When it comes to marketing a local business online, local citations play an important role in improving SEO and boosting visibility in local search results. This is especially true in mobile search results. Most likely, this isn’t anything you haven’t read about before, but in 2017 this is even more significant.

As search engine algorithms continue to evolve and get smarter, we have to get smarter and more focused on where we build citations for local businesses. We’ll discuss this point more as we get further down in the post.

What a Local Citation Is and Why It Matters by @BernieColeman #AdviceLocal #SEO
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But First, What Is a Local Citation Exactly?

Here’s a simple definition:

A local citation is any mention of a business online that includes the business name, address, and phone number (often referred to as NAP).

Common citation sources include directory sites, data aggregators (i.e. Factual, Acxiom, Localeze, and Infogroup), Chamber of Commerce websites, social media, review sites such a Yelp, plus Google My Business and Bing Places. It’s important to note that a mention of the business on its own website doesn’t count as a citation.

A majority of citations include a link to the business’ website or additional information. Local citations are a valuable component of local SEO optimization regardless of whether they provide the business with a direct link. The benefits of citations go way beyond getting backlinks.

Why Citations Are Important for Local Businesses

Search engines use citations (among many other SEO factors) to gauge a business’ online reputation. So the more quality citations a business has online, the higher the business’ placement will be in local search engine result pages.

The prevailing mindset over the past decade has been that having more citations is always better, but this is no longer valid. In fact, low-quality citations, particularly those that link to your website, can negatively impact Google’s trust in the business. Rather than trying to improve a business’ online reputation through sheer volume, Advice Local focuses on identifying and targeting specific high-quality directories. We only submit local businesses to directories that meet the strictest of qualifications, which we determine based on 23 different metrics, including domain authority.

Another important characteristic of valuable sources is that they distribute their data across other directories and networks, thus acting as a data amplifier for local business citations. At Advice Local, we call this our Data Accelerator Network.

Recommended Citation Sources for Local Businesses

Here’s a sampling of citation sources that pass all our criteria and we submit to through our local presence management solution:

How to Get Cited

It’s pretty simple to get cited, especially on directory sites. Many are free and will let the local business simply answer a few questions, verify they have permission, and upload a logo. As mentioned earlier, this doesn’t mean the business should want to be listed on every site possible. The process of optimizing a business listing on these sites requires time, attention and understanding.

For example, ensuring the business citation is 100% accurate is extremely important. And once a business is listed on a directory, ensuring the listing remains accurate and maintains a consistent NAP can be tedious. Oftentimes, businesses are listed on directories without even being aware of it. Having duplicate citations confuses customers, impacts trust among search engines, such as Google, and hurts the business more than it helps. Bad data is a real problem for local businesses. Here’s more about how bad data happens and how to fix it.

There are several companies that offer local listing management services, such as we do at Advice Local. When choosing a local listing management company to partner with, it’s important to closely evaluate their business practices, the methods they use to submit listings and the places to which they submit. Yext, for example, submits to some low-quality directories. They also use a technique that can create duplicate listings and override existing optimized listings with ones that are not optimized. When the business cancels Yext’s services, some of the new listings disappear and existing ones revert back to featuring bad data. You don’t have to take our word for it – check out this study conducted by Whitespark.

By now, you can see there’s a lot more to local citations than just getting listed! We didn’t even cover earned links, which refer to citations created naturally through mentions on the web, producing high-quality content that others want to link to and guest blogging.

Are you ready to take action? I recommend you start with generating an online visibility report. This will show you how many listings a business has online currently, highlight bad data issues and recommend a few next steps.

Keep coming back for more local search news from the #QueenofLocalSEO!

The post Local Presence Management in 2017: What a Local Citation Is and Why It Matters appeared first on Advice Local.

RankBrain has been around for awhile now. Has it helped or hurt your clients’ rankings? This machine-learning algorithm known as RankBrain was developed by Google to monitor websites and serve results based on user intent vs. just the keywords searched.

For those not familiar with RankBrain, the short description is:

A constantly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) that analyzes search queries to learn more about how and why people carry out certain searches. RankBrain helps Google deliver more accurate search results based on user intent.

