Many local businesses have noticed huge fluctuations in their local search rankings over the last few weeks, with Google now confirming an important update to the local algorithm. Rolling out between November 30th and December 8th, this update has been named ‘Vicinity’ by Sterling Sky. This is the largest change to the local algorithm since Possum in 2016 and has caused widespread ranking disruption. Google confirmed the update in a tweet on December 16th:
What’s Vicinity All About?This update is named after the fact that it seems to primarily target proximity as a ranking factor. Although proximity has long been an important signal for local search results, it’s also been the case that businesses can optimize to successfully rank far from their actual business location. Through the Vicinity update, Google now appears to be clamping down on this, which will naturally make local search results more relevant to the user. In terms of the benefit to businesses, this gives them a greater chance to rank well in relevant local searches, as they’ll be competing less with businesses that are further away. When it comes to adding keywords into the business name of a Google Business Profile (GBP) listing, research from Sterling Sky found that the update has decreased the potential advantage of doing so. The Sterling Sky data revealed that businesses using keywords (inappropriately) in their name have now largely seen a drop in search rankings. This is likely to be a win for the businesses who have consistently followed Google’s guidelines on keyword stuffing, and for those who have invested their time in fighting name spam. Local search expert Claire Carlile said, “I’m excited to think that this update has dialled down the impact of keyword stuffing in business names. “I’m seeing a whopping amount of increased map visibility for a business in the healthcare niche that now has increased prominence as the competitor listings that were keyword stuffed have slipped down the rankings. I’m super interested to know what other people are seeing!” Local Search Ranking ChangesTowards the end of the Vicinity rollout, significant changes to local search volatility were picked up by our Local RankFlux tool. Local RankFlux tracks daily keyword ranking movement to measure fluctuations and identify suspected updates to Google’s algorithm, providing a score out of ten for each day. During the period of the rollout, search volatility rose gradually to peak at 6.2. As you can see from the data above, search volatility slowly returned to normal levels in the wake of the November 2021 local search update. The huge ranking fluctuations were observed across a wide range of different industries within the local sphere. Here’s an example of how the ranking of a key search term varied for one business during and after the rollout. December 1st: December 15th: As you can see from the two images above, the business in question has increased its rankings in the immediate local area. The Possum UpdateBefore Vicinity hit, Possum was the last big change to the local search algorithm. Rolling out in 2016, Possum served to better filter the results in the Local Pack and Local Finder. This largely meant that if several businesses of a similar nature were operating out of the same building, that most of them would be filtered out of the results. At the time, local SEOs also theorized that Possum was placing more emphasis on proximity as a local ranking factor, and also that it decreased the influence that the organic authority of a website has over Local Pack/Finder rankings. Google Local Pack RedesignThe Vicinity update was released around the same time that Google made design changes to the Local Pack. The redesign means that over the coming weeks, all Local Pack results will return a list of three results on the left with a map on the right. The old design—which features three results below a map—has been the norm since 2015. The new Local Pack design: As local SEOs began sharing sightings of the new Local Pack design in early December, many were also reporting big changes to rankings and traffic. Some attributed this to the redesign, whereas others were turning their attention to a potential algorithm update. While commenting on the redesign, Google said it’s “constantly exploring ways to connect people with the helpful information that they’re seeking.” As Vicinity rolls out alongside the new Local Pack, it remains to be seen if this will provide a better search experience for local consumers, and better search traffic for local businesses. What does Vicinity mean for local business owners?In the tweet confirming the change, Google said, “General guidance for businesses remains the same”, alongside a link to guidelines on how to improve local rankings. The guidelines explain that the algorithm determines results based on relevance, distance, and prominence—so nothing’s changed here. Within this advice, Google also suggests that in order to boost visibility, local businesses should:
As Google continues to develop the local search algorithm, it’s to be expected that the user experience is always going to be at the heart of any resulting changes. Local businesses will have to continue to adapt to the landscape and closely adhere to the guidelines in order to achieve sustainable search success. Have you been affected by the Vicinity update? Let us know all about it in the comments below! via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3GU2FnC Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/
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Google’s algorithm to rank local search results relies on a wide variety of different signals, so it can be difficult to know where you should dedicate your efforts. To ensure a local business ranks well for relevant search terms, it’s important to pay attention to a number of different local SEO ranking factors. As more and more local businesses grasp the importance of SEO, ranking well in the search engine results pages (SERPs) will naturally become harder. As striving towards search success becomes more competitive, understanding how to dominate the SERPs becomes all the more valuable. In this article, we’ll explore the most important factors for ranking—in both the Local Pack and the localized organic results—based on the data from this 2021’s Local Search Ranking Factors survey from Whitespark. We’ll also highlight how these results have changed over time, and discuss which tasks you should focus your energy on in the year ahead. Where does this data come from? The Local Search Ranking Factors survey has been conducted near-annually since David Mihm kicked it off in 2008, with Darren Shaw of Whitespark taking over in 2017. The survey polls around 50 local SEO experts for their opinions on the most important actions and factors for local business rankings. The Top Local SEO Ranking Factors in 2021
This table shows what the expert survey respondents believed were the most important local search engine ranking factors throughout 2021. As you can see, they’re separated into Local Pack and localized organic. What’s the difference between the Local Pack and localized organic results? These two sets of results are treated differently in this survey because the underlying algorithms Google uses to surface them are different. The Local Pack is made up of Google Business Profiles, while the localized organic results are the traditional ‘blue links’ that lead to websites. We’ll go into the individual factors in more detail shortly, but first let’s look at how the Local Ranking Factors survey has documented ranking trends over time. This should help to give you a snapshot of what impacted local search rankings in 2021 and where things are likely headed next year. If you’re working towards improving Local Pack and localized organic rankings at the same time, then it can be helpful to see the average importance of the local SEO ranking factors when combined: 1. On-page optimization (25%) It’s important to remember that each of these factors will require different amounts of time to be invested; the percentage does not correlate with the amount of time that should be allocated to each. For example, link building is an ongoing task that is quite time-intensive, whereas Google Business Profile (GBP) setup and management should not take too much of your time. Local SEO Ranking Factors 2013-2021As with Google’s regular search algorithm, the local algorithm is often updated by Google. This ongoing fluctuation means that doing the best job for your clients will require you to pay ongoing attention to what’s happening in the SERPs. This is a task you can stay on top of by using Local RankFlux—the only ranking fluctuation monitoring tool for local search. If you’re an agency working specifically with local businesses, being vigilant to the changing local environment can be critical to success. The factors that have the biggest impact on local search engine rankings can make a huge difference to customer conversions, so changes in importance should be monitored closely. As with the 2020 Local Search Ranking Factors survey, social signals aren’t included in the 2021 results. Social signals have been decreasing in importance in relation to local search rankings for a while, so it makes sense to exclude them entirely from the survey. It’s worth noting that the exclusion of social signals has shifted voting power to other factors, which may account for slight inflations in the past two years. Local Pack / Local Finder Ranking Factors Over TimeSince 2015, Google Business Profile has continued to increase in importance for Local Pack/Finder ranking importance, leaping from 15% in 2015 to 36% in 2021. Links, citations, behavioral signals, and personalization have all seen drops in importance during this time. Local Organic Ranking Factors Over TimeThe Local Search Ranking Factors survey has revealed that on-page optimization and links are the most significant factors for localized organic rankings, accounting for a combined 65% of ranking importance. Although the remaining factors reportedly carry less weight, they’re still important to give some attention to, and doing so could give you the final push you need to outrank your competitors. Interestingly, citations have begun to increase in importance again, after being on a downward trend since 2018. The Top 15 Individual Local Search Ranking Factors
Concentrating your efforts on the individual factors from the table above is a great way to move forwards when optimizing for local search. However, don’t overlook the fact that there are many more contributing factors beyond those featured here, therefore it’s important to give your attention to a wide range of optimization tasks. Google Business Profile SignalsImportant individual ranking factors within Google Business Profile include the primary category, the use of keywords in the business name, and the use of additional relevant categories. The impact and value of GBP for Local Pack/Finder rankings has been on an upward trajectory since 2018. However, it has fluctuated slightly in importance for the localized organic results.
