Arkansas Internet Marketing and Arkansas Inbound Marketing Blog

Wilson Kanaday

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How to Make Your Business Stand Out on Google Maps in 2024

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Fri, Aug 30, 2024 @ 10:08 AM

Making sure our business stands out on Google Maps is critical for attracting local customers and increasing visibility. Google Maps is not just a tool for directions; it’s a powerful local search engine where potential customers can discover our business. Whether they are looking for a nearby restaurant, a retail store, or services, having a well-optimized Google Maps listing can make the difference between being chosen or overlooked.

To take full advantage of Google Maps, we need to put effort into optimizing our Google Business Profile. This involves making sure all information is correct and detailed. We need to use high-quality images, update our business hours, and provide a thorough description of what we offer. Additionally, engaging with customers through reviews and using Google's advanced features can further elevate our profile.

By leveraging these strategies, we can improve our ranking on Google Maps and ensure that our business gets the attention it deserves. Over the next sections, we will explore how to optimize our Google Business Profile, make the most of advanced features, actively manage customer engagement, and implement local SEO strategies for the best results.

Optimize Your Google Business Profile for Maximum Visibility

To make our business stand out on Google Maps, the first critical step is optimizing our Google Business Profile. This profile acts as our online storefront, providing essential information to potential customers. We must ensure that every detail is accurate, including our name, address, phone number, and business hours. Consistency is key because any discrepancies can confuse potential customers and negatively affect our search rankings.

Adding high-quality images of our business, products, or services can significantly enhance our profile's appeal. Visual content captures attention and gives customers a better understanding of what we offer. Using relevant keywords in our business description can also improve our visibility. A well-crafted description highlights our unique offerings and helps us appear in more relevant searches. Additionally, regularly updating our profile with posts about special promotions, events, or news keeps our audience engaged and informed.

Utilize Advanced Features to Enhance Your Google Maps Presence

Google Maps is continuously evolving, offering advanced features that can help make our business more noticeable. One such feature is the use of Google Posts. These posts allow us to share updates, special offers, and announcements directly on our Google Business Profile. Posting regularly keeps our profile active and engaging, making it more likely to capture the attention of potential customers.

Another valuable feature is the Q&A section, where we can provide answers to common questions. This section not only helps potential customers quickly find the information they need but also demonstrates our responsiveness and expertise. We should regularly monitor and manage this section to ensure that accurate and helpful information is available.

Additionally, utilizing Google’s booking button feature can streamline the process for customers to book appointments or reservations directly from our profile. This convenience can increase customer engagement and conversions. By effectively utilizing these advanced features, we can enhance our presence on Google Maps and attract more customers to our business.

Engage with Customers Through Reviews and Regular Updates

Customer reviews play a significant role in influencing potential clients. Positive reviews boost our business’s credibility while providing valuable feedback. To engage customers effectively, we should encourage our happy customers to leave reviews by simply asking them or sending follow-up emails. The more positive reviews we accumulate, the better our chances of attracting new clients.

Responding to reviews—both positive and negative—is crucial. Thanking those who leave positive feedback shows appreciation and encourages others to share their experiences. Addressing negative reviews politely and professionally presents us as a business that cares about its customers and is committed to improving service. Regularly updating our Google Business Profile with new information, such as special promotions or events, keeps our audience informed and engaged. This strategy helps maintain an active presence, which is favored by Google’s ranking algorithms.

Leverage Local SEO Strategies to Boost Your Ranking

To boost our ranking on Google Maps, implementing strong local SEO strategies is essential. First, we need to ensure our business information is consistent across all online platforms, including our website and social media profiles. Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information helps Google verify our business’s legitimacy.

Next, we should target local keywords that potential customers are likely to use when searching for services we offer. Including these keywords in our Google Business Profile description, posts, and on our website can improve our local search rankings. Creating high-quality local content, such as blog posts about community events or local industry news, can also drive local traffic to our profile.

Another effective strategy is to get backlinks from reputable local websites. Partnerships with local businesses or being featured in local news can provide valuable backlinks that boost our credibility and SEO rankings. Utilizing Google My Business posts to share updates and promotions attracts local attention and reinforces our presence in the community. By leveraging local SEO strategies, we can significantly enhance our visibility and ranking on Google Maps.

Conclusion

Making our business stand out on Google Maps requires a combination of optimizing our Google Business Profile, using advanced Google features, engaging with customers through reviews and updates, and leveraging local SEO strategies. Each of these steps plays a vital role in boosting our visibility, attracting more local customers, and enhancing our overall online presence.

Embracing these strategies can make a significant difference in how potential customers find and perceive us. Keeping our profile updated, interacting with our customers, and implementing robust SEO practices ensures that we stay ahead in local searches.

Ready to elevate your online presence and dominate local search results? Contact Vertical Studio today and let our experts help you achieve your digital marketing goals with top-notch SEO and Google Maps optimization services.

Maximize Your Online Visibility with Local SEO Strategies for Arkansas Businesses

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Fri, Jul 26, 2024 @ 04:07 AM

In today's fast-paced, competitive digital landscape, local businesses in Arkansas are striving to stand out and attract more customers. A robust Local SEO strategy is pivotal in ensuring your business is found by potential customers searching for products or services in your area. By optimizing your website, creating localized content, and enhancing your online listings, you can improve your online visibility, attract more targeted traffic, and generate more revenue.

Join us as we explore the world of Local SEO and discover its potential to transform your online presence and boost your sales. Are you ready to start connecting with more local customers and see your business thrive? Reach out to our local SEO experts today and let's get started on the path to success! (CTA at the end)

Maximize Your Online Visibility with Local SEO Strategies for Arkansas Businesses

Local SEO is an essential component for businesses striving to establish a strong online presence and connect with their target audience in Arkansas. By leveraging localized search optimization tactics, your business can attract more customers, increase website traffic, and enhance revenue. In this blog post, we'll discuss four crucial aspects of Local SEO and how implementing these strategies can help your Arkansas business flourish.

1. Optimizing Your Website for Local Search

The first step in building a strong Local SEO strategy is ensuring that your website is optimized for local searches. By refining your website's structure, content, and meta data, you can enhance your search visibility and drive targeted traffic to your site. Here are some best practices for website optimization:

- Include location-specific keywords: Identify and incorporate keywords that are relevant to your business and target location throughout your website's content, meta data, and URL structure.

- Optimize your homepage: Your homepage should concisely communicate your business's value proposition, services, and target location. Use location-specific keywords in your heading tags and homepage content.

- Create and optimize location pages: If your business serves multiple locations, creating dedicated pages for each area can help improve search visibility. Include location-specific information, keywords, and contact details on each page.

- Implement schema markup: Schema markup is a structured data format that helps search engines better understand your website's content. Add Local Business schema markup to provide search engines with relevant details about your business, such as address, phone number, and opening hours.

2. Localized Content Creation

Creating high-quality, local-focused content is a crucial aspect of Local SEO. Localized content helps you engage with your audience, demonstrate your expertise, and establish trust. To create content that resonates with your local audience, consider these tactics:

- Research local topics: Identify topics specific to your target location that will capture the interest of your audience. Examples include local events, seasonal trends, or industry news pertinent to your location.

- Use localized keywords: Incorporate location-based keywords in your content to help users and search engines connect your content to your target area.

- Provide value: Offer informative, valuable, and actionable content that solves problems or addresses the needs of your local audience.

- Update content regularly: Continually update and refresh your content to maintain relevance, provide new insights, and showcase your commitment to your local community.

3. Google Maps Optimization

Ensuring your business appears on Google Maps and ranks highly in local searches is critical for attracting new customers and boosting sales. To optimize your Google Maps presence, follow these best practices:

- Verify your Google Maps listing: Claim your Google My Business (GMB) listing and verify ownership to manage and optimize your business's presence on Google Maps.

- Provide accurate and complete information: Ensure your business address, phone number, website, and hours of operation are consistent, accurate, and up-to-date on your GMB listing.

- Optimize your GMB listing: Include relevant categories, keywords, and a compelling business description to improve your listing's visibility and standing in local searches.

- Encourage reviews: Positive reviews on your GMB listing can improve your business's credibility and increase your ranking on Google Maps. Promptly respond to reviews and encourage satisfied customers to leave feedback.

4. Enhancing Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is a powerful tool for improving your online presence and local search rankings. Enhancing your profile with accurate information, high-quality images, and regular updates can give your business a competitive edge. To optimize your Google Business Profile, consider these tips:

- Verify your listing: Claim and verify your Google Business Profile to manage and optimize your business's presence in search results and on Google Maps.

- Provide comprehensive information: Ensure your profile includes accurate and complete information, such as business address, phone number, website, and hours of operation.

- Add high-quality photos: Include professional, visually appealing photos of your business's interior, exterior, products, and services to leave a lasting impression on potential customers.

- Utilize Google Posts: Use Google Posts to share updates, promotions, or events, and engage with your audience directly from your Google Business Profile.

Conclusion

Local SEO is a powerful approach for Arkansas businesses aiming to strengthen their online presence, attract local customers, and drive revenue. By optimizing your website, creating localized content, and maximizing your Google Maps and Google Business Profile, your Arkansas business can establish a strong online foundation, rise above the competition, and achieve long-term success.

Vertical Studio is committed to helping businesses unlock the full potential of local SEO in Arkansas. Reach out to our team today to develop a customized local SEO strategy tailored to your unique needs and watch your business thrive in the local market.

Topics: SEO

GSI & ClearSaleing - Does Anyone Care about Interactive Attribution?

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Tue, Jan 11, 2011 @ 23:01 PM

GSI's acquisition of ClearSaleing provides a good time to revisit the field of Interactive Attribution.

Simple Background

The first time I formally heard of Interactive Attribution was a little over a year ago.  Now everyone in web analytics is familiar with the problem that Interactive Attribution is trying to solve; potential clients/customers have numerous touch points with a business before they commit their cash.  So which point should an analyst attribute the conversion?  

  • Google Analytics does it by "last touch", which is to say that the last way a unique visitor came to the website when they converted gets credit for the conversion.
  • Google Adwords creates confusion by attributing conversion to the "first touch."  If a visitor comes by Adwords and then 30 days later by direct navigation and makes a purchase, then the Adwords ad gets the conversion credit.

Right here - at first glance - separate bodies of Google data do not give an apples-to-apples comparison.  There are ways to reconcile this and even hack Google Analytics to adjust the data sets.  

You can imagine how complicated this becomes when you factor in email marketing, social media, display campaigns, retargeting and offline advertising.  

Who gets credit for the sale?  From our view, it seems like everyone should get a little bit of credit for each touch point.  But how much?  Have fun solving that.

Where Is Interactive Attribution Today?

Dax Hamman from Chango - the Search Retargeting Company - did a piece on his blog back in late November accurately stating that not much happened in the Attribution field in the previous twelve months.  A) He's right.  B) The lack of progress caught people off guard (at least the few people that were interested) because once Forrester publishes a report on something it is supposed to become the next big thing.  

In late 2009 the players Forrester named in Interactive Attribution were (you can download the report here):

  • Atlas
  • Coremetrics
  • Theorem
  • TruEffect
  • Visual IQ
  • [x+1]
  • ClearSaleing

ClearSaleing was placed in the prestigious upper right corner.  They are still the player today, not much has changed.  But the ground is starting to shift a little bit.

Josh Dreller pointed out on iMedia in December that Attribution "adoption is still growing, slowly but surely."  In addition, Dreller listed off challenges to Interactive Attribution adoption.  The one that strikes me as the most true was #3 - It is not a high enough priority.  We speak with Interactive Marketers all of the time.  And in passing, they agree Attribution Modeling is a problem.  But they don't seem to actually care.

My best guess as to why is a bit of a variant to Dreller's #3 point; it is not a high enough priority because there is too much to do that comes way before that.  Dreller mentions budget planning, managing employees, etc....  But I think it is more of a data problem.  

THERE IS TOO MUCH DATA ALREADY!!

Interactive Marketers have data coming out of their pores - Google Analytics, Coremetrics, Omniture, ad networks, email marketing and search campaigns.  How does a vendor expect to cut through all of that market noise and say, "Hey, look at our really cool data now!"  Marketers, in the aggregate, haven't come close to mastering their current data.  That's actually being generous.  Many marketers don't really have the first clue what their data actually says or what to do because of it.  

The current problem Interactive Marketing practitioners are trying to solve - whether they want to admit it or not - is still "more eyeballs."  Yep.  Super Bowl advertising stuff.  "How can we get more people to our website?"  It is the rare marketer we come across that really drills into converting the same number of "eyeballs" into more cash.  If you aren't focused on conversion, or better yet - Conversion Rate Optimization - how do you get to committing budget to getting the conversion the credit it deserves?

This brings us to the ClearSaleing acquisition.  

I don't take this event as a real positive for the Interactive Attribution "industry."  The concept of Attribution Modeling is ahead of its time and so is/was ClearSaleing.  GSI was likely their largest revenue channel for a year now.  This allows GSI to have a technology "add-on" for their 500 clients and gives ClearSaleing better access to that client pool.  I am sure that add-on will still cost GSI clients a premium.  But this has to hurt ClearSaleing's growth in the long run.  Not exactly the rocket ship the industry wanted to see from Interactive Attribution at this point.

Dax Hamman provided some follow up thoughts for this blog post that fit in with how I see Interactive Attribution following the Clear Saleing deal.  "ClearSaleing did well in terms of getting an offering into market and have benefited with the acquisition, but it will not be the last deal in this space. TagMan has recently announced additional funding too by iNovia, and further investment and consolidation will come.  It is likely that investment will come first to help such firms work out exactly what the offering needs to be, something that is still a grey area, and then in 2012 and 2013 the consolidation will follow."  

Hamman's point lines up well with events we have seen in the past in Interactive Advertising; namely, web analytics.  WebTrends was the first great web analytics company and they were acquired by NetIQ back in 2001.  First movers were into WebTrends, but it couldn't stand on its own at the time.  Several years later web analytics saw WebSideStory, Urchin, Visual Sciences, Omniture, Coremetrics and scores of other vendors taking the market by storm in 2006.  

I'd expect that we won't see Interactive Attribution gain real traction for years to come; there simply isn't demand for it.  But there is a lot of room to run.  The catalyst I would look for is when companies start to really fall into a pattern on Conversion Rate Optimization.  At that point simple conversion data won't be good enough, marketers will become passionate about more accurate attribution.  

Topics: Internet Marketing Trends & News, Internet Marketing Acquisitions, Web Analytics, Interactive Attribution

Hellman & Friedman buys Internet Brands for $640 million

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Mon, Sep 20, 2010 @ 16:09 PM

Hellman & Friedman, a private equity firm based out of San Fransisco, announced they acquired Internet Brands for $640 million.  Hellman & Friedman paid roughly 6.4x Internet Brands' 2009 revenue of $99.8 million.  

Interestingly, just last week Accumen Holdings, a start up from Arkansas presented at a Venture Forum in Little Rock.  Certainly, this acquisition in their space can't make them do anything but smile.

I do have one concern about these media companies.  Their processes and algorithms must be awesome.  But, they are playing online business like a pure market.  So what prevents other large (or small) media companies from entering the space.  Are the visitors/clients to/of CarsDirect.com really that loyal to the brand?  If they aren't they'll be easy to draw to the next thing.  Now maybe that is all accounted for.  But it seems like the downward pressure on margins and the lack of personal touch would make it difficult to sustain these businesses over the long haul; much like the old Adsense arbitrage websites.  

All of that aside, and my concerns might be absolutely unwarranted, I would continue to bet on any business that has developed the processes to make a strong entrance in the online business realm.  

UPDATE: Bob Brisco's comments on the deal can be found here.  

Topics: accumen holdings, ecommerce, private equity

Using Google Search to Monitor the Heisman Candidates

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Fri, Sep 10, 2010 @ 14:09 PM

Hiesman Trends 9 6 10 resized 600

This is a little experiment we are going to run this year to see how well search behavior can predict actual outcomes.  We are using Google's Insights for Search tool to watch how people search for the Heisman candidates.  

At this point you can see that Mark Ingram would be the front-runner, but Terrelle Pryor has quite a bit of momentum.

If we wanted to take it a bit deeper we could see which major media markets were searching, since that is where voters are more likely located.  We will dive into that later in the season as the race for the Heisman tightens up.  

Be sure to subscribe to our blog to get weekly updates on monitoring the Heisman race through Google.  

Topics: search engine marketing

Vertical Studio to Present @ Arkansas Venture Forum

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Tue, Sep 7, 2010 @ 15:09 PM

We'll be at the Arkansas Venture Forum on September 15th at the Doubletree Hotel in Little Rock.  

If you'd be interested in learning more about Vertical Studio's solution for growing online businesses with conversion rate optimization or as an investment opportunity we'd be happy to talk to you.  

Topics: Arkansas Business Trends & News

Congrats to ReachLocal - Latest Internet Marketing IPO

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Fri, May 21, 2010 @ 22:05 PM

ReachLocal logo 

Okay, so it didn't fire out of the gate.  Clearly not another Netscape... Did you expect it to be?

But a local ad network did just pull in $54 million.  That is a success story; especially in this "dead" IPO market.   

The 'Local' issue is a very significant problem in the current market and ReachLocal has a good solution.  I've often thought about how stronger Local Internet Marketing could play out here in Little Rock, AR.  Needless to say, I think it would be a strong media option.    

Best of luck to ReachLocal.  I would not be surprised if they are hot acquisition target in the very future as Interactive Marketing continues to grow and there are any signs of a economic recovery.  

Topics: Internet Marketing Trends & News, Internet Marketing Acquisitions

Twitter Acquires Atebis, Maker of Tweetie for the iPhone

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Fri, Apr 9, 2010 @ 21:04 PM

Twitter CEO, Evan Williams, laid out the rationale for the acquisition pretty clearly:

"Careful analysis of the Twitter user experience in the iTunes AppStore revealed massive room for improvement. People are looking for an app from Twitter, and they’re not finding one.  So, they get confused and give up. It’s important that we optimize for user benefit and create an awesome experience."

There you have it.  Interestingly, earlier this week Fred Wilson said that he wanted developers to stop building apps that just patched holes in the core offering and start building apps around various vertical industries or striving for that "killer app".  Well, Tweetie is a "fill in the gap" app.  I would say this was Twitter's shot at developers saying they mean business; "Build killer apps or we will continue to marginalize you."

But what is the revenue model for Twitter app developers to develop the "killer app"?  To this point, that isn't clear yet.  New developments between Twitter and the development community will be interesting to watch over the near future.  

 

 

 

Topics: social media, Internet Marketing Acquisitions, Twitter apps

Web Design: How Important Is the Copy on Your Website?

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Tue, Oct 7, 2008 @ 21:10 PM

I first saw this video on the blog of my friends at Future Now.

As I was first watching it, I imagined the beggar as typical online business.  He is set up and occasionally some revenue trickles in.

You can even imagine his business metrics (you have metrics for your online business too).  Possibly, 1 in 100 who passed dropped a coin in his can.  And for the sake of ease, let's say those individual coins were dimes.  So for every 1,000 people who passed by the beggar made $1.00.  Ouch! 

So the new words on his sign made the entire difference!  He went from a conversion rate of 1% to 5% and it looks like he may have also increased his average donation as well.  For the sake of ease, we'll say that patrons began donating two dimes.  Now for every 1,000 who passed by he made $10.00! 

A few simple words made the whole difference. 

How well is your website working for you?  Could an improvement in your copy start to make the difference?

Topics: Internet Marketing Trends & News, Web Analytics

Arkansas Business: Blogger Comments on Small Business Blogs

Posted by Wilson Kanaday on Thu, Aug 23, 2007 @ 20:08 PM

Lance Turner, the blogger for ArkansasBusiness.com, yesterday inked this quip,

Some [small businesses] are actually turning blog traffic into sales, almost [Lance's emphasis] justifying the time and expense it all takes.

Where to start?  Okay, there is a lot of skepticism around blogs.  Not long ago, I was one of the skeptics.  But now you are reading my blog. 

Do blogs take time?  Sort of.  I know my field and I enjoy it.  I think about the stuff in my posts all the time.  The most difficult thing is writing short posts.

Is it expensive?  No.  I even had some blog experts to do all of my back end work on setting this thing up and they still do some consulting around my posting and marketing. 

But can you just blog and hope for the best?  Of course not.  Notice the keywords I use over and over again.  Notice the URL directories displayed.  Very little in this blog is an accident.  And, over time, it will pay off.

And lastly, if your blog is actually getting solid traffic and you can't figure out how to make money with that, is that the blog's fault?

Topics: blogging, Arkansas Business Trends & News, Internet Marketing Trends & News

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