Google is known for being rather tight-lipped when it comes to the inner workings of its search algorithms, so we were all quite pleased when they did confirm the use of this AI algorithm.

I’m learning about how #Google’s #RankBrain affects local #search results. Thanks @Advice_Local!
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How Can RankBrain Impact Local Search Results?

Although RankBrain is only believed to be responsible for around 15-20% of search results, this figure will likely continue to increase as it learns and improves itself. According to Google’s Andrey Lipattsev, RankBrain is among the top three most important ranking factors, along with links and content, so we definitely need to be thinking about this AL when creating content.

RankBrain makes it harder for marketers to abuse black-hat SEO tactics, such as keyword stuffing, spam, and link farming. This is great news for businesses that play by Google’s rules. The secret to keeping RankBrain happy is keeping customers happy.

What Local Businesses Need to Know

Google is a huge fan of  E-A-T content – and so are searchers. E-A-T content is that which has a high level of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. These characteristics help Google determine a website’s quality and whether a searcher would find it helpful and informative.

Searchers like this type of content because it gives them reliable information that they can read, learn from and understand whenever they experience a micro-moment. It answers their questions, solves their problems, and saves them time because they don’t have to funnel through ten irrelevant articles to find the one they want. Have you ran a search lately? It seems to me that I’m seeing less spam and more real results.

How Local Businesses Should Be Writing Content for Their Websites

Write for Humans First

That’s right. One of the keys to writing for RankBrain is to write for real-life, keeping customers in mind. Google is moving away from keyword-focused search results towards results based on user intent. Local businesses should adopt this same mindset and publish natural-sounding content that addresses their target audience’s questions.

Use Keywords Sparingly

Keyword research and on-page optimization are still an important area of local SEO, so don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet. But instead of writing short, keyword-focused articles that offer little value to readers, businesses should publish insightful content that goes into detail on a given subject. When writing content for a page, don’t focus on a single keyword, but integrate one main keyword phrase along with several related search terms.

Think Local and Targeted

We all prefer websites that are useful and highly relevant, so be sure to consider the needs of local customers when producing new content. The more specific and localized the content and keywords, the more likely the content will reach its intended audience and make a positive impact on potential customers.

Start focusing on what’s best for the local business’ target audience and business goals – and make sure they align with Google’s best practices to be rewarded with improved visibility in search results!

Armed with this knowledge, are you going to start doing anything differently?

Keep coming back each week for your local search news from the #QueenofLocalSEO!

The post Can Local Businesses Really Rank with RankBrain? appeared first on Advice Local.

The rise of mobile is not exactly what you’d call a dry, abstract subject. With so many of us living the mobile experience every day we clearly know it as a vital and exciting subject. We observe mobile use by family, co-workers, fellow shoppers and people in general getting from their point A to point B, with an on-average “connection to the web time” of about 3 hours daily. (Nomophobia? Maybe.)

As a business owner, digital marketer, SEO pro or affiliated professional you might have a pretty good handle on the miracle of mobile, but we’re still at the beginning of this monster trend. As with anything that is widely available and rapidly changing, there is always more to know.

Yes, you’re working hard to maximize the payoff from mobile. I get that because it is my mission as well, and to that end I present my newest eBook, “Making the Most of the Mobile Experience”.

Announcing @Advice_Local’s #eBook: Making the Most of the #Mobile Experience
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Go Mobile or Go Home

That’s right, I said “go mobile or go home.” Even big fans of mobile may not fully grasp this truth: if you don’t have a plan to reach out to consumers via mobile today, then you do not have a marketing plan. That’s not a criticism, just the sharp edge of truth cutting through any confusion.

The Proof is in the Mobile Stats

To begin, the time spent on smartphones has surpassed the time spent watching television. Is this “always on” shift true for you, too?

• 85 percent of sites now meet Google’s criteria for mobile-friendliness (and how about yours?)
• 39 percent of consumers make purchases from within apps
• Consumers spend 90% of their smartphone screen-time in mobile apps
• Mobile is massive: the value of mobile-influenced purchases in 2015 alone totals around $1 trillion – yes, trillion with a “t”

But wait… there’s more than just eye-opening statistics, you will find analysis and recommended best practices to strengthen your brand in this eBook. I will reveal the hidden pieces of the mobile space to help you improve customer experience and garner more sales.