This overall increased significance of GBP for local rankings correlates with how Google continues to evolve and improve this tool. New features are often being added to enhance the user experience, so it makes sense that GBP is becoming even more valuable to local business owners. If we look back at the two lists for the top 15 individual local search ranking factors, we can see that many are directly related to Google Business Profile. This includes actions such as setting the primary GBP category, completing and verifying the GBP profile, using keywords on the GBP landing page, and more. It’s clear that there are certain actions on these lists that are great for rankings, but that you don’t have much control over or potential to optimize. For example, the primary GBP category is the most important ranking factor for the Local Pack/Finder, but as soon as you’ve set the relevant category, there’s no more work to be done here. Similarly, having keywords in the business name listed on GBP can boost rankings, but if the business in question doesn’t have keywords in its name, then there’s not much you can do (without violating Google’s guidelines). Once you’ve entered the name into the listing, this task won’t require any ongoing attention. What you can do, however, is ensure the ‘completeness’ of your Google Business Profile. This means making sure you’ve filled out all of the relevant sections and that you continue to add photos and make new Posts. Data from Google highlights how important this is, stating that, “Customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from businesses with a complete Business Profile.” Google Business Profile Factors That Don’t Impact RankingsIt’s worth noting that you don’t need to take advantage of every aspect of GBP if you’re only focusing on improving your rankings. The 2021 Local Search Ranking Factors survey experts are in agreement that several GBP-related factors don’t impact rankings. These include:
Remember, there’s more to Google Business Profile than just rankings. The actions that don’t influence rankings could still contribute to conversions, so it’s a good idea to pay attention to the bigger picture. A Note on Google Business Profile Name Spam2020 was the first time that GBP spam fighting was included as a possible ranking factor in the Whitespark survey, and this task has remained relevant throughout 2021. Although this is an action that doesn’t improve your own listing, it can still give you a boost if higher-ranking competitor listings are penalized for spam violations. Fighting spam has been the third top action that the experts have given more focus to this past year when working towards Local Pack/Finder rankings. This task is behind completeness of profiles in second place, and keywords in the business title in at number one. Arguably, as long as keywords in the business title remains a top ranking factor, some listings managers will continue to try to violate the guidelines by inappropriately including keywords. In 2020, only 23% of local businesses were investing time in actively fighting GBP spam, which means that vast numbers of GBP profiles could still be winning with spammy tactics. Tools that show GMB profiles and business names on a map as part of a grid tracker can make the process of combating spam a lot easier. This is because all of the appropriate information can be easily seen on a map display. To learn more about Google Business Profile, check out these resources: Review SignalsIndividual review signal factors include first- and third-party reviews, review quantity, review velocity, and review diversity. Reviews have grown slightly in importance for Local Pack/Finder rankings over the last few years, moving from 12% in 2018 to 17% in 2021. Although this increase is small, it reflects the ongoing value of reviews among consumers. Reviews have consistently been the second most important Local Pack/Finder ranking factor since 2018, when links were knocked out of this spot.
If we look at the top 15 Local Pack/Finder ranking factors, we can see high numerical Google ratings, keywords in native Google reviews, and quantity of native Google reviews all to be of high importance. The experts also revealed that a high Google rating from reviews is the leading factor driving conversions in GBP. So as well as helping local businesses to rank, reviews can also increase sales. Wondering how to get more reviews from your customers? You might be surprised to learn that, generally, all you have to do is ask. Figures show that 67% of consumers who are asked to leave a review will go on to do so! As online reviews continue to grow in value for local rankings, developing processes to monitor, grow, and display reviews can be extremely beneficial. This helps save time while also enhancing a local business’s online reputation and rankings. Review management software, such as BrightLocal’s Reputation Manager, can automate review monitoring. This helps to ensure that you don’t miss important feedback. This tool can also help you to grow the quantity of your reviews. It’s easy to believe that consistently getting five-star ratings is the only way to dominate reviews, however, this isn’t the case. In November 2021, Google shared that a mix of positive and negative reviews actually makes a business appear more trustworthy. Remember, Google isn’t the only place that you should be getting reviews. Third-party review sites can also impact rankings and encourage conversions. To learn more about online reviews, check out these resources: On-page SignalsIndividual on-page optimization factors include NAP data, keywords in titles, and domain authority. On-page signals are incredibly important for both traditional and local SEO. As we can see from the table below, on-page optimization has been consistently important for rankings since 2013, and especially so for the localized organic results.
In particular, the volume of quality content on a site, the topical keyword relevance across the entire site, and domain authority can make a difference to local rankings. The importance of optimizing your local business website for the search engines shouldn’t be overlooked. Optimizing increases your chances of being discovered in both general organic and localized searches. On-page optimization is always going to be essential, so it’s wise to master this aspect of SEO. Keyword research is a huge part of on-page SEO, and you should always be thorough with this when building your strategy. Be sure to get into the mindset of your target audience and tailor your content towards the words and phrases you know these people use. Essentially, you need to think like your customers in order to better appeal to them. To be a serious competitor in the local search results, you’ll need to feature the name of your location (city, town, state etc.) in multiple places across your website. You’ll also want to use location-specific keywords in the metadata for titles and descriptions across your site. To further boost your local authority in the eyes of Google, create dedicated pages on your website for local content. You’ll also want to make frequent mentions to your location within your blog posts—and if you’re not writing blog posts, then you’ll need to start! What about multi-location businesses? In this case, you’ll need to create separate pages on your website for each location. Be sure to include all of the relevant NAP data on each page, as well as your opening hours, and any additional relevant information. Not only is this helpful from a customer perspective, as they can easily find the information they’re looking for, but it can also impact local rankings for each of the locations listed. If you’re working to boost the SEO efforts of a business with multiple locations, then enrolling in BrightLocal Academy’s How to Perform Local SEO Audits for Multi-location Businesses course is a great place to start. This course will equip you with the knowledge you need to comprehensively audit a business with two locations or 200! To learn more about on-page optimization, check out these resources: Link SignalsIndividual link factors include inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, and linking domain quantity. Link signals have long been known to be very valuable for boosting organic search rankings, and the same is true of localized results. Links make up 31% of the localized organic ranking factors in 2021, having risen up from 24% since 2013.
