, and listings managers have been able to control their assets in this way for a while. However, the company is now making it clear that all single listings should be managed in this way, as opposed to through the soon-to-be-outdated Google My Business model. In 2022, the company plans to retire the Google My Business app entirely to encourage merchants to take full advantage of the upgraded Search and Maps functions. What about businesses with multiple locations?For those with multiple locations to manage, the existing GMB interface—now known as Business Profile Manager—will continue to be the place to manage these listings. Google has explained that the existing Google My Business web experience will eventually transition to primarily support large multi-location businesses. More Power to Google Maps and SearchGoogle has also announced that additional tools will soon become available to help businesses understand and boost their local search performance. For now, it’s added the ability to do more things directly from Google Maps and Search, including:
Local SEO Experts React to the NewsGoogle has stated that the reason for the name change is to “keep things simple,” however, some local business marketers have expressed cynicism regarding the sudden development. Dan Leibson, COO of Local SEO Guide, said,
Joy Hawkins, Founder of Sterling Sky, commented,
Senior SEO specialist Andy Simpson added,
Tim Capper, GMB Product Expert and Local SEO Consultant at Online Ownership, commented,
SEO Strategist Kim Doughty, of RicketyRoo, said,
Colan Neilson, Vice President of Sterling Sky, commented,
Moz’s Miriam Ellis said,
Liz Linder, SEO strategist at Kick Point, stated,
Amy Toman, SEO specialist at Digital Law Marketing, said,
What do you think?What’s your take on this development? Is it a fundamental shift for the local SEO platform, or just a name change with a few additional features? From our end, we’re not looking forward to the natural confusion between GBP as Google Business Profile and Great British Pound! Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3wiOVPb Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ Angi, formerly known as Angie’s List, is a home-services review website that connects consumers in the US with local businesses and tradespeople. For more than 25 years, this popular online business directory has been helping people find top-rated services through a system of reliable reviews. With around 60,000 reviews being submitted to Angi each month from real customers, it’s easy to see which service providers are the best choice for a job. If your company provides home services, then you’ll want to claim or add your Angi business listing. Being present on the site is a great way to get discovered by consumers who are currently looking for help in the local areas that you serve. What’s more, Angi provides a range of tools to help you grow your brand online. If you’re asking yourself, “how do I get my business listed on Angi?” then read on for step-by-step instructions! How to Get Listed on AngiStep 1. Go to www.angi.com and click on ‘Join Our Pro Network’: Step 2. Click on the ‘List my business’ button (or sign in if you already have an account): Step 3. Start typing the service that you offer and select the best option from the suggestions that will appear: Step 4. Add your business location zip code, then click ‘Get Started’: Step 5. Enter your business contact details, then click ‘Next’: Step 6. Enter the email and password, make sure you check the box to agree with T&Cs, then click ‘Create Account’: If your business is already listed on Angi, then it should automatically appear. If it does, then click on ‘Claim’ (if the business is claimable) and follow the appropriate steps: Step 7. If you’re adding a business that isn’t listed and doesn’t have any close matches, you’ll see a pop-up with additional information. Click ‘Got It’: Step 8. You’ll then be asked to add a business description—this is a mandatory field. Add the description and click ‘Next’: Step 9. Here you can add additional business categories. Add anything suitable or leave blank and click ‘Next’: Step 10. If necessary, adjust the map pin to match your location/service area and then click ‘Done’: Step 11. You’ll be asked to download the phone app. If you don’t want to do this click ‘No thanks, take me to the Business Center’: Step 12. You’ll then be redirected to the main dashboard. Here you can complete the business information by selecting the ‘Complete Your Profile’ option to add more content: Step 13. Correct existing details if necessary and add more information. You should also upload some media content: Step 14. Your listing will only become visible and searchable within angi.com once it gets some reviews. Share Your Review LinkTo get the URL for your angi.com profile to share with others, go to the main dashboard, click on ‘Reviews’, and then select ‘View reviews’ from the drop-down option: You’ll see the reviews overview page. Click on ‘Copy Link’ and share it with your clients: Be sure to share your Angie’s List / Angi review link with your past and present clients so that you can start to build a fantastic reputation on the site. This will help potential future clients to trust in the quality of your work and to understand why they should hire your business. If you have any tips or tricks for succeeding on this site, then be sure to let us know in the comments below! via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3CKPJir Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ Developing an effective SEO strategy is a process that requires time, knowledge, and the right tools. It also requires an adequate amount of insightful preparation! Before getting started with a new strategy, it’s important to conduct an SEO audit. This audit will be the foundation of your marketing efforts and will help you to develop a full understanding of the project. When there are multiple locations of the same business to consider, there will also be additional considerations for your ongoing SEO strategy. In this instance, compiling a comprehensive local SEO audit will enable you to approach your project with confidence and expertise. Our new BrightLocal Academy course--How to Perform Local SEO Audits for Multi-location Businesses—will teach you all you need to know to develop a winning process for auditing the SEO of tons of locations at a time. This course—which is the only professional training available on this topic—has been created in collaboration with local search expert, Amanda Jordan. During the course, Amanda will teach you:
Through the ten video lessons, you will learn how to create actionable audits, whether the company you’re working with has two locations or two hundred! You’ll also learn how to use a variety of free and paid tools, including some of those available from BrightLocal. Watch this video to find out what it’s all about… Who is this course for?This course has been created for anyone who works with, or for, a multi-location business. It will be helpful for those who are new to local SEO as well as for advanced marketers who want to brush up on their skills. How can I join?Whether you’re a BrightLocal customer or not, you can get access to this course. You can also be among the first to find out when new courses drop by enrolling for free. Here’s how… If you’re a BrightLocal customer, you can access the academy via your BrightLocal account. Simply log in, click ‘Learning Resources’ at the top of the screen and select ‘BrightLocal Academy’ from the dropdown menu. You’ll be taken straight to your BrightLocal Academy account page, where you can enroll on the ‘How to Perform Local SEO Audits for Multi-location Businesses’ course. If you’re not a BrightLocal customer, you can join BrightLocal Academy for free here and follow the same steps above to enroll on the course. Want to know more about BrightLocal Academy?Check out the official BrightLocal Academy FAQs here: What is BrightLocal Academy, how does it work, and how can I enroll? What courses does BrightLocal Academy offer and how long do they take? If you have any questions of your own, feel free to get in touch with us or leave a comment below. We hope you find this fresh new course useful, and we can’t wait to hear how it’s helped you improve your local SEO skills. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3k8psmK Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2023
Categories |