Be Where Mobile and Micro-Moments Merge

Mobile helps businesses and brands meet their customers and customers-to-be when they reach out during their busy day. This place is found in the confluence of mobile and human activity, in the brief, purpose-filled “I-want-to” times that Google defines as Micro-Moments. Because mobile is about meeting needs, this focus creates a win-win for all parties involved.

I’m going #mobile. Find out why in @BernieColeman’s #ebook #business
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It’s easy to download “Making the Most of the Mobile Experience”. Click, read and start taking the necessary steps to put more focus on mobile marketing.

Want more awesome resources? Find them here.

The post Announcing Our New eBook: Making the Most of the Mobile Experience appeared first on Advice Local.

It seems Google is testing a new layout for mobile search results again. This time placing product ads for local inventory at the top of the page. Yes, this means sponsored products are being displayed above the local 3-pack.

The ads are almost mistakable for the local pack, since the products appear next to a map and are not clearly labeled as sponsored content. Mike Blumenthal originally spotted this and captured our attention (along with many others in the local search space). As he noted in this article, the test ads are part of Google’s new Shopping campaigns, which allow businesses to promote local inventory.

Interestingly, the results don’t appear to be linked to a specific geographic area. For instance, we ran a test search from our office here in McKinney and received the same sponsored product results as Blumenthal. However, since Google is just starting to test this ad-pack layout, we could expect to see more targeted ads in this local pack format if and when the update is officially integrated into mobile search in the future.

#Google Is Playing with #Mobile Search Results Again. Get the Story from @Advice_Local!
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Local Product Ads Would Take Up Valuable Mobile Real-Estate

In our own mobile search results, we found that the test ads for inventory take up the entire screen above the fold. This forces smartphone users to scroll down to see the local 3-pack and even further to see organic results.

Take a look at these screenshots taken on an iPhone to see what I’m talking about:

The above results appeared at the top of the search page with an option to view more products nearby. Note that this is well above the businesses displayed in the local pack and these two results are the same as Blumenthal reported seeing in his search results.

The following ad appeared below the two product placements:

This is the local pack as seen in mobile results – that is, once I scrolled down a fair bit.

While it’s important to remember that Google is always tweaking its algorithms and changing how local businesses appear in search results, this particular change raises concerns about whether organic results will become less visible to mobile users.

Consistent NAP is More Important than Ever for Local Businesses

As Google continues to roll out changes that prioritize mobile and local search above all else, it’s more crucial than ever for local businesses to maintain consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) data. Inaccurate citations and business listings are not only bad for SEO and the business’ ranking in search results, but also send mixed messages to potential customers who do manage to find the business online.

Consistent NAP is a priority to rank in #mobile search says @BernieColeman.
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To check that the businesses you represent are displaying consistent NAP data online, I invite you to run a free visibility report today. If you are an agency or multi-location brand or business and would like to learn more about how our local presence management solution can help fix inaccurate listings, request a demo!

Until next time, keep coming back for your local search news from the #QueenofLocalSEO!

The post Google Shakes Things Up: Testing Product Ads in Mobile Search Results appeared first on Advice Local.

While no one loves the idea of getting another email, the simple truth is growing a list is an important component of lead nurturing for every local business. Consumers that want to know about a business’ products and services will subscribe, but if they don’t hear from them, they’ll tune out and move on to another business that is emailing them.

Beyond using an email newsletter to maintain a relationship with current customers, it keeps the business top-of-mind for potential customers and interested consumers.

It seems that half of consumers check their phone first thing in the morning (yes, this includes me), so I can confirm that an engaged email list is a valuable local marketing asset. Many of the emails I receive from companies I want to buy from or restaurants I want to visit, I’ll flag and save until the time is right. I’m guessing you might do something similar.

Collect and Connect: 8 Ways A Local #Business Can Grow Its Email List via @Advice_Local
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Right now, I’m going to share some of the ways local businesses have worked their way into my email inbox (and maybe yours too).

8 Tips for Local Businesses to Get More Email Subscribers

1. Invitation to Opt-in at Checkout

Existing customers – especially those who have recently made a purchase – are primed to become an email subscriber. They’ve already made the choice to buy and will likely be interested in upcoming news, events, and discounts related to the business.

But timing matters here. The best moment to ask a customer to opt-in to a mailing list is during or directly after checkout, when the business is on their mind and they’re feeling good about making a new purchase.

Businesses should keep a sign-up sheet, postcards or tablet at the checkout and simply ask customers if they’d like to subscribe to receive exclusive offers and insider information (or whatever benefits subscribers should expect to receive via email).

2. Send Email Receipts

Offering to send receipts by email is convenient, environmentally-friendly, and the perfect opportunity to get new email subscribers. Giving customers the option to receive electronic receipts provides an excuse to recruit them to a mailing list (even if they passed up on the opportunity earlier). Email receipts are also a great opportunity to ask for customer reviews and feedback.

3. Provide Exclusive Discounts

A discount or promo code that is available only to email subscribers incentivizes more people to opt-in. Businesses hoping to collect customer emails should offer a tangible reward for subscribing that goes above and beyond interesting email content. After all, customers who haven’t read the newsletter yet may not see the value in signing up if there isn’t an immediate benefit.

Use these exclusive offers to bring local shoppers back more frequently, perhaps by setting a time limit on the validity of the discount code or bonus being offered.

4. Offer Free Downloads

Another way to incentivize email subscriptions is by offering high-quality, downloadable content to consumers who join a mailing list. For instance, a handy how-to guide, relevant resource, or even a simple checklist that can be accessed in exchange for an email address will catch the attention of consumers who are interested in the business.

Remember to promote the free downloads at the store in addition to on social media, the blog and website to maximize exposure and capture as many relevant leads as possible.

5. Put Subscription CTAs Everywhere

Make sure the subscribe form is accessible and visible in as many places as possible. (To the right is an example of Advice Local’s. This appears on the right of every blog post.) This means posting calls-to-action and links to the subscription form on social media, in email signatures, and on every page of the website that makes sense.

Businesses that opt for a pop-up box on their website must be careful not to annoy potential subscribers by displaying the pop-up before visitors have a chance to browse the content. Wait a minute or two before asking for a visitor’s information and prevent pop-ups from displaying multiple times on a given day. (Also, be aware of Google’s Interstitial Penalty as it relates to pop-ups.)

6. Streamline the Opt-In Process

In order to make it as easy as possible for customers to sign up for the email list, add the opt-in form as part of the page template. This ensures it is visible on every page and removes the extra step of the consumer having to click on a link to a new page to complete the form.

The goal is to remove any barriers that might discourage potential subscribers from taking action. For instance, consider only requiring the customer’s email and first name – but give them the option to include more details if they want.

7. Create a Referral Program

In addition to offering enough value in the newsletter or exclusive discounts that subscribers want to share it with their friends or colleagues, it doesn’t hurt to provide a more tangible reason for them to go through with the recommendation.

Offer a simple referral program that rewards consumers who on-board new subscribers. Promote the referral bonus in emails to current subscribers so they’ll know about it, as well as in-store where local customers who aren’t yet subscribed can discover an extra perk to joining.

8. App It

That’s right, I said, “app it!” Local businesses that have a mobile app can easily include an email opt-in, so it’s at the fingertips of their customers and prospective customers all the time. With a mobile app, the business can send push notifications to consumers about special offers and contact them for longer communications via email. (BTW… if you need a mobile app solution, here’s a mobile app creator that is so simple even my grandma could use it.)

8 Helpful Tips for a Local #Business to Grow Their List by @LissaDuty #DigitalMarketing
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It doesn’t seem right to close this post without inviting you to join our list! Don’t worry, I have you covered with a free download (tip #4). Here’s a free resource, Making the Most of the Mobile Experience, for those of you that need an extra incentive.

The post Collect and Connect: 8 Ways a Local Business Can Grow Its Email List appeared first on Advice Local.