The Whitespark survey placed the authority of inbound links to a website as the eighth most important factor affecting Local Pack/Finder results. The authority of the links to the landing page named on the GBP listing is also ranked as important. Earning quality backlinks can be a difficult and time-consuming task, but they go a long way to improving the authority of a site, and are a worthwhile investment of your resources. A word of caution: Bad backlinks can actually be harmful to your site overall, so it’s critical to assess the quality of the websites you’re getting links from. A simple way to do this is to download the MozBar Chrome extension. The MozBar tool will show you the domain authority of the website you’re visiting, as well as the page authority of the individual page you’re on. The higher both of these numbers are, the better the quality of the site. You can also use this tool to check the spam score of a website. If the spam score is high, then it’s probably best to avoid this website as a link could be detrimental to your SEO efforts. In terms of the localized organic ranking factors, the quality of inbound links is the most important consideration, with internal links across the entire site also being of high importance. Use of relevant keywords in the anchor text of inbound links is the eighth most important ranking factor for localized organic results, with quantity of inbound links to domain from locally-relevant domains coming in ninth. To learn more about local link building, check out these resources: Behavioral SignalsThe individual behavioral ranking factors include click-through rate, mobile clicks to call, and dwell time. In terms of importance as a Local Pack/Finder ranking factor, behavioral signals have been in steady decline for three years, dropping from 10% in 2018 down to 7% this year. Behavioral signals saw a slight increase in importance for localized organic search, jumping back up to 11% this year after a previous decline.
Behavioral signals are a reliable source of information for Google because they’re much harder to manipulate than other factors. These actions are taken by the searcher, and therefore can only be influenced to a certain degree. Instead of thinking up innovative new ways to influence user behaviour, why not spend this time optimizing your GBP profile to give the user the best possible experience. This involves creating optimized copy for titles, meta descriptions, Posts, and more. Make your listing as valuable and coherent as possible, and you’ll move closer to winning at rankings and conversions. Try to remember that the end goal of SEO isn’t just to improve rankings, the focus must also be to attract the right customers to a business for those all-important sales. When you start getting seen by the right customers—those who want to learn more about your business—these users will naturally help to enhance the behavioral signals towards your site. To learn more about influencing user behavior, check out these resources: Citation SignalsIndividual citation ranking factors include location data, IYP/aggregator NAP consistency, and citation volume. Citations have decreased in ranking importance over the years, dropping from joint second for Local Pack rankings in 2013, down to joint sixth place this year. We can see from the results of the Local Search Ranking Factors survey that citations began to decrease in value as a ranking signal in 2015. In relation to Local Pack/Finder importance, citations dropped from 17% in 2015 to 7% in 2020, and held steady at 7% this year. In terms of importance in localized organic search results, citations have decreased from 10% in 2015 down to 6% in 2020, and back up slightly to 7% this year. Although the percentage amount only improved slightly, its position in this list has gone up, moving from joint-sixth important in 2020, up to position four in 2021. Even though citations have gradually decreased in overall importance, they’re still valuable for visibility and for building trust with consumers. When a potential customer can observe that a business’s information is correct and consistent across the web, then this helps to establish credibility.
There are two different types of citations—structured and unstructured. Structured citations, which are listings made by a business on relevant directories and third-party websites, are the most common type. These citations provide a quick and easy way for a business to earn backlinks. Many of the websites that structured citations appear on are seen as trustworthy and authoritative by Google, which makes these backlinks valuable to the business in question. This can help a business to begin building the authority of its website, as well as to give an established website a boost. Take a look at the example below of a recent Google search for ‘Cafe in Sacramento’. You can see that there are several results from business directories, including the top three spots! To learn more about citations, check out these resources: Personalization SignalsIndividual personalization ranking factors include search history, search location, and device. Personalization essentially boils down to how you’re more likely to see results from websites that you’re already familiar with and have visited frequently. However, it’s also influenced by the location a user searches from and the language that they use, among other factors. In relation to Local Pack/Finder ranking importance, personalization peaked at 10% in 2017, and has held at 6% since 2018. For the localized organic results, personalization was rated consistently at 9% throughout 2013 to 2017, and has been at 7% since 2018.
Although personalization can have an impact on general search results, this is much less likely to impact local search results. This means there’s not much you can do from an SEO perspective to optimize a website for personalization considerations. Businesses that serve customers in countries with different native languages can translate—and therefore personalize—their content to reach the relevant audiences. Multilingual SEO is a largely underutilized resource that local businesses can tap into where appropriate. It’s worth noting that in the US, 60 million people—almost a quarter of the population—aren’t native English speakers. So if you operate a business in a multicultural city, then it’s likely worth targeting your website at the languages besides English that are commonly spoken. To learn more about personalization in search, check out these resources: What’s Next?As you likely already know, there are no guarantees on the path to SEO success. This is a process that requires ongoing research, effort, and a willingness to adjust your strategy as you go. Although there are a number of different factors influencing search rankings, some of the associated tasks require much more ongoing effort than others. Understanding where your priorities should lie—and being able to adjust your focus accordingly—will be key to staying one step ahead of your competitors. The insights provided in the latest Local Search Ranking Factors survey should serve as your guide as you assess your local search strategy for the year ahead. This expert advice helps to take the guesswork out of local SEO so that you can dedicate your time and energy in all the right places. Finally, we’d like to send our gratitude and appreciation to Darren Shaw, the Whitespark team, and everyone who contributed their expertise to the survey! via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/2v05eFk Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ A question I sometimes hear from business owners goes something like this: “Do we really need call tracking? It seems like an extra expense we can do without?” This provides an interesting perspective to talk about the benefits of call tracking, as well as an opportunity to discuss the potential negative repercussions of not doing it! When clients have brought up call tracking in the past, I use the following three reasons to explain why it’s absolutely critical to do. 1. Google Business Profile Insights Only Track Calls from MobileWe already know that Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is a critical component of a local business’s existence. So it’s important to be able to assess how the Business Profile is performing, and how it’s contributing to business growth—or lack thereof. If you’re relying on Google Business Profile (GBP) Insights data, you’re only capturing calls that customers make from a mobile device. Therefore this data isn’t an accurate reflection of all calls that your business will get from GBP. Anyone pulling up the listing on a computer before calling the business wouldn’t be counted in this data. Here’s a recent example comparing one month of GBP Insights vs Call Tracking Metrics data for the same business during the same month: As you can see, if we weren’t doing call tracking, we would’ve missed the additional 54 calls made to the business. Keep in mind, Google Business Profile Insights don’t represent unique visitors, so multiple searches or clicks from the same user would count multiple times. Being able to segment the data by unique calls is another benefit of call tracking. 2. You Can Record CallsListening to calls might be time consuming and boring, but it can provide valuable benefits and uncover potential issues with a business. In a previous article on local SEO reporting, I shared an example of when we listened to the calls of one of our clients and discovered something that was having a negative impact. During the phone calls, a virtual assistant (VA) for Mr Smith (made up name), a personal injury and criminal attorney, was asked a simple question from many different potential clients. The question was, “What practice areas and types of cases does Mr. Smith take on?” What was the VA’s response to this question? It was, “I’m not sure. But I’ll double check and get back to you.” You better believe that these potential clients ended up choosing another law firm! We reviewed this with the client and he was then able to train his staff to correct the issue. Now that’s what I call going beyond SEO to become a partner to the businesses that we work with. Warning! Never listen to your clients calls without their consent. If call tracking is used, the client should be the one to own the account and set it up. 3. You Can Label Calls to Assess QualityAnother benefit of listening to call recordings is you can set up a system for labeling calls. This enables you to have better insights into the quality of the calls, and while the setup can be time consuming, the benefits are well worth the squeeze. We’ve taken this on for some clients and trained the staff of other businesses so that they can do this effectively themselves. The first step is to come up with a taxonomy so you can build a ‘call label legend’. This allows you to be consistent, efficient, and effective when going through this process multiple times each year. Here’s a sample legend with the taxonomy we use:
