Hauling in More Local Customers…Even When Your Wheels Are Spinning

Hauling in More Local Customers

…Even When Your Wheels Are Spinning

March 2015

#mnsearch

Phil Rozek

@philrozek

@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com #MNSearch

About me


A problem as old as the Internet…


Online marketing never seems to get easier


Should help launch

word-of-mouth

Should boost your

online reputation

Should not burn up

all your time

It should be a launching pad


5 common situations

x 5 ways to get traction

Focus on the highest-payoff activities

…for your specific situation


Situation 1: Not visible in the local results


Situation 1: Not visible in the local results


#1: Research your categories


Pop quiz:

How many Yelp categories can you select?


#2: PILE on the Google+ reviews


Use Whitespark’s free review-handout generator


#3: Make a page for each service


#4: Get (good) links the lazy man’s way

• Chamber of Commerce

• BBB accreditation

• Industry associations

• Meetup.com sponsorships


#4: Get (good) links the lazy man’s way


#5: Pare down your citations list


Situation 2: Good local rankings

– but not in the city you want


#6: Try to “stretch the map”


#7: Create a few good “city pages”


#7: Create a few good “city pages”


#8: Target cities w/ “portfolio” pages


#9: Consider targeting the state


#10: Know when it’s time for PPC


Situation 3: Visible, but no customers


Pop quiz: Yelp feeds reviews to

which 3 local search engines?


Tip #11: Diversify your reviews


Tip #11: Diversify your reviews


Tip #12: Mine your reviews


#13: Create an epic FAQ page

and study it with CrazyEgg


#14: Make your main pages EPIC


#15: Use Qualaroo to get feedback


Situation 4: Bleeding money in AdWords


#16: Use wildcards for KW research


#17: Bid on “reviews” terms


#18: Put reviews / testimonials on

landing pages


#18: Put reviews / testimonials on

landing pages


#19: Test with Bing Ads


#20: Find similarly-named businesses &

add their locations as negative KWs


Situation 5: Happy customers don’t speak up


#21: Give reviewers choices


#22: Give instructions and a reminder


#22: Give instructions and a reminder


#23: Expose customers to reviews

everywhere you can



everywhere you can



everywhere you can



everywhere you can



everywhere you can


#24: Consider asking non-customers

Like whom?

• Recipients of pro

bono work

• Free-consultation

people

• Other business

owners

• Peers


#25: Experiment fearlessly


Best of: 7 quick wins you can use

today in any situation

Use wildcards for

KW research

Create a page for

each specific service

Show off your reviews

Diversify your reviews

Mine your reviews

Lengthen stubby pages

Create giant FAQ page

& study it with CrazyEgg


Thanks!

moz.com/local/categories – Moz.com

whitespark.ca/review-handout-generator – Darren Shaw

Google Now Showing Local Results for State Wide Searches

– Mike Ramsey (via Search Engine Journal)

Designing Business Location Website Pages: Part One – Single Location Business

– Aaron Weiche (via LocalU.org)

The Lazy Man’s Way to Find Meetup.com Local Link Opportunities – me

Which Local Review Sites Are on Your Side? – me

Mining Your Online Reviews: 25 Nuggets You Can Use to Get More Local

Customers – me


Resources and further reading

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/11/technology_history_internet_computers_phones_1994.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_h/5508738002

https://www.flickr.com/photos/shellysblogger/15182177065/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wcdumonts/15720336980

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanenglish/1702377971

https://www.flickr.com/photos/meddygarnet/4374410040

https://www.flickr.com/photos/30181898@N06/5450514108

http://www.secretsafebooks.com/blogs/secret-safe-blog/8677501-huge-book-covers-contain-electrical-works

http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1305_volvo_xc60_iihs_small_overlap_crash_test

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dbgg1979/4080562904/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/5917022647

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_see/7666374400/photo_11.html


Image credits

Hauling in More Local Customers…Even When Your Wheels Are Spinning

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