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LOCAL SEOHOW TO GET TOP SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS
Places for local businesses near Scottsdale, AZ
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DearFriend,
Didyouknowthatsearchenginesarethenumberonewaythatcustomersfindlocalbusinesses?AccordingtoGoogle,97percentofcustomersfindlocalbusinessesbysearchingonline.That’swhywe’vecompiledthisguide.It’sfullofwaystohelpyourlocalbusinessgetfoundbycustomersonline.
WealsopublishourRightOn-NoBullMarketingBlog.Thisblogkeepsyouinformedaboutsearchengineoptimizationbestpracticesandtrends.Thegoalofourblogistohelpyoubecomebetteratmarketingandsellingintheinternetera.Ourbloggivesyouaninsider’sperspectiveonmarketingstrategies,tacticsandmarketingchannels.Wehopeyouenjoywhatyouread.Wealsohopeyougetourfreeblogupdates.TheycanbesenttoyouviaemailorRSSFeed.AndbesuretolikeusonFacebook.OurFacebookfanpageisfullofcontentyouwon’tfindanywhereelse.WealsorunFacebookfansonlywebinars,giveawaysandspecials.Ihopeyoujoinus.
Thanksforreading!
StayThirsty!
BrianOffenberger,CeM,CSMA
CEO|RightOnNoBullMarketing
InternetMarketingServices
www.RightOn-NoBull.com
TO OUR READERS...
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHYYOURBUSINESSNEEDSLOCATIONBASEDMARKETING.............................................4
HOWTOBUILDAPOWERFULGOOGLE+LOCALLISTING.......................................................7
HOWBING’SBUSINESSPORTALHELPSLOCALSEARCHENGINEOPTIMIZATION.............................................................................................16
HOWTOPROMOTEYOURLOCALBUSINESSONFOURSQUARE.......................................25
15WAYSTOGETONLINELOCALCUSTOMERREVIEWS......................................................34
HOWTOSPOTFAKEONLINEREVIEWS..................................................................................36
HOWTOTRACKWHAT’SBEINGSAIDABOUTYOUANDYOURCOMPANY..........................38
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WiththeexplosivegrowthofsmartphonesandGPS,locationbasedservicesarebecomingalltherage.
Ifyou’reunfamiliarwithlocationbasedservices,here’swhatyouneedtoknow.
Peopleuselocationbasedserviceswiththeirsmartphonesjustliketheywouldamap.Theyusetheirsmartphonetofindtheproductsandservicestheyneed.
Peoplealsousetheirsmartphonetonotifyfriendsonsocialnetworksoftheircurrentlocation.Theyalsouselocationbasedservicestopostreviewsandopinionsaboutdifferentbusinessesandlocationstheyvisit.
Smartphoneusersdothisthroughavarietyoflocationbasedservice(LBS)platforms.SomeofthemorepopularLBSplatformsinclude:
• Google+Local• FacebookPlaces• Foursquare
Sowhyarepeoplevoluntarilybroadcastingtheircurrentlocationandopinionsonsocialnetworks?Theanswer:Becausetheyreceiveincentivessuchasdiscounts,onlinebadgesandothermust-haveitems.
Andwhydotheyusetheirsmartphonestofindoutwherebusinessesarelocated?Becauseit’sfast,easy,convenientandfree.
Forbusinesses,locationbasedservicesareanexcitingopportunity.Theseplatformsallowpeopletofindyourbusinessinnewways.Aspeoplecontinuetobuysmartphonesanduselocationbasedservices,businesseswillneedtoimplementalocationbasedmarketingplaniftheywanttobefoundbypotentialcustomers.
ThisreportwilltellyoueverythingyouneedtoknowaboutLBSplatformsandwhyyour
WhyYourBusinessNeedsLocationBasedMarketing
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businessneedslocationbasedmarketing.
Why Is Location Based Marketing Important For Companies?
Youmaybewondering:Whatdosmartphonesandlocationbasedserviceshavetodowithmybusiness?
It’sreallysimple.Smartphones and location based services help people find your business.
Thinkaboutitforasecond.
Let’ssaysomeoneisoutdrivingarounddoingSaturdayafternoonerrands.Aftergroceryshopping,theyrealizetheyneedtogetanoilchange.Theypullouttheirsmartphoneandtheysearch“oilchange”inGoogle.
ThepersonseesamapofallthenearbyrepairshopsinGoogle+Local.TheythenlookfordiscountsonFacebookPlaces,Foursquareandmobilewebsites.Thepersonmakestheirdecision.
Wouldyourbusinessbepartofthatdecision?Ifyoudon’thavealocationbasedmarketingplan,thenprobablynot.
If they can’t find you, they can’t buy from you.
Moreandmorepeopleareturningtotheirsmartphonestofindtheproductsandservicestheyneed.