After you’ve created your taxonomy, you can start to listen to the calls and devise a system to label them. This system will allow you to create a filter for your reports based on the labels that you apply to the calls. Here’s a sample report that we shared with a client: Creating these reports gives us an opportunity to offer our clients additional insights into the calls that we’re driving from our efforts. For example, if the client tells us that their sales are down, and we notice that 30% of their calls are going to voicemail or hanging up, that’s relevant and insightful information to share with the client. How We Set Up Call Tracking at Sterling SkyWe typically use Call Tracking Metrics or Call Rail with all of the businesses we work with. In my experience, they’re very similar but also have their own nuances that can take some getting used to. I’m not going to get into the subtle differences in this article. Instead, I’ll walk you through the things we think about when setting up a new call tracking account. The examples I’ll use are mainly from Call Tracking Metrics. As I mentioned in the disclaimer above, we always instruct our clients to set up their own call tracking accounts. Here’s what a typical email to a new client might look like: “To properly track your phone calls from ads and/or organic traffic, please set up an account at https://ift.tt/3yqm0tB and email me your login. This will allow me to help track your ROI and make sure we are spending time and money in the place that will give you the best return. You will only need the Business Plan.” Once the business signs up and shares the login information, we’re ready to get the account set up. Here are the typical steps that we go through for Call Tracking Metrics, and the same general rules apply to Call Rail:
Google has been testing a new layout for the Local Pack interface over the last few months, and has now announced that the change will be permanent. The Local Pack is a prominent section of the local search results. It features the top three businesses for a local query, as well as a map pinpointing the location of each. Being featured here can make a huge difference to local business web traffic and sales. Google has typically displayed three results with a map above since 2015. Before then, seven results were listed in the Local Pack without the addition of a map. New Local Pack DesignThe new design—which only applies to searches made on desktop—will feature three results on the left of the page and a map to the right. One notable advantage to this is that the map is bigger and could therefore be easier for some searchers to use. The updated design: The old design: Confirmation from GoogleIn a statement made to Search Engine Land in confirmation of the changes, Google said, “We’re constantly exploring ways to connect people with the helpful information that they’re seeking. “We’re currently rolling out an update to the Search interface on desktop so when people search for places or businesses nearby, like ‘parks near me’ or ‘restaurants near me,’ they’ll easily see local results on the left and a map on the right. We expect this to be broadly available over the coming weeks.” SEO experts have shared on Twitter that they’ve recently spotted the updated interface for certain local searches.
What does this mean for BrightLocal customers?We’re confident that BrightLocal customers shouldn’t be impacted by this update, and that reporting data will likely be unaffected. As usual, we’ll continue to monitor the situation and release any updates accordingly. Local Search Ranking FluctuationsAs more and more local SEOs have reported seeing the new Local Pack design, there have also been reports of big changes to local rankings. Businesses have been spotted moving up into the Local Pack for the first time, with those that have high numbers of reviews appearing to enjoy the most gains. Reports of unexpected fluctuations in traffic from local searches have also been circulated online. A number of SEO experts have speculated that this could be the result of an algorithm update, although some suspect the Local Pack redesign could be the culprit. Adverts in the Local PackAs if there wasn’t already enough local search change taking place at the moment, there’s also been some talk around increased ad presence. Joy Hawkins from Sterling Sky tweeted that she’d seen two adverts in a Local Pack, where it’s previously been the case that one is the maximum.
In response to Joy’s tweet, others shared that they’ve also been seeing two adverts in the Local Pack recently--with some predicting this may become more common over the coming year and beyond. A potential problem with adverts in the Local Pack—besides arguably impacting user experience—is that they can sometimes show up in surrounding cities to the target location. When this happens, it isn’t great for the advertiser who is wasting a portion of their budget, and is likely of no value to the searcher either. With increased ad presence in the Local Pack, the visibility of organic results will naturally be affected. This could be of detriment to how valuable these results are for local consumers. It remains to be seen if this two-ad anomaly is a permanent and universal change to Local Pack advertising, or if it’s simply a test or a bug. Changes to Local SearchThese changes to the Local Pack are arriving shortly after Google My Business was renamed to Google Business Profile (GBP)—an update which also saw Google making additional announcements about the future of this local business tool. If you’re an agency managing GBP listings, or a business owner taking charge of your own local SEO, then now’s a good time to make sure you’re adhering to best practices. Volatility within search engine results is to be expected, but, as the dust settles, those following the guidelines and optimizing effectively can expect to benefit in the long run. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3s5EM8K Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ Optimizing the website of a single-location brick-and-mortar business for the local search results can be a challenge—but it’s significantly more complicated when doing so for a business with hundreds or even thousands of locations. A successful multi-location SEO strategy involves knowing how to hit that all-important target—getting into the Local Pack of Google Search listings. To get there, you’ll need a team mining relevant local data, as well as skilled content writers and marketers who know how to apply that data directly to your location landing pages. A recent study from SEO consultancy group Wiideman, entitled ‘Optimizing Location Pages to Rank in Google’, showed a 107% lift in rankings when using localized or ‘hyperlocal’ content on each location’s dedicated landing page. Creating Hyperlocal Content for Your Location Landing PagesWhen you’re dealing with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of locations, the content on your landing pages can become so repetitive that Google may not consider these pages to be unique. On this topic, Google states, “As a result (of duplicate content), the ranking of the site may suffer, or the site might be removed entirely from the Google index, in which case it will no longer appear in search results.” The cost of this is that your location pages are less likely to get indexed in search engines because they’ve been flagged for duplicate content. This is where hyperlocal content comes in. You’ll of course want to include unique name, address and phone number (NAP) info. But it’s also got to go further. Here are some examples of hyperlocal content additions that can set your location-based landing pages apart. Specific location attributesThese could include driving directions, number of parking spots available, nearby landmarks or points of interest (like parks, museums, and stadiums), the history of the neighborhood, and any specific amenities, such as WiFi, delivery, takeout, and more. Interior and exterior images of the property and patronsAdd these to your landing pages and also to your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) listings. Pro tip: Include local keywords (such as the name of the city) in both your image file name and alt tags. Videos of propertyGive users an opportunity to experience stepping into each specific business location. You can go one step further by creating testimonial videos from happy customers…just ensure they’ve signed a waiver granting usage. Google 460 virtual tour videosHire a Google-certified photographer to capture this special footage. Virtual tours can be a great local landing page addition and they also provide imagery for Google Street View. Other Critical Ranking Factors for Location Landing PagesImproving landing pages for multi-location brands requires honing in on the most significant factors proven to positively affect search engine rankings. Here’s a recap of the Wiideman study findings:
Creating Engaging Location ImagesOne common challenge that enterprises and small businesses face with GBP is image dimensions. The recommended image resolution is 1,200 x 900 pixels, and no more than 1MB in size on websites. It’s wise to utilize team members with expertise in image optimization. Consider giving this task to someone who has studied film, is proficient in image sizing, or is experienced with Photoshop or a similar editing platform. Image Upload Considerations for Multi-location BusinessesFor multi-location businesses with hundreds of locations or more, building image assets increases in difficulty. This is due to how time-consuming this task is, combined with the conflict of getting images approved by the business managers or marketing department. Although this task will take time, it should still be included in your strategy. Below are examples of successful campaigns using original images, correct sizing, relevant tags/keywords, and that have been fully optimized to scale for multi-location brands: Localized imagery can increase views for business locations—Wiideman saw a 75% lift, and has flanked competitors in Local Pack rankings through the use of new visual elements for customers. Google rewards a positive user experience, so you’ll want to target image optimization that’s uniquely helpful when compared side-by-side to competing local pages. Citations and Social MediaCombining your citation building and social media efforts can be one of the most effective tasks for brands with multiple locations. Being accurate with data by making constant improvements appears to make a difference with ongoing keyword rankings. A regular pattern of updates seems to be more effective than one-time ‘set it and forget it’ improvements. The top key directories for citations—such as Yelp, Bing Local, Yahoo! Local, and TripAdvisor—are important for enterprises. However, so are local placements that most multi-locations often lack the resources to support, such as your_city.org/directory. Pay Attention to Smaller Directory OpportunitiesWiideman also conducted a study of 1,700 restaurant chain locations to understand intersecting directories, and to find unique opportunities for submission and syndication. Approximately 200 new directories were discovered that could consume a bulk feed of listings nationwide. This takes a mighty effort with communication and outreach, but few competitors will make the effort so it can give you an edge. Think of niche opportunities (for example, law firms might use lawyers.com), and consider finding opportunities to earn placements in regional and city directories in the target area. It’s also a good idea to research the business address on Google Maps to discover neighboring businesses to collaborate with. BrightLocal offers a way of filtering directories that businesses should be listed on, which can help to boost local rankings through the creation of highly-relevant citations. Fully Optimize Your Google Business Profile ListingTo fully optimize your GBP listing, you will want to start with the info tab. From here, you can work your way through the relevant sections. If you need further guidance, then we have a post dedicated to GMB optimization. Google currently appears to give ranking preference to businesses and large brands offering the most information. This includes focal points such as opening date, onsite dining, and online consultations. For multi-location brands, owners will naturally be from different backgrounds, and this can provide more unique information to share. For example, the business might be owned by military veterans, be Black-owned, or Latino-owned (Latino-owned is a new feature on Google Business Profile). Take Advantage of Google PostsGoogle Posts are an amazing tool that most multi-location brands aren’t using! You’ll gain additional exposure by taking 15 minutes to create a Post that includes a relevant photo, coupon, image, or video. Working with a third party, or leveraging the Google Business Profile API, can help make the posting process easier for marketers working with more than a handful of locations. Make the Most of Your Multi-location EffortsBuilding a presence on Google Maps and succeeding at local SEO can be a challenge for multi-location businesses. This is especially true if you’re not organized or don’t have a strong strategy and capable team behind you. Inspiring buy-in for scaled content and off-page visibility can elevate brands above the competition by maximizing the potential for solid local content. We recommend learning from other team members and industry peers, and reading online case studies to see if these resources can support your overall multi-location SEO strategy. Also, keep a close eye on reviews—they’re one of the driving forces behind some of the best-ranking brands in the world. Research takes time but it’s worth the effort. Taking shortcuts could cost some enterprises millions in missed revenue from organic search. As cliché as it sounds, SEO isn’t a sprint, but a marathon. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3rVTFdJ Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ December is here and that means there’s only a handful of weeks left to squeeze in new knowledge before going at it again in 2022. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with this episode of Adventures in Local Marketing. Listening to this 56-minute episode could be the best investment you make before the end of the year—all without spending a cent. That’s because we’ve been exploring the simple tricks that can immediately make your marketing more effective. We’re going deep on the topic of consumer psychology, which is all about the biases that influence how we buy products and services. Its usage across marketing is vast, because after all marketing is all about influencing people’s behaviors—whether that’s encouraging someone to buy a product or simply to open an email. In this episode, Phill Agnew, host of marketing science podcast, Nudge (which boasts over 150,000 downloads), explains the seven consumer psychology principles that will make your marketing more effective. Warning: You should only listen to this episode if you’re confident you have the time and authority to put these tactics into action. Listen to learn:
Quick note: we’ve included four consumer psychology examples in this blog post. See if you can spot them after listening! 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 a marketing expert embracing consumer psychology to boost your efforts? We’d love to hear about it! Head to the comments and let us know how you approach the subject 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/3IGVmBM Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ As some of you may have noticed over the last few months, BrightLocal has undergone some visual upgrades (including the color scheme update that went live in our toolset today). These surface changes are more than just about looking good—they are the result of a year-long project looking into how we could improve our brand to enhance user experience. As part of the project, we looked at many aspects of our brand (more on those below), including color. Color plays such an important role across the BrightLocal brand, presenting actionable insights and information, and allowing customers to gain understanding quickly. Looking at the BrightLocal palette, it was immediately apparent that information was sometimes hard to read. When we also discovered that 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women suffer from Color Vision Deficiency, we started researching how we could combine color and information to enhance user experience for all of our customers. The result is an entirely new color palette that makes data and insights easier to understand, helping you to quickly pinpoint what’s important. The BrightLocal Brand ProjectThe BrightLocal brand project wasn’t about starting from scratch, but about building on top of what we have to take the BrightLocal brand forward, and this meant staying true to our core values. The first step was to pop the hood and focus on three key areas:
