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In the world of Internet Marketing, we often forget that there are still real stores and business out there! Local merchants who need to get people to come into their stores and buy from them in person. Often times these shops are not easily found with mobile search.
This podcast is dedicated to those who still hold the mantle of small business with an open sign on the door. So here are the 5 points to think about on how to improve being found when people look for you online. With an extra credit point for doing the 5 steps I mention here!
1) The Content on Your Website Matters
Does your website tell the visitor in a quick and easily found format: Who You Are? What Do You Do? Where Are You? Contact Information? Is this repeated in an organized fashion on all pages of your website? Is this same information on your social media profiles??
2) Have you claimed your Google My Business Page?
It’s free and needs to have your magical touch on it otherwise they are likely to fill it in with information scraped from the Internet. It’s a Google Plus page and it’s important to be claimed. This is what other search engines may use for their information or verification. Plus it looks good to Google that you have claimed it and optimized it.
3) Verification of Other Review Sites
Where do your potential customers go to find businesses like yours? be there and claim your territory as well. Many review sites want the business owner to say “Hey, Here I Am and What We Do” – Or, as mentioned above, they may rely on other websites to fill in the information and that may be inaccurate. Having the same friendly and current information across various popular review sites like Yelp! Yahoo, TripAdvisor and such will help in the Search Engine Rankings.
4) Reviews Across the Internet
Reviews are now a big part of search results and customer decisions on where to go. Make sure you have them on multiple review sites and they are real. Especially in the Google reviews since that’s what often shows up first in Mobile Search. Good or bad, You also need to respond to the reviews in a genuine way. Do Not do a cut and paste response to each review, they will pick up on that immediately.
5) Where is your business located?
This may sound logical and elementary, but a lot of businesses like to use a landmark instead of a location or they bury the address on a back page. “We are in the Vons Shopping Center on Horizon” – I’m on my mobile phone and not sure where exactly I am from that landmark. Give me an address to tell my GPS App where to go. or your entrance may not be on the main street but the side street while I am looking on the main street and missing you. Make it easy to see on the website and mobile site.
Bonus Award
6) Getting on Other Business’s Search results
When I am on my GPS app and looking for a business, often times other business around that location will pop up. Businesses I didn’t know were there and are of interest to me. Most times these ‘extra” business results are showing up because the businesses have done the 5 steps outlined above. They have nothing to do with my actual search, but are there because the owner claimed their Internet territory and worked to make sure everything was up to date, accurate, optimized and the same across the Internet.
Consider that a bonus for your hard work. Think of it this way: You are near a shopping center that has 20 shops and stores. But on a search, only 5 show up. Do you want to be one of the 5 that appeared on the map or one of the 15 that did not show up? Its worth the effort!
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If you need help or have any questions about being found on Local Search, Hit the contact button and let me know what I can do for you
Show Notes and Links
- Google My Business
- A shorter YouTube video on the same topic
Claim Your Business Listing
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