Takealookatthenumbers:
• OneoutofeveryfourAmericansownsasmartphone(PewResearch)
• Morethan70millionpeoplehaveaccessedtheinternetfromtheirphonelastyear(eMarketer)
• By2012,morethan100millionpeoplewillbeaccessingtheinternetfromtheirphone(eMarketer)
Here’s the most interesting statistic, Google is reporting more than 30 percent of all mobile internetsearchesare“localsearches.”Bycomparison,only20percentofGooglesearcheson
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regularcomputersare“localsearches.”
Thismeansmorepeopleareusingtheirphonestosearchforaddressesandotherinformationtofindthenearbyproductsandservicestheyneed.
What Are The Benefits Of Location Based Marketing?
Thereareseveralimportantbenefitsyougetwithalocationbasedmarketingplan.Most importantly,youincreaseyourvisibilityamongpotentialcustomersnearyourbusiness.
Herearesomeadditionalbenefits:
• Proximity: Withlocationbasedmarketing,anearbycustomerismorelikelytovisityourbusinessthanacompetitorthatisa15-minutedriveaway.
• More Impulse Buying: Byreceivinginformationanddiscountsinreal-timefromtheirsmartphone,itismorelikelytobuyfromyourbusinessonimpulse,whichwillleadtomoreimpulsebuying.
• Higher Search Ranking:Googleisstartingtogivetopbillingtomoreofitsproductsandservicesinitssearchresults.AGoogle+Locallistingensuresthatpeoplesearchingnearbyfortheproductsandservicesyousellwillfindyourbusiness.
• Hassle Free: Customersdon’thavetogothroughthehassleofprintingonlinecouponsorclippingcouponsfromdirectmailadvertisementswithLBS.It’salsoalothardertoloseadiscountonyoursmartphone.Thephoneispresentedtotheemployeeforthediscount,makingtheshoppingexperiencehasslefree.
• Higher Return On Investment: Usinglocationbasedservicescostsnexttonothing.TheROIonlocationbasedserviceismuchhigherthanothermarketingchannelssuchasdirectmail,TVandradio.
• Spreads Word Faster: LocationbasedservicesaretiedtolargersocialnetworkssuchasFacebook.Thisleadstomorepeoplelearningabouttheproductsandservicesyousell.Additionally,loyalcustomerscanpostreviewsaboutyourproductsandservices.It’sfreewordofmouthadvertising.
Thesearejustafewofbenefitsofimplementingalocationbasedmarketingplan.Asthese
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technologiesaddmorefeatures,youcanexpectmorebenefits.
What Location Based Service Platforms Should You Use?
ThereareseveralLBSplatformsyoushouldincludeinyourlocationbasedmarketingplan.ThelistincludesGoogle+Local,FacebookPlacesandFoursquare.Hereiswhatyouneedtoknowabouteachoftheseplatforms.
Google+ Local
What It Does: AllowspeopletosearchGooglefornearbybusinesseswiththeirmobilephone.Searchinformationresultsincludephonenumber,address,mapwithdirectionsandcustomerreviews.It’samap,phonebookandreviewguideallinoneplace.
What Information Is Required: TomaintainyourGoogle+Locallisting,youneedtoverifyyouarethebusinessowner/managerwithaGoogle+account.Youwillneedtoprovide:phonenumber,address,website,hoursofoperationandashortbusinessdescription.Thisserviceisfree.
Foursquare
What It Does:Allowspeopletosharetheircurrentlocationwithfriendsby“checking-in.”InformationissharedwiththeFoursquaresocialnetworkandFacebooksocial
networkifconnected.Usersareawardedpointsandbadgesforcheck-ins.
What Information Is Required:YouwillneedtocreateaFoursquareprofile.Youwillneedtoenteryourname,emailandlocation.Onceyouhaveaprofile,youwillneedtoaddyourbusinesstothevenuelistingsifonedoesnotexist.Youwillneedtoadd:businessname,address,crossstreets,phoneandTwitterhandle.Youcanthenregisterasownerofthebusinesstocreatespecialanddiscounts.AFoursquarerepresentativewillcallyoutoconfirmyouaretheowner.
Promotional Features: Foursquareallowsbusinessownerstopostspecials.Specialscanincludefreeitemsanddiscountsonpurchases.Specialsareearnedbasedon“check-ins.”Theycanbebasedonfrequencyorgiveneverysingletime.Specialsarefreetorun.
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Facebook Places
What It Does:Allowspeopletosharewithfriendstheircurrentlocationby“checking-in”usingtheFacebookPlacesfeatureontheFacebookMobileAppontheirsmartphone.