Before designing anything, it was essential that we spoke to a range of customers to discover how they perceive our brand. Good or bad, it was important to get a solid understanding. Along with talking to customers, we spoke with members of the BrightLocal team. Through holding workshops and discovery sessions, we worked towards a clear internal and external understanding. There was a lot to unpack, but eventually we gained confidence from our insights and set about translating this into visual design. Brand ElementsAlthough a simple shape, we discovered that the circle has a variety of meanings when it comes to local SEO. These meanings include representing connection, unity, community, and the humble search pin. LogoAlthough a logo isn’t the most important part of any brand, it’s arguably the most seen part of a brand. The BrightLocal logo has gone through some changes over the years. This time we decided to drop the uppercase and retain the well-known heart pin, giving our logo a welcoming and personal feel. Brighter IdeasWhen talking with our customers, we discovered that being friendly and personal were two areas that they strongly associated with BrightLocal. These attributes lent themselves to creating a new and unique illustration style, which is more bold, playful, and eye-catching than our previous illustration style. Font/TypefacesWe discovered that our previous typefaces could sometimes be hard to read at smaller sizes, meaning that customers struggled to grasp insights quickly. Our new typefaces are much better suited for digital platforms and will hopefully help customers to easily understand information. It’s not all about function though, and our headline font is also popping with personality. SummaryThis project had three clear objectives and although we like to think we’ve accomplished these goals, this is by no means the end. Improving our customer experience is an area we’re constantly working on and consistency is a key part of how we deliver this. We’re proud of the BrightLocal brand and hopefully this has given you some insight into our process. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3EhOF6t Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ Imagine the scenario. You’re a dog owner—your good boy needs treatos. You check the pet store’s Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) listing, which says it’s open. You drive across town for treats, but find that the pet store is CLOSED. Source: Unsplash Now imagine you’re the pet store owner. You just made a dog sad. What’s more, you made a pet owner angry. They just wrote you a 1* review on Google and now you’ve lost their ongoing custom. Something as seemingly simple as store opening times can have less-than-simple consequences for both customers and business owners. So it’s imperative to keep your opening hours updated and correct! The ‘Open Now Near Me’ OpportunityIt doesn’t take a genius to work out that having incorrect opening times advertised online is bad news. This can easily affect a businesses chances of attracting, converting, and keeping customers. But is there a business argument to be made for making your opening hours as long as possible? Search volume for phrases that include ‘open now near me’ has grown steadily since 2013: Source: Google Trends Google gives users the ability to filter search results according to opening times, and this is another reason why a business must make sure the listed business hours are correct. The ‘hours’ filter (on desktop) and the ‘open now’ button (on mobile) both reflect the ‘open now’ search trend: In our age of serious smartphone usage, we’re pretty used to instant gratification and impulse purchases. So depending on your vertical, make sure that you understand the ‘open now near me’ opportunity in your specific niche. ‘Open now near me’ searches are on the rise for a variety of user needs: Source: Think With Google What are ‘opening hours’?Google Business Profile (GBP) listings should only be created for businesses that either have a physical location that customers can visit, or for those that travel to visit customers where they are. Your opening hours should be your regular customer-facing hours of operation. These are times when a customer or potential customer can visit your location in person. For a service-area business, the opening hours would be the times you would expect someone to answer the phone. Google recommends that certain business types shouldn’t provide opening hours information—such as those with varied hours or that operate by appointment only. Read more here about Google’s guidelines for indoor lodging, schools and universities, cinemas, transportation, event venues, and natural features. Where do opening times show?Your Google business hours will show in your GBP listing in the search engine results page (SERP): Your Google business hours at the time of search will affect whether your business is marked open or closed (see 1 in the image above). There’s also a dedicated section for your regular opening hours (see 2 in the image above). Users can click on ‘More hours’ (if the business has multiple types of hours set), or the small arrow (if the business only has regular hours set) to see the full details of week-long opening hours for a business: In the Google Local Finder and in Google Maps, businesses can show as open or closed, and the hours of operation for that day will also show. Opening times in the Local Finder: Opening times in Google Maps on desktop: When you’ve updated your business hours, Google will often flag this in the Business Profile listing. I imagine this sends a ‘trust signal’ to customers and potential customers that the business is engaged in making sure that the details are correct: How to Change Business Hours on GoogleYou can add and update your day-to-day Google business hours from a range of places. Here I’ll cover updating your hours using direct edit in Google Search and using the Google Business Profile Manager. What is direct edit? In 2017, Google began making changes to the ways in which businesses can update and edit their Business Profiles. It became possible to make these alterations directly in Google Search, simply by searching for the business name. The benefit of this is that profile owners do not have to use the GBP app or web interface in order to access their profiles. Initially called New Merchant Xperience (NMX) by Google, it is also commonly referred to as direct edit. You’ll be adding hours separately for each day of the week, and you can mark a break in opening hours by creating multiple entries on the same day. Via Direct Edit ExperienceSearch for your business name in Google search and then click ‘Edit profile’: Next, click on the ‘hours row’ to see Monday to Sunday. Here you can add your regular opening hours accordingly. If you operate on a ‘split hours’ basis—for example, if your business closes for lunch and/or dinner—then you can add multiple entries for each day. In this case, click on the little plus sign next to the day(s) in question and add your second or third set of hours. Via Google Business Profile ManagerSelect the ‘Info’ tab and click the pencil to edit your opening hours: What are ‘special hours’?Special hours allow businesses to mark specific dates—such as public holidays or special events—with an opening schedule that is different to the regular opening hours. You can only add Google business special hours once you’ve set your regular opening hours. Also, you should only use the special hours function to close your business for up to six days in a row. If you need to close your business for seven days or more in a row, you’ll need to mark your business as temporarily closed. Where do Google business special hours show?Your special hours will populate your opening hours according to the dates you’ve set and these will show directly in the Local Pack, the Local Finder, Google Maps and Business Profile. In the example below, ‘special hours’ is used to mark a specific day the following week when the business was due to be closed. When the week that includes the date in question is reached, the business is shown as ‘closed’ on the relevant date: Adding and Updating Your Google Business ‘Special Hours’Special hours aren’t currently shown in the direct edit interface. To update Google business special hours, you’ll need to head over to the GBP dashboard. Click on the ‘Info’ tab and then click ‘Add special hours’: Google has a list of holidays by region and will often prompt businesses via notifications to check and update their special hours for these holidays: To edit Google business holiday hours, click on ‘Add new date’ at the bottom of the ‘Special hours’ page, select your dates from the calendar, and add the open and close times for those dates. What is ‘more hours’?‘More hours’ gives a business a chance to add a subset of hours for specific services. Google states that “generally, you should set ‘more hours’ as a subset of your primary hours”, but I’ve seen businesses adding additional hours for things such as ‘online operating hours’ outside of their regular opening hours. These are the options for ‘more hours’:
Where do ‘more hours’ show?This option shows when you click on ‘more hours’ in your Google Business Profile: It’s important to note that using any of the ‘more hours’ categories outside of your regular operating hours won’t affect your business opening time in the SERP, which draws purely from your regular opening hours. For example, if you state that you offer ‘online operating hours’ of 7 am to 9 am, but your regular operating hours are 9 am to 3 pm, if someone checks your business listing at 2.45 pm, they’ll see you marked as ‘Closes soon’ and due to open at 9 am: Adding and Updating More HoursLike ‘special hours’, ‘more hours’ won’t show unless you have set regular opening hours. You can do this via direct edit, as well as in Google Business Profile Manager. Via Direct EditTo add ‘more hours’ via direct edit, navigate to the ‘hours’ section in the direct edit interface. You can then select the type of hours that you want to add by clicking the relevant button: You’ll then be able to add the hours relevant to that service: You can add as many ‘more hours’ types as are relevant to your business. Via Google Business Profile ManagerSelect the ‘Info’ tab and click on ‘More hours’: From here, you’ll go through the same process as with the direct edit experience. How do I temporarily close my business?If you’re going to be closed for more than six days, then you’ll need to mark your business as ‘temporarily closed’. You can do this through the direct edit interface or through Google Business Profile Manager. Via Direct EditSimply search your business name, click ‘Edit profile’, select ‘Hours’, and then choose ‘Temporarily closed’: Via Google Business Profile ManagerGo to the ‘Info’ tab and look for the section where you can choose to mark the business as