How Google Related Can Help/Hurt Local SEO

September 2, 2011 By

Google introduced a new tool bar that actively shows consumers ‘useful’ information on the bottom of their screen while they surf the web or browse a website.

For instance, if you’re browsing a page about a salon in New Jersey, Google Related will assist you by displaying useful information about this salon such as the location of the salon on a map, user reviews, related restaurants in the area, and other webpages related to New Jersey hair salons– all in one place.

From the consumer experience, this can be really helpful. From the local salon’s experience, this can be really hurtful.

Consumer Reviews More Important Than Ever Now

One of the key factors now that can make your business sink or swim with Google Related is the number of consumer reviews your business has.  Consumers can post reviews about your business online with Google Maps, Judy’s Book, Yelp, etc.  A proactive Internet Reputation Management strategy would consistently encourage customers/clients/guests to write positive reviews about your business online and reward them for doing so.

Take a look at Google’s snapshot below.  This is a mock-up of a consumer experience visiting the restaurant of a local website. Notice the bottom of the picture.  There are multiple options for this user to learn more about this restaurant…or others. The first tab is a map of where to find the restaurant, the second tab lists their consumer reviews (3 for this restaurant) and the other tab lists other ‘related’ restaurants in the area.

If you don’t have a massive amount of consumer reviews praising your business, what’s stopping them from taking Google’s assistance and checking out what other businesses Google recommends? Perhaps these other buisnesses have rave reviews posted about them online. Guess what? If they do….you’re done.

Is everyone using Google related?  No.  Should you still be concerned? Yes.

google local seo

How to Maximize Google Related for Your Business

The best thing to do is to implement a customer review strategy asap.  We can help.  There are a few ways.  One is to add a button to your existing website that says ‘reviews’.  We will create a page that has direct links to anyplace online where customers can review your business.  To get customers to post reviews, we will design a postcard that asks them to review your business online in return for a small reward. The postcard will direct them to your website…..JaneSmithSalon.com/Reviews

Once they write their review, they email you a copy of the review and you either send them a gift certificate or whatever small prize you had promised.

This works excellent for salons, spas, restaurants, doctors, chiropractors, car dealers, etc.

Simple!  Effective! 

Call me if you want to start.  732-757-7944.

Filed Under: Advertising, Local Google SEO Tagged With: , ,

Don’t Turn Your Nose to Newspaper Advertising

May 18, 2011 By

Great article from NJ Press Media Solutions.  This research shows why it’s important for businesses to create an all-encompassing advertising strategy.  Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

New Research: Consumers rate newspaper advertising as primary shopping information source

Arlington, Va. – Newspaper advertising is the leading advertising medium cited by consumers in planning, shopping and making purchasing decisions, according to data from a Frank N. Magid Associates survey of 2,500 adults. The findings paint a strong picture of the unmatched value newspaper advertising continues to deliver in today’s media landscape. “This important new research reaffirms the power of newspaper advertising to engage consumers and drive them to take action,” said NAA President and CEO John Sturm. “More than all other media, adults continue to turn to newspapers to inform shopping decisions that lead to purchases. They are an opt-in media in an opt-out world, making newspaper advertising an ideal and effective choice for advertisers who want to reach consumers ready to shop and spend.”

This study, titled “How America Shops and Spends 2011,” is the latest in an ongoing series of NAA research investigating consumer shopping habits and the influence media has on shopping today. Highlights include:

Four-in-five adults (79 percent) of those surveyed said they “took action” as a result of newspaper advertising in the past month, including:

  • Clipping a coupon (54 percent)
  • Buying something (46 percent)
  • Visiting Web sites to learn more (37 percent)
  • Trying something for the first time (20 percent)

More than half of all adults (52 percent) identify newspapers as the medium they use to help plan shopping or make purchase decisions

Almost three-fourths (72 percent) of all adults regularly or occasionally read newspaper preprints; For Sunday inserts, this figure increases to 90 percent of all adults. Over the course of 30 days, 8 in 10 adults (79 percent) acted on newspaper preprint advertising.

Nearly four-in-10 (38 percent) adults who identify themselves as newspaper “non-readers” recalled other forms of engagement in the past week, including checking sales in local stores, clipping coupons, comparing prices, checking movie or TV listings and classified, and also various forms of editorial content. Altogether, this unofficial exposure overall adds another 13 percentage points to the newspapers’ weekly reach among all adults and so may be considered as a bonus beyond the “normal” audience.

Advertising on local newspaper websites ranked second (behind only e-mailed store or product information) among online options for advertising sources, beating general interest websites, or portals, paid ads that appear on the right side of the search engine screens, ads on social network pages, and ads on mobile devices.

Source: NAA

Filed Under: Advertising Tagged With: ,