Local link building, local content development, and on-site optimization top the wish list for the activities marketers want resourced.
It’s these three tactics that move the needle when the rest of your local SEO campaign is in place. Go to bat for resources that boost rankings, increase traffic, and ultimately result in conversions and revenue.
It’s a truth that resonates even with marketers at the largest companies: Reviews = reputation. Managing the complexities of online sentiment requires the right tools, techniques, and time.
Review management gone wrong is a customer service nightmare. When it’s neglected and ignored, brands face customer attrition and loss of loyalty even as their negative reputation flourishes. Invest in review management now and reap the benefits of a healthy reputation later.
Automotive, real estate, and legal industry professionals are clamoring the loudest for devoted link building resources.
These are some of the most competitive local verticals. As such, they’ve realized that winning authoritative new links will create critical ranking breakthroughs when no other method delivers.
Every word-of-mouth referral is a gift to a local business. And because it’s more costly to acquire new customers than to keep existing ones happy, successful loyalty programs should be valued as well.
What happens off the web can make a substantial competitive difference for clients. Right now, only half of the industry has embraced offline word-of-mouth marketing and loyalty campaigns, leaving acquisition and retention streams on the table. It’s an area where the local SEO industry has yet to fully mature.
Year-over-year, there’s been only 3% growth in the number of respondents engaged in email marketing campaigns.
Study after study shows that email marketing delivers some of the highest returns on investment, generating $38 for every $1 spent. With more than one-third of survey respondents overlooking it, the competitive advantage falls to brands who actually utilize this tried-and-true customer communications channel.
YoY growth in the number of respondents paying for online advertising or leads in the form of Google Ads, Local Service Ads, and other programs is a big win for Google.
While competing in tough markets often requires investing in PPC, we recommend that local business marketers find ways to reduce their clients’ dependence on Google. Feed quality data to the search engines, fight spam and violations in your industry space, and focus on improving your organic presence.
Just a couple of years ago, SEO industry publications were teeming with headlines on in-store tech. Our survey indicates no real growth in adoption of elements like beacons, sensors, QR codes, Wi-Fi analytics, or visual analytics. While developments continue in this area, it could be that actual implementation is mostly confined to large enterprises.
The trajectory on in-store tech is a good lesson in staying curious about innovation while practicing healthy discretion. Not every emergent technology is worth exploring just because it’s new. Evaluate trends as they relate to your unique needs and only invest in the best.
When a location’s data changes, software can simplify and scale listings management. From multi-location enterprises to single-location businesses, updating core business information across the web means a significant investment of both time and money. And when 90% of shoppers look to the internet before heading to Main Street, getting it wrong can mean confused customers and lost revenue.
Nearly half of respondents rely on the help of local SEO software to manage data like location openings, closures, moves, merges, re-brands, duplicates, review responses, Q&A, changes to hours of operation, publication of posts and other actions across multiple listings.