closed: The Business Profile listing of a business that’s temporarily closed looks like this: In the Map Pack, it looks like this: What if my business is ‘appointment only’?If your business premise is open by appointment only, Google doesn’t have a specific option for this. In these guidelines, Google suggests that appointment-only businesses shouldn’t provide hours on their GBP. You can mark this within the direct edit interface via the ‘Business information’ section: In Google Business Profile Manager, there isn’t the equivalent option—you’ll need to go into your opening hours and mark yourself as closed: When you do this, opening hours will stop showing on your GBP listing: Help—Someone Keeps Changing My Business Hours!Like many elements of a Google Business Profile, opening hours are subject to third-party edits: It’s possible that a Google user is making edits to your business hours. You can sometimes see this if you make a search for your business using incognito mode: But it’s also possible that Google is pulling data from a third-party website—so check your business listings in places like Yelp and Facebook to see if incorrect opening times are being scraped from those sources. If Google accepts any third-party edits, then—if you’ve signed up for notifications—you’ll get an email from Google saying that your opening times have changed based on those edits: If you need to go in and update your hours you can do so via the direct edit experience. Google will warn you that it can take up to three days to check and publish your edits, so make sure you make any changes ASAP! In SummarySo there we have it. If you weren’t already aware of the importance of keeping your hours correct and up-to-date, then you are now. As you can see, hours are pretty easily updated via the direct experience. However, at this point, you’ll still need to head over to the Google Business Profile dashboard to add special hours. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3xM0U8N Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ Instagram is a fantastic place for brands to promote themselves and to connect with new and existing customers. Although many local and small business owners know that Instagram is a powerful marketing tool, they often run into roadblocks when it comes to using this platform. The main concerns associated with marketing a local or small business on Instagram are:
Here we’re going to break all the information down for you into easy, manageable steps so you can get to grips with Instagram! Don’t think Instagram is a good fit for your or your client’s local business? Think again! While it isn’t for everyone, many brands have found fun and creative ways to connect with local customers on this social app. Plumbers, electricians, tutors, and even trucking companies have found innovative ways to engage their audiences on Instagram. What’s more, this is a platform that many potential customers are already familiar with and are regularly spending time on. So what are you waiting for? Why Local Brands Need to Be on InstagramWith more than a billion active accounts and 500 million daily users, Instagram isn’t a platform you want to ignore. It’s no longer just for filtered selfies and thirst traps—it attracts a variety of users from all over the world. According to a recent Hootsuite study, 90% of Instagram users follow brands and businesses, and 81% will use the platform to research a product or service. Still not convinced? Instagram is the fourth most used app, overtaken only by sister apps Facebook, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Also, even though Instagram is primarily an app, its desktop site is the sixth most-visited website globally. While these are global numbers, you can see how beneficial this exposure can be to a local brand, even if it’s only capturing a small portion of the total user base. Building Trust and Brand AwarenessUsers like interacting with local brands on social media for a variety of reasons, but mostly this simply boils down to the “know, like, trust” factor. People are increasingly intentional with where they spend their hard earned dollars, and they want to know the brands they work with—especially for service providers that they’re inviting into their homes. Giving your client’s brand a personality, engaging with their audience, and sharing helpful and relevant content can increase their know, like, and trust factor by leaps and bounds! As you can see in the example post below, sharing concise information along with the image is an easy way to increase awareness and boost sales. This kind of informative and relevant information helps to encourage users to take the desired action. Source: Instagram Moving away from the more touchy-feely aspects of social media, Instagram will also assist in furthering your client’s brand messaging. Users are already on social media for a significant portion of their day, so why not meet them where they are? Earn their trust and their business by getting to know them and letting them get to know the brand. In doing so, you’ll earn loyal customers who sing your client’s praises on the very platforms you met them on. Personal referrals and recommendations are far more valuable than any advertising you can do, so why not create that positive environment for your client’s brand and local community? Instagram for (Local) BusinessClients often ask if they should leave their brand page set up as a standard account, or if they should use a business account. We always recommend taking advantage of Instagram’s business account options. With a business account, you have better access to analytics and the added credibility of being recognized as a business by the platform. With every opportunity to increase your credibility online, you’re also enhancing the trust factor with your users. Setting up your client’s Instagram profile as a business account is fairly simple:
How to Optimize Instagram Profiles for a Local BusinessYou’ve got the account built out, now how do you make sure you’re laying a foundation for success? There are a few things that you can do to optimize your client’s Instagram profile. This will help to give it a boost, both with your local audience and in the search engine results pages (SERPs). UsernameWhen it comes to the username, the easier you can make things on your users (and search engines) the better. Try to keep the username the same across various platforms if possible. For example, at Sterling Sky, most of our social handles are SterlingSkyInc. This makes it easier for users to find and identify us, and provides that consistency that Google loves. If you can have your display name the same as the name on your Google Business Profile and on your website, even better! Location InformationAs with your username, any available location information you can add into your profile should match your website and Google profiles as closely as possible. Be consistent with spelling or abbreviating things like Street/St or Road/Rd, and always use dashes in phone numbers for consistency. BioWhile you want brand messaging to be consistent across your profiles, you can modify your language in each bio based on the platform and audience. In each instance, determine who your audience is and craft your bio to that audience. Business AccountAs mentioned above, you’ll want to make sure that the Instagram profile is set up as a business account in order to get the maximum benefit from it. Laying out Your Local Business Instagram StrategyBefore you share your first post, you should lay out a strategy. Without a strategy, your posts aren’t going to work for you. If your posts aren’t working for you, what’s the point? To avoid spinning your wheels, you’ll want to address a few key elements: Who are you/they?Developing and maintaining a consistent brand voice is critical for building trust. Regardless of who is crafting a post or response, it should always feel like your audience is engaging with the same person from start to finish. Decide who you want the brand to be online, and maintain tone, vocabulary, and personality throughout your Instagram interactions. What’s the main goal of the account?Without clear and concise goals, you’re really just throwing things at the wall and hoping they’ll stick. Do you want to attract new business partners? Connect with potential customers? Sell products? Book appointments? Increase brand awareness? Make people laugh? Laying out three main goals and sticking to them will help drive your strategy forwards and keep you on task as you create content. It helps to have one main long-term goal and a combination of smaller short-term goals that can rotate based on internal and external factors. Who do you want to attract?Often, when we ask customers this question, their immediate answer is “everyone!” I’ll stop you right now and let you know that this is an impossible goal. If you try to appeal to everyone, you’re going to appeal to no-one. When you’re thinking about your ideal customer, it can be helpful to create a few different personas. This will make it easier to visualize who you’re trying to reach. Consider the following questions:
All of these questions can help you zero in on your ideal customer and help you to craft great content that will appeal to them. What are you trying to sell?Determine how you’ll measure your conversions, and craft content that assists with that goal. Increasing brand awareness and selling retail products is going to look very different for most brands. Remember, Instagram is a highly visual platform, so you want to literally show potential customers what you can do for them. How will you measure success?This is a step that many don’t consider before jumping into the world of social media for brands. If you don’t have a way to clearly define success, how will you measure it? The goals we mentioned above are key elements in determining if a campaign has been successful. Some brands like to use vanity metrics, like follower numbers and like counts. I’m not a fan of this strategy, as likes and followers can easily be bought, and some less scrupulous marketing consultants and companies will do this to inflate the appearance of their efforts. Yes, followers matter, but they should not be the main driver of all of your decisions. Business account users will have access to various analytics that they can use to shape their ongoing strategy and for reporting: Engagement and conversions are the two metrics we tend to look at in order to determine the success of a campaign. However, a massive follower count means nothing if these people aren’t interacting with your brand or following through to the checkout. Remember, we’re working to build that know, like, and trust factor, and you can’t do that with fake fans. How much time and/or budget do you have available for Instagram?Consistency is key on platforms like Instagram. Knowing how much time you have to create and share content, and engage with followers, will allow you to determine your strategy. This will inform how often you post, how in-depth your campaigns can be, and how much effort you can put into the platform. If you don’t have time to complete these actions effectively yourself, then determine your budget and hire an employee, consultant, or agency to undertake the work. How will you maintain brand identity?Once you’ve determined your voice, goals, desired audience, what you’re selling, how you’ll measure your success, and what your budget is, it’s time for the fun stuff! Create visuals that are in line with the strategy you’ve laid out with the aforementioned questions, and add descriptions that are easily readable with a clear call to action. Keep in mind that the more recognizable your style is, the better. You can achieve this by adding a logo or overlay to your photos, using consistent colors, hashtags, and lingo. Posting consistently in this way will help you to create content that your audience can easily recognize, which helps to build trust in your brand. (Are you sick of me saying that yet? Sorry, not sorry. Trust is key in local business success—both online and off!) What a Local Business Should Be Posting on InstagramThe most common question we get from clients is “What should we post about?”. Oftentimes, they feel that their service-based business may be boring, or they don’t have an opportunity for great images that will wow their audience. Your clients don’t have to own a boutique or restaurant to earn attention on Instagram. People want to get to know the brand, so why not let them? One of the simplest ways to lay out a solid posting strategy for a local business is to pick two or three main content categories. Choose those categories based on your social media and overall brand goals. Some categories that work well for most brands include:
Typically, we advise that one in every three to five posts has a direct call to action for the brand, such as the post below: Source: Instagram If you’re asking people to buy something, provide some value to them in between your asks to keep them coming back for more. A word of advice: Don’t discount that seemingly ‘fluff’ content. Memes and entertaining posts will boost engagement, ensuring your brand-specific content reaches a larger audience. Stories, Posts, and Reels. Oh My!The various posting options for Instagram can be overwhelming, but once you find a good groove with your audience, this will help you segment and target your content to those who want to see it most. Currently, Instagram offers four options for posting: posts, stories, reels, and videos. PostsPosts are the in-feed content which is first presented to users when they open the app. Once shared, they remain on your profile permanently—in the order you posted them—unless you choose to delete them. StoriesStories are located on your profile or on a follower’s main feed in circles at the top of the screen. These clips can be up to ten seconds long, and there are currently no limits as to how many you can post. Stories appear on your page for 24 hours and then disappear. If you want them to stay longer, you can save a story as a Story Highlight, which will pin the clips to the top of your profile permanently. ReelsReels are best described as Instagram’s answer to TikTok. They’re short video clips that play on repeat. As with TikTok, you can add music, captions, and visual effects to video clips directly within the app. VideoEarlier this year, Instagram changed how users can create and share video content. Previously, shorter videos could be posted to the feed, and longer videos were posted through IGTV. All video content is now available in one place—Instagram Videos—which can be up to one hour long. Instagram Videos can now be found on a user’s profile in the ‘video’ tab.
Nuts and Bolts: Instagram Best PracticesWhile every brand is different, the following are a few tried and true best practices that we’ve found to be successful, regardless of industry or location. Plan AheadCreate a content calendar, and use it! Fill in important dates and events as soon as you’re aware of them so you can add in content leading up to those dates. Plan posting around holidays, community events, and the seasonality of your client’s business. Ensure campaigns have enough lead time to get people’s attention and buy-in. This also gives you ample time to proofread and edit copy as needed. Leave room for last minute or ad-hoc posts, of course, but a good plan is key to your success on Instagram. ImagesAs spontaneous as Instagram may appear, most brands do not snap a quick photo and send a post out to the world. Have a library of photos and brand images to choose from when creating content. If you’re using your content calendar effectively, then you have time to get images for upcoming posts that you may not have in your library. No Walls of TextBreak up blocks of text with emojis or bullet points to keep it easily scannable and visually appealing. Try to stay short and to the point. You don’t have much time to get or keep a user’s attention. Hashtag LibraryKnow which hashtags deliver for your client’s industry and location. Some of this requires testing and tweaking, but you can get a good idea of what’s working by searching for related posts in your client’s industry and location. It’s a good idea to keep a library to pull from so you aren’t continually reinventing the wheel. Also, ensure you only use relevant hashtags specific to the post in question. To make your posts more visually appealing, separate written content from the hashtags, like in the example post below, to avoid the dreaded wall of text: Source: Instagram You should also be careful to avoid banned hashtags. An easy way to see if a hashtag is banned is to search the hashtag on Instagram and see what comes up. If you see the ‘posts hidden’ message, you’ll know that it’s banned and you can stop using it. EmojisPosts with emojis tend to perform well, likely because they break up text and make it easily scannable. They can be used to help show the topic, sentiment, and mood of a post. Be sure not to overuse emojis, as it can make your content appear juvenile or immature. You should also avoid unprofessional emojis or those that have inappropriate connotations. InfluencersMany brands look at mega-influencers and instantly believe they don’t have the budget and move on. Fortunately, micro-influencers work well for local brands, often even better than celebrities. Find someone who has a great reach within the community, and find a way to get them to share your content or product offerings. Complimentary services or products and great customer service can go a long way with local influencers. Share the LoveDo you want people to comment on your posts? Extend the olive branch and do the same for them! Comment on posts from local businesses and community members, share their content, or share a photo of your client’s team using their product. These are all relatively easy, inexpensive ways to create some goodwill within your client’s community. Have FunNone of this is worth it if your client isn’t enjoying the process. It’s obvious when brands have a presence somewhere just because they have to. Don’t be that profile. Location, Location, Location!Instagram has check-in and location tagging options available. Depending on the nature of the local business you’re promoting, you may want to spend some time deciding how you want to utilize location tagging. Like hashtags, Instagram location tags make posts and stories searchable by users. Using location tags can be a powerful tactic for brands, especially in more densely populated areas, or locations with popular landmarks. Instagram users can search for location tags to find posts from specific areas: Source: Instagram While a business that services clients at their homes may not want a check-in option, and instead should encourage customers to tag them in a post. A retail location, however, can utilize location tagging to let customers know where they’re located and boost engagement with those closer to them. And Remember…Instagram should complement your overall local marketing strategy—it is not a replacement for search engine optimisation (SEO). You’ll always have more success on social media if you’ve got a comprehensive local marketing strategy in place, including a well-optimized website. via BrightLocal https://ift.tt/3xMmUR9 Check out more SEO posts onhttps://seouk41.blogspot.com/ |
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April 2023
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