it’s not your mother’s yellow pages
Mike Blumenthal, blumenthals.com/blog
[email protected]: @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
[email protected] | Twitter: @mblumenthal