What Information Is Required:ToregisteraFacebookPlaceyouwillneedtheFacebookMobileApp.Searchforyourbusinessusingtheapplication.Ifyourbusinessdoesnotexist,enterthecompanynameandashortdescriptionofyourcompany.Besureyouareatyourplaceofbusinesswhenregistering.
YoucanthenvisitFacebookandclaimyourpage.Afteryouclaimyourpage,youcanmergeyourplacespagewithyourbusinesspageonFacebook.AFacebookrepresentativewillcallyoutoverifythatyouaretheownerofthebusiness.Thisserviceisfree.
Promotional Features: WithinFacebookPlacesthereisFacebookDeals.ThisserviceallowsyoutooffercustomersspecialdealswhentheycheckintoyourbusinessusingFacebookPlaces.Dealscaninclude:coupons,freeitemsanddonationstocharitableorganizations.Currently,itisfreetopostdealsonFacebookPlaces.
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Inthegoodolddays,customersflippedthroughtheYellowPagestofindalocalbusiness.
Today,it’spracticallyalldoneviacomputersandsmartphones.AccordingtoGoogle,97percentofconsumerssearchforlocalbusinessesonline.
Ifyouwantlocalcustomerstofindyourcompany,it’simportanttohaveaGoogle+Locallisting.Google+ Local isthetoponlinelocationforlocalsearchresultsontheweb.
Whatisthedifferencebetweenlocalsearchresultsandtraditionalsearchresultsandqueries?
Local search adds a WHERE component like an address to the WHAT component most commonly used in search queries (keyword, product, service, etc).
ThisarticlewillshowyouhowcompaniescanuseGoogle+Localtodrivemorelocalcustomertraffictoyourbusinesslocations.
What is Google+ Local?
Google+Localisanareaonasearchresultpageforlocalbusinesslistings.ThisareaisoftenreferredtoasaZeroPack.Here’sanexampleifyousearchforsecuritycompaniesinScottsdale,Arizona.
HowtoBuildaPowerfulGoogle+LocalListing
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Asyoucanseefromtheabovepicture,Google+Localgivesyouthetopsevenlocalsecuritycompaniesonitssearchresultspage.Googlewillgiveyouanywherefromzerotosevenlocalsearchresults.That’swhyit’scalledtheZeroPack.
TobeincludedintheZeroPacklocalsearchresults,Googleusesmathematicalalgorithms.Wewon’tboreyouwithallthedetails,butwe’llshowyouthebestwaytogetintothetopsevensearchresultslaterinthepost.
Ifyouclickonthe“More Results”linkatthebottomoftheGoogleZeroPack,you’llbetakentoacompletelistingofallthelocalbusinessesrankedforavarioussearchterm.
EachGoogle+Localsearchresultalsoincludesadditionaldetailsforeachofthebusinesses.
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Theadditionaldetailsinclude:
• PicturesandVideos
• Maps
• BusinessHours
• MainCrossStreets
• OnlineReviews
SonowthatyouhaveabackgroundonGoogle+Local,youneedtounderstandwhyit’simportanttoyourbusiness.
Why is Google+ Local Important?
BusinessesshoulduseGoogle+Localforthefollowingreasons:
• It’s Where Google Shows Local Search Results–ThisiswhereGoogledisplayslocalsearchresults.Thisiswherecustomersexpecttofindinformationaboutlocalbusinesses.
• Maximum Exposure –Asnotedearlier,97percentofcustomerssearchforlocalbusinessesonline.AlotisdonethroughGoogle.
• It’s Free–ItcostsnothingtolistyourbusinessonGoogle+Local.YellowPageslistingscansometimescostthousandsofdollars.
• It Appears on Smartphones–Customersareusingtheirsmartphonestosearchfortheaddressesandphonenumbersoflocalbusinesses.Google+Localhelpspeoplefindyourbusiness.
Most importantly, Google+ Local drives local customer traffic.It’smorepowerfulthananytypeofadvertisement.That’sbecausemanypeopleusingGoogle+Localarereadytobuy.
Forinstance,peoplesearchingfor“grocerystoresinScottsdale”onGoogle+Localarelookingtofindanearbystorenoworinthenearfuture.
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How Does Google+ Local Work?
BeforeyoustartcreatingyourownGoogle+Locallisting,youneedtobetterunderstandhowitworks.
YoualsoneedtocompleteallyourothercitationservicessuchasBingBusinessPortal.
Google+LocalrankslocalbusinessessimilartostandardGooglesearches.Googleusesamathematicalalgorithmtodeterminewhereyourbusinesswillrankamongvariouskeywords.
ThealgorithmtakesintoaccounttheinformationthatyouincludeinyourGoogle+Localprofile.Thisincludes:
• CompanyInformation
• ContactInformation
• CompanyAddress
• CompanyWebsite
• ServiceRadius
Whilethealgorithmistopsecret,manysearchmarketingexpertsagreethatotheronlinebusinesslistingsandonlinereviewsaboutyourbusinessaffectyourbusiness’placementintheZeroPackandGoogleMaps.Themoreplacesyourbusinessislistedandthemorereviewsyouhave,thehigheryourbusinesswillrank.
Properlylistingyourbusinessononlinebusinessdirectoriesandreviewssitesisaveryimportantfirststep.IthelpstogetyourbusinesstorankhighforcertainsearchphrasesinGoogle+Local.
Be sure to list your business on lots of online business directories and review sites before filling out any Google+ Local information.Youcanfindalistofgreatdirectoriesandreviewsiteslaterinthisarticle.
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How Do I Create a Powerful Google+ Local Listing?
Google+Localisfairlyeasytosetup.Tostart,allyouhavetodoishaveaGoogleIDandvisitwww.Google.com/+/learnmore/local/,andfillouttheinformationinallofthefields.
It’srathersimpletofillout.Thechallengeliesincreatingahigh-rankingGoogle+Locallisting.
Tocreateapowerful,high-rankingGoogle+LocalListing,werecommendthefollowingtips.
• Completely Fill Out Information–It’sveryimportanttoaccuratelycompletealltherequestedinformationaboutyourbusinessforGoogle+Local.Thisincludesthepictureandvideofields.
• Be Consistent–Googlecrosscheckstheinformationthatyouenterwithyourwebsite.Makesurealltheinformationthatyouenteristhesameasonyourwebsite.
• Use a Mix of Custom and Standard Categories–Googlehasanestablishedlistofcategories.Useafewofthoseaswellasafewcustomcategories.Googlelimitsyoutofivecategories.
• Avoid Location Terms in Categories–Don’tenterlocation-basedtermssuchas“PhoenixCarRepair”or“PhoenixDrugStore.”Googlemaythinkthatyou’rekeywordstuffing,whichisawaytotrytomanipulatethesystem.
• Include Your Categories in the Description–Googlegivesyou200characterstodescribeyourbusiness.Trytousethemallandincludethecategoriesyouselectedinthedescriptionasseeninthepictureabove.
• Include Photos and Videos–Themorephotosandvideosthebetter.Includeyourcompanylogoaswellaspicturesofyourbusinessaswellastheproductsandservicesthatyouoffer.
• Avoid Toll Free Phone Numbers–Google+Localisforlocallistings.Avoidusingtollfreenumbers.Besurephonenumberswithareacodesarealsolistedonyourwebsiteforconsistency.
• Use Bulk Uploading For Multiple Locations–Ifyouhavemultiplelocations,youwillneedtocreateaprofileforeachofthoselocations.Googlehasabulk-uploadingtooltohelpyouwiththis.AllyouneedtodoisfillouttheBulkUploadingTemplateandloaditintoGoogle+Local.
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• Update Your Website–YouwanttomakesurealltheinformationisconsistentbetweenyourwebsiteandGoogle+Local.Ifit’sbeenafewyearssinceyoulastupdatedtheinfoonyourwebsite,besuretomakethechanges.
• Create Google+ Local Last –Wesaidthisearlier,andwe’llsayitagain.WaittofilloutyourGoogle+Localinformationuntilyoulistyourbusinessononlinebusinessdirectoriesandreviewsites.
How Can I Increase My Google+ Local Ranking?
AfteryoufilloutalltheinformationintheGoogle+Localform,Googlespiderscrawlthewebsearchingforyourbusiness,itsaddressandotherinformation.
Thechancesarebetterthatyou’llhaveahigherGoogle+Localrankingifyourbusinessanditsaddressappearonlotsofdifferentreviewwebsitesandonlinedirectories.
Thatiswhyyouneedtohaveyourbusinesslistedonotheronlinereviewwebsitesandonlinelistings.Makesureyourbusinessison:
• Yelp
• Foursquare
• MerchantCircle
• YellowBook
• YellowPages
• Judy’sBook
• SuperPages
• CitySearch
• DexKnows
• Manta.com
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• LocalChamberofCommerceWebsite
Themoreplacesthatyourbusinessislistedthebetterchancethatyou’llmakeitintooneofthetopsevenspotsontheZeroPackofGoogle+Local.It’simportanttomakesurethatyourbusinessaddressislistedthesamewayforallofthesewebsites.
Mostofthesewebsiteshavewaysforyoutoclaimyouronlinelistingtoensuretheinformationiscorrect.
Onceyourbusinessislistedonallofthesesites,you’llwanttoencouragepeopletosubmitonlinereviews.Themorereviewsthatyouhavethebetterthechancesyou’llrankhigherinGoogle+Local.
TrainyouremployeestoaskcustomerstosubmitreviewsonYelporCitySearch.ThemorereviewsthegreatthelikelihoodforhigherrankingswithintheZeroPackofGoogle+Local.
ThesearesomeofthebestwaystoimproveyourrankinginGoogle+Local.
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Moreandmoreconsumersareusingsearchenginestofindnearbybusinesses.
Justlookatthestats.AccordingtoGoogle,97percentofcustomerssearchforlocalbusinessesonline.Bycomparison,81percentofconsumersnolongerwantaprintedphonebookliketheYellowPages.
It’sasignofthetimes.Localsearchisagreatwayforyourbusinesstogetfound.ThetwotoplocalsearchplatformsareGoogle+LocalandMicrosoft’sBingBusinessPortal.Yourbusinessshouldbeonboth.
That’sbecauseGoogleandMicrosoftcontrolamajorityoftheonlinesearchmarketintheUnitedStates.Googlehas64percent.Microsofthas30percentbetweenBinganditspartnerYahoo!That’salmost95percentofthemarket!
Totakeadvantageofthis,yourbusinessneedstobeusingplatformssuchasGoogle+LocalandBing’sBusinessPortal.
ThisarticlewillfocusonBing’sBusinessPortal.You’lllearnhowitcanhelplotsoflocalcustomersfindyourbusiness.
What is Bing Business Portal?
BinglauncheditsBusinessPortalinApril2011.It’sanonlinebusinesslistingthatallowscustomerstodiscoverlocalbusinessesthroughsearch.
TobetterunderstandBusinessPortal,supposeacustomerlivinginScottsdale,ArizonawassearchingBingforasecuritysystem.Thesearchresultswouldshowthefollowing.
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BingBusinessPortalistheportionhighlightedinredintheabovepicture.Asyoucansee,itliststhefivemostrelevantlocalsecuritycompaniesinthesearchqueryforthesearchterm“securitycompaniesinScottsdale,AZ.”Itgivesyoutheaddress,thephonenumberandotherimportantinformationsuchasamapofthenearbylocations.It’slikehavinganinteractiveversionoftheoldYellowPagesphonebook.
WithBingBusinessPortal,searchersgetuptofivelocallistings.Thesefivelistingsaredisplayedinamapformatliketheexampleabove.ToseemoreofoptionsthatBinggivesyou,clickonthe“MoreListings”option.
Ifyouclickonanyoftheresults,youaretakentothebusiness’locallistingspage.There,youcanfindcontactinformation,userreviewsandotherinformation.Youcanseeanexampleofalocallistingspageonthenextpage.
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Thelocallistingpageincludes:hoursofoperation,address,map,paymentsaccepted,photosandorganicsearchresults.
BingBusinessPortaloffersafewotherhelpfulfeaturesforyourbusiness’locallistingspage.
• Discount Coupons–Youcancreatecoupons,discountsandotherpromotionstoofferonyourbusinesslistingspage,Facebookpage,BingdesktopsearchresultsandBingmobiledealtab.
• Mobile Websites –Youcancreateamobilewebsiteversionofyourbusinesslistingspage.
• QR Codes–QRcodesarecreatedforeachbusinesslistingsocustomerscaneasilyaccesscontactinformationontheirmobiledevices.
BingBusinessPortalisfreetosignupand,atthemoment,allofitsfeaturesarefree.
Why is Bing Business Portal Important?
BingBusinessPortalisimportantbecauseithelpscustomersfindyourbusiness.Herearesomeotherreasonsyoushouldbeusingthisplatform.
• You Get New Customers–YouareexposingnewlocalcustomerstoyourbusinessthroughBingBusinessPortal.
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• Bing Business Portal Costs Nothing–Itdoesn’tcostapennytolistyourbusiness.Atthemoment,itsdealfeaturesarealsofree.
• It’s Smartphone Friendly–AccordingtoAT&T,43percentofpeopledoinglocalsearchesonmobiledevicesshowuptothelocationtheyfoundontheirsmartphone.BingBusinessPortalhelpsdrivesomeofthattraffic.
• Deals –WithBingBusinessPortalnotonlywillcustomersfindyourbusiness,they’llalsolearnaboutdealsandpromotionsatyourbusiness.
How Does Bing Business Portal Rank Your Business?
It’simportanttounderstandthatBingusesamathematicalalgorithmtorankyourbusinesslistingbysearchterm.WhileBingdoesnotdiscloseinformationaboutitsalgorithm,searchmarketingexpertsbelieveBinglooksatanumberoffactorsincluding:
• BusinessAddressConsistency
• BusinessLocation
• BusinessInformationonYourWebsite
• YourFacebookandTwitterAccounts
• OnlineDirectoriesandOnlineReviewSitesWhereYourBusinessisListed
• TheNumberofOnlineReviewsaboutYourBusiness
Allofthesefactorsmaydeterminewhereyourbusinesswillrankforcertainkeywords.HigherrankingbusinesseswillappearinoneofthetopfivelocalsearchspotsonBing’ssearchresultspageforcertainkeywordphrases.
It’scriticalforyourbusinesstoappearinoneofthetopfivesearchresultsspotsbecausemostcustomerswillonlyvisittheselocations.
Inthenextfewsections,we’llshowyouhowtoimproveyourchancesofgettingintooneofthetopfivespotsforcertainkeywordsearchphrases.
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How Do I Get My Business on Bing Business Portal?
GettingyourbusinessonBingBusinessPortaliseasy.Youvisitwww.Bing.com/BusinessPortal.There,youcanclaimyourbusiness.YouwillneedaWindowsLiveIDtologintotheBusinessPortal.
Ifthereisn’tanyinformationonyourbusiness,yousimplyenterinthebusinessnameandaddress.Youcandothisbyclickingonthe“PlusButton”highlightedinred.
Ifyourbusinesshasmultiplelocations,besuretofilloutandregistereachlocation.Ifyouhavealotoflocations,clickonthe“25+”buttonasseeninthepictureaboveintheredbox.
Onceyouaddandclaimyourbusinesslisting,you’llbereadytoenterdetailsaboutyourbusiness.Thefieldsinclude:
• Business Name–Typeouttheexactbusinessname.Donotincludeanykeywordsorlocationsinname.
• Type of Business–ChoosefromoneoftheoptionsthatBingoffers.
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• Address–Enterinyouraddressexactlyasitappearsonyourwebsite.Ifitsays“124N.StateStreet”onyourwebsite,putitinthesameway.Don’tenteritas“124NorthStateStreet.”
• Phone Number–Bingoffersbothtollfreeandlocaloptions.Besuretoenteralocalphonenumberoption.
• Business Email Address–Thisshouldbeanemailaddresswherecustomerswillreceiveaquickresponsetotheirquestions.
• Website–Entertheaddresstothehomepageofyourwebsite.
• Facebook and Twitter Address –Ifyoudon’thaveeitheroftheseaccounts,werecommendyoucreateboth.Besuretoactivelyusebothofthese.
• Logo–Includeabusinesslogothatisadecentsize.
Whenenteringallofthisinformation,beasaccurateandthoroughaspossible.Theinformationyouentershouldbeanexactmatchfromyourwebsite.
How Do I Use the Additional Features on Bing Business Portal?
Onceyou’veenteredinthemaininformationaboutyourbusinessinBingBusinessPortal,thereareseveralotherfeaturesyoushouldcomplete.
Business Specialties
Thissectionallowsyoutoentervariousproductsandservicesthatyourbusinessoffers.Forinstance:Ifyouownasportinggoodsstore,youcouldenterfootballequipment,baseballequipment,golfclubs,etc.
Tip:WhenenteringBusinessSpecialties,trytolimitittonomorethanfourorfive.Enteringtoomanycouldbeconsideredkeywordstuffingandnegativelyaffectyourranking.AlsodonotattempttouselocationswithBusinessSpecialtiessuchas“Phoenixhardwarestore.”Bingcouldseethisaskeywordstuffing,whichcanhurtyourrankings.
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Photos
Besidesyourcompanylogo,Bingallowsyoutoenteruptoninebusinessphotos.Werecommendloadingninephotos.Theycaninclude:
• ExteriorShotsofYourBusiness
• InteriorShotsofYourBusiness
• Products
• Services
Theideaistoprovidepicturestogivecustomersanideaoftheshoppingexperience.
Mobile Website
BingBusinessPortalalsohasabuilt-intoolthatallowsyoutocreateamobileversionofyourwebsite.Thisisonewaytogetcustomerswhousesmartphonestofindyourbusiness.
Customersusingsmartphonesaremorelikelytovisitabusinesswithamobilewebsitebecauseitiseasierforthemtoquicklygettheinformationtheyneed.
Bing’smobilewebsitebuilderfeatureallowsyoutocreatethreetabs:products/services,addressandcall.Bingpullsyourlogo,addressandphonenumberfromtheinformationyouenteredwhensettingupbusinessportal.Allyouhavetodoislistafewofyourtopselling
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productsorservices.
WhiletheBingmobilewebsitebuilderisausefultool,itisverybasicandmaynotmeetalloftheneedsofyourbusiness.BothDudaMobileandGoogleSitesoffermorerobustmobilewebsitebuilders.
How Do I Create a High Ranking Bing Business Portal Listing?
Asnotedearlier,it’sveryimportanttocreateahigh-rankingBingBusinessPortallisting.CustomershavethetendencytoonlylookatthetopfivethatappearonBing’ssearchresultspage.
Herearesomeofthemostimportanttipsthatwillhelpyougetintothetopfivelocalsearchresults.
• Have Lots of Listings on Directories and Review Sites–Searchmarketingexpertstendtoagreethatthemoreplacesyourbusinessanditsaddressarelistedthebetterrankingyou’llgetfromBingBusinessPortal.
• Get Lots of Reviews–Themoreactivitythatyouhaveonreviewwebsitesthebetter.EncouragecustomerstoleavereviewsonsiteslikeYelpandCitysearch.
• Create Bing Business Portal Last After Your Other Listings –WaittocreateyourBingBusinessPortalpageuntilyouhaveregisteredyourbusinesswithotheronlinedirectoriesandreviewsites.ThisisveryimportantbecauseBingsearchestheseothersites…themoreyouarelistedon,themorelikelyyouaretorankhighlyonBing.Oneexception…doyourGoogle+LocallistingafteryourBinglisting.
• Accurately Complete All Information–We’vesaidthisbefore,andwe’llsayitagain.Thisisverycritical.Bingcomparestheinformationyouenteragainstyourwebsiteaswellasonlinedirectoriesandreviewsites.Allofthisinformationshouldmatchupexactly.
• Fill Out All Information–Don’tleaveanythingblankontheBusinessPortal.Thiscouldhelpimproveyourranking.Itwillalsogivecustomersalltheinformationtheyneedaboutyourbusiness.
• Have Social Media Profiles–Bingisoneoftheleadingcompaniesinsocialmediasearch.HavingactiveFacebookandTwitteraccountswithlotsofuserscouldboostyourrankinginBingBusinessPortal.
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• Update Your Website –Ifyourwebsitehasold,outdatedinformationonit,youneedtoupdateyourwebsiteASAP.Makesureit’sthesameinfoasonyourBingBusinessPortalprofile.
Whenitcomestohavingyourbusinesslistedonreviewsitesandonlinedirectorieshavethemlistedon:Yelp,CitySearch,Foursquare,YellowPages,YellowBook,DexKnows,SuperPages,Judy’sBook,etc.It’salsonotabadideatobelistedonyourlocalchamberofcommerce’swebsite.
AllofthesetipscouldhelpimproveyourBingBusinessPortalsearchresultsrank.
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Foursquareisalocationbasedsoftwareplatformthatisrevolutionizingthewaycustomersfindbusinessesaroundthem.
Withasmartphone,peoplecanuseFoursquaretodiscovernearbybusinessesandspecialswhilethey’reoutshopping.FoursquareandotherlocationbasedservicessuchasFacebookPlacesandGoogle+Localarequicklybecomingpowerfulshoppingresourcesforcustomers.
LocationbasedservicessuchasFoursquarearelikehavingamapandacouponbookinthepalmofyourhand.
CompaniesneedtostartadoptinglocationbasedserviceslikeFoursquareiftheywanttheirbusinesstobefound.Why?Becausemoreandmorepeopleareusingtheseservicestofinddiscountsandshop.
Tohelpyougetyourbusinessfound,we’vecreatedthisFoursquareresourceguide.ThisguidewillhelpyouunderstandthepowerofFoursquareandhowtogetmorecustomersbeforeyourcompetitorsdo.
How Foursquare Works
BeforeweshowyouhowtogetyourbusinessfoundonFoursquare,youneedtoknowhowitworks.
Takealookatthepicturetotheright.FoursquareusersusethismobileapplicationontheiriPhone,BlackBerry,orAndroiddeviceto“check-in”tovariousbusinesses.
Bycheckingin,peoplehavethepotentialtoreceivediscounts.ItalsoletsFoursquareusers’friendsknowwheretheyare.Alongtheway,usersearnpointsandbadgesthemoretimestheycheckintovariouslocations.ThinkofFoursquareassomewhatofasocialmediagame.
Theultimateprizeforusersisbecomingmayorofaparticularlocation.Foursquarenamesmayorsbasedonthenumberoftimessomeonechecksintothesamelocationduringatwo-monthspan.Thepersonwiththemostcheck-insisnamedmayor.
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Whatdoesthishavetodowithmycompany?
Alot.WithFoursquareyou’reincreasingyoursalesandloweringyouradvertisingbudget,whileatthesametimesending,free,targetedadvertisements.
Rememberthegoodolddaysofadvertisingwithradioandnewspaperads?Well,peopledon’treadthenewspaperanymoreandradioadsaren’tworththecost.
Issomeonereallygoingtoremembertovisityourbusinessbasedonanadinyesterday’snewspaperora30-secondradioadvertisement?
Additionally,it’salsopossiblethataFoursqurelistingcanhelpyouimproveyourlocalsearchrankingsonGoogleandBing.
Foursquare Terms and Lingo
Beforegettingstarted,thereareanumberofkeytermsyoushouldfamiliarizeyourselfwith.BelowisalistofkeyelementsonFoursquarethatyou’llneedtoknowtobetterunderstandtheplatform.
• Specials:SpecialsareincentivesbusinessescanmarkettoFoursquareusersforfreetoenticethemtocheck-intotheirvenue.Specialscanincludediscountsonservices.
• Venue/Places:VenueandplacesareusedinterchangeablythroughouttheFoursquareplatform.Venue/Placesaredifferentlocationssuchasrestaurants,businesses,parks,etc.Everyvenuehasapage,whichlistsdetailsaboutthelocation.
• Check-in:Check-inisthetermusedwhenyouannounceyourpresenceataparticularlocation.Forinstance,let’ssayyouarriveatacompanyoffice.YouwouldaccessyourFoursquaremobilephoneappand“check-in”tothelocation,whichnotifiesnearbyFoursquareusers.
• Badges:Badgesareoneofthemajorrewardsyoureceivebycheckingintodifferentplaces.Forinstance,ifyoucheckintofivedifferentStarbuckslocations,youreceiveaStarbucksbadge.Ifyoucomplete30check-ins,youearntheSuperUserbadge.
• Mayor:BecomingmayorisanotherrewardearnedwhileusingFoursquare.Mayorsareselectedthroughthenumberofcheck-insduringatwo-monthspan.Theuserwiththemostcheck-insataparticularlocationduringthetwo-monthperiodisthemayor.Whensearching
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forvenuesyoucanseewhoisthemayor.
• Tips:Tipsareshort,200characterpostingsFoursquareuserscanpostaboutaparticularlocation.Tipsoftenprovideinformationoncustomerserviceandwhetherornottovisitabusiness.
How to Create a Personal Foursquare Profile
BeforegettingyourbusinessonFoursquareyouwillneedtosignupforapersonalaccount.TherearetwowaysforyoutojoinFoursquare.
1. VisittheFoursquarewebsiteandclickthegreen“JoinNow”buttonontherightofthescreen.
2. DownloadtheFoursquaremobileappfromyoursmartphone’sappstore.TheappisavailableforiPhone,BlackBerry,AndroidandPalmdevices.Besuretoclickthe“JoinNow”buttonandfollowtheregistrationprocess.
WerecommendjoiningFoursquarethroughitswebsiteandthendownloadingtheapplicationtoyoursmartphone.It’seasiertosignuponthewebsite.
ThefirstscreenyouwillseeisJoinmenu.Enterthefieldswiththenecessaryinformation.Besuretoenterinyourlocation(city,state),soFoursquarecancreateyourprofile.Italsoisimportanttoincludeapictureofyourselfsinceyouwilllaterbeseenasthebusinessownerormanager.
Onceyouhaveenteredthenecessaryinformation,FoursquarewillasktosearchyourFacebookandTwitteraccountsforfriendsusingFoursquare.Youwillthenbegivenanoptiontoinvitethesefriends.IfyouhaveaFacebookorTwitteraccountforyourbusiness,usethatoption.
WhatifIdon’tknowanyoneonFoursquare?
Ifyoudon’tknowanyoneusingFoursquare,that’snotaproblem.YouwillmeetalotofthemonceyoulistyourbusinessonFoursquareasanewvenue.
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How to Create a Foursquare Profile for Your Business
AddingyourbusinesstoFoursquareiseasy.Butbeforeyouaddyourbusiness,checktoseeifsomeonehasalreadylistedit.ItiscommonforFoursquareuserstolistandcheckintoallsortsofplaces.Ifyourbusinessisnotlistedfollowthestepsoutlinedbelow.
Intheupperrightcornerclickonthe“AddThings”link.FromthereyouwillbetakentotheAddTipmenuwhereyouwillneedtoclickthe“AddaNewVenue”link.
AsyoucanseefromtheAddVenuepage,youwillneedtoenterthename,addressandotherinformationtoaddyourbusinesstoFoursquare.WerecommendthefollowingtheFoursquareguidelinesforenteringanewvenue.
FoursquareGuidelinesforEnteringaNewVenue
• Forchainsorvenueswithmultiplelocations,thereisnoneedtoaddalocationsuffix.Forexample:“McDonald’s”isfine(insteadof“McDonald’s–NorthScottsdaleLocation”).
• Whenpossiblestickwithabbreviations:“Ave”insteadof“Avenue”,“St”instead“Street”,etc.CrossStreetshouldbelikeoneofthefollowing:atMainSt(forvenuesonacorner)btw2nd&3rdAve(forvenuesinthemiddleofablock)
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• CrossStreetshouldnotrepeatthenameofthestreetintheaddress.
IfyoudiscoveryourvenuehasalreadybeenlistedonFoursