it’s not your mother’s yellow pages

it’s not your mother’s yellow pages

Mike Blumenthal, blumenthals.com/blog

mike@blumenthals.comTwitter: @mblumenthal

places

Sources: eMarketer

97%

4,421,000,001

Comscore.com 11/12 | Mihm 12/12

3,357,000,001

Comscore.com 01/12 | Ed Parsons Google 12/12

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Local Data: Eye Tracking

Yellow PagesDifficulty: EasyCost: ExpensiveService: Phone & Rep

ServiceGoogle Places

Difficulty: More ComplicatedCost: FreeService: Do It Yourself

Difference betweenYellow Pages & Google

Some Other DifferencesWith Google Places

• Business Listings areAssembled by Computer

• Listings Displayed Across Different Array of Devices and Technologies

How Does Google Assemblea Business Listing

The “Cluster”

LBC Data1 Data2 Data2 Feed1 Feed2 Web1 Web2 UserEdits

Name Y X X X X X XAddress X X X X Y YPhone Y X X X X X X XWeb X X XCategory X X X XReviews X X X XGeoInfo X X XCitations X X XAdditional Details X X X

LBC Data1 Data2 Data2 Feed1 Feed2 Web1 Web2 UserEdits

Name Y X X X X X XAddress X X X X Y YPhone Y X X X X X X XWeb X X XCategory X X X XReviews X X X XGeoInfo X X XCitations X X XAdditional Details X X X

LBC Data1 Data2 Data2 Feed1 Feed2 Web1 Web2 UserEdits

Name Y X X X X X XAddress X X X X Y YPhone Y X X X X X X XWeb X X XCategory X X X XReviews X X X XGeoInfo X X XCitations X X XAdditional Details X X X

LBC Data1 Data2 Data2 Feed1 Feed2 Web1 Web2 UserEdits

Name Y X X X X X XAddress X X X X Y YPhone Y X X X X X X XWeb X X XCategory X X X XReviews X X X XGeoInfo X X XCitations X X XAdditional Details X X X

LBC Data1 Data2 Data2 Feed1 Feed2 Web1 Web2 UserEdits

Name Y X X X X X XAddress X X X X Y YPhone Y X X X X X X XWeb X X XCategory X X X XReviews X X X XGeoInfo X X XCitations X X XAdditional Details X X X

LBC Data1 Data2 Data2 Feed1 Feed2 Web1 Web2 UserEdits

Name Y X X X X X XAddress X X X X Y YPhone Y X X X X X X XWeb X X XCategory X X X XReviews X X X XGeoInfo X X XCitations X X XAdditional Details X X X

LBC Data1 Data2 Data2 Feed1 Feed2 Web1 Web2 UserEdits

Name Y X X X X X XAddress X X X X Y YPhone Y X X X X X X XWeb X X XCategory X X X XReviews X X X XGeoInfo X X XCitations X X XAdditional Details X X X

Places Dash.

Data1

Data2 Data2 Feed1 Feed2 Web1 Web2 UserEdits

Name Y X X X X X XAddress X X X X Y YPhone Y X X X X X X XWeb X X XCategory X X X XReviews X X X XGeoInfo X X XCitations X X XAdditional Details X X X

How Does Google PlacesAssemble a Business Listing

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Plus page as a Search Result

Nearby Competitors

Mobile MapsGoogle

Directories

Google Car

Google SMS

Google Maps

Google TV

Google Places

NavigationLatitude

Google LocalOne Box

Listings display across different array of devices

Mobile MapsGoogle

Directories

Google Car

Google SMS

Google Maps

Google TV

Google Places

NavigationLatitude

Listings display across different array of platforms

vav

“Hi Mike, this week 6 new customers in the store based on reviews alone.  6 sales, have I mentioned lately how much I love you? If we continue to do this right, I can forego some of the expensive advertising and

build up my wallet and our businesses.  WooHoo Thanks!”

~ 02/13/10 Barbara Oliver

One Other Difference – Sales

• Before You Start

• Establishing Trust

• Providing A Baseline Presence

• Enhancing Your Standing• Review Management

Steps To Managing Your Listing

• Do keyword research.• Review business name &

address (NAP)• READ THE GUIDELINES• Make sure that you provide

excellent customer service.

Before You Start – The 6 P’s

• Keyword Research

Before You Start – The 6 P’s

• Keyword Research

Before You Start – The 6 P’s

Test Keywords w/Searches

• Review business name & address (NAP)• One name• Every Place off-line and on• Check Map accuracy

Before You Start – The 6 P’s

NAP Consistencyis the tactic

Branding is the strategy

• READ THE GUIDELINES

Before You Start – The 6 P’s

•Provide Excellent Customer ServiceBefore You Start – The 6 P’s

Before You Start – The 6 P’s

• Pick the right categories.• Write a great business

description.• Gather Digital Assets.• CHECK FOR PROBLEMS

Check for ProblemsNAP Audit – Getlisted.org

Establish Trust with Google’s Algo

• Have your contact informationon every page of your website.

• Include Your Business Name onLanding Page, Title & Meta Description.• Whois Domain Record Visible (Not Private)

• Claim Your Record in the Places Dashboard (with email @yourdomain)• Establish Author Relationship w/Google

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Branded Search

Providing A Baseline PresenceNAP+W – Consistent name, address, phone & website on:

• Legal Documents• Phone Directories• Update Your Listing W/

Google’s Primary Providers- Localeze, infoUSA & Axciom

(via Getlisted.org)

Providing A Baseline Presence

Providing A Baseline PresenceClaim listings from the principalsecondary data suppliers/sites:

• Facebook & Bing, Yahoo, Yelp, SuperPages

(Yext)• Claim Industry Specific Directories

-Tripadvisor, Avvo, DealerRater etc.• (HotFrog, YellowBot, Kudzu)• Note: You claim it. You own it.

Providing A Baseline Presence

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Enhancing Your StandingIncrease your Relevance & Prominence

• Within Geography • Business Name• Business Category• Content

Score of Highest Citation•LP Score of Website •

# of Review Sites •Proximity to Centroid •

Legitimacy & Location Trust Local Business Center Primary & Secondary Data Providers KML Sitemap, Bulk Upload, Whois, Phone Verification

Total # of WebPage (Citations)

Geo Ref & ReviewsTotal Mentions In Info

Docs

A Model of Ranking Factors

Enhancing Your Standing

INCREASE THE RELEVANCEOF YOUR LISTING.

• Business Title• Business Category• Inbound Link Phrasing or Citation• Web content & architecture

Enhancing Your Standing

INCREASE YOUR RANK (Prominence):

• Popularity of My Maps & GeoReferences• Reviews• Citations & In-bound Links

What is a Citation?

• Any online content that Google can associate with your Places Account.

• Includes Business Name Or Number1 or more of the following:

Phone NumberAddress

Link

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Citation Examples

#3 No Links

Barbara Oliver & Co Jewelry was great helping me find an engagement ring for my fiancée. Give her a call at 716-204-1297

Barbara Oliver and Co Jewelry5820 Main Street Suite 311Williamsville, NY 14221(716) 204-1297

In a Directory:

In a newspaperarticle or blog post:

(In order of importance)

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Citation Examples

#2 Link on Business Name

Barbara Oliver and Co Jewelry - 5820 Main Street Suite 311 - Williamsville, NY 14221-5776 - (716) 204-1297

Barbara Oliver and Co Jewelry 5820 Main Street Suite 311 - Williamsville, NY

Barbara Oliver and Co Jewelry (716) 204-1297

Barbara Oliver and Co Jewelry is offering a class this weekend on evaluating diamonds. To register call 716-204-1297

(In order of importance)

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Citation Examples

#1 Link on Keyphrase

Barbara Oliver and Co. Jewelry, call (716) 204-1297 for an appointment with Buffalo's best jeweler

Barbara Oliver and Co. Jewelry, 5820 Main Street Suite 311- Williamsville, NY 14221, your source for custom jewelry in Buffalo

(In order of importance)

These Must be Earned

How Do You Get Citations?

The New Currency of Business Relationships

• Boards you volunteer on• Donations to charity• Chamber of Commerce• Mine Existing Links• Find New Citations

• Within Geo-Area• Business Name • Business Category• Content• Anchor Text in Citations

Score of Website •# of links referring to business •

Highest score of those links • Popularity of User Maps •

Legitimacy & Location Trust Local Business Center Primary & Secondary Data Providers KML Sitemap, Bulk Upload, Whois, Phone Verification

Reviews: Where Social & Rank Meet

Total # of WebPage (Citations)

Geo References &

Reviews

• Low/Moderate Ranking Impact

Engagement?Endorsement!

Sources: Neilson 2009Harvard Business Review 2008

70%

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Reviews Now Front & Center

Reviews = Credibility

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Reviews Now Front & Center

46% Read Reviews First

Ask For (Real) Reviews

Avoid Bad Reviews

Monitor

The Secrets to Successful Review Management

Virtuous Cycle Of Reviews

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“Just got a $7,700 sale.  They came in after shopping at a competitor, as they read all the reviews prior and liked

what they read. Thank you again Mike for the

nagging………………!”~ 01/13/11 Barbara Oliver

Case Study – Barbara Oliver Jewelry

Some Things Never ChangeThe Old Way Now

Customer Relations

Know your customers & treat them right.

Know Your Customers. Treat them “righter”.Know what they are saying and encourage them to say nice things.

Marketing Make yourbusiness visible.

Make your business visible & consistent in both the offline AND online worlds.

Don’t chase after Google’s algorithm.Find customers.Treat them right.

it’s not your mother’s yellow pages

places+ local

Mike Blumenthal, blumenthals.com/blog

mike@blumenthals.com | Twitter: @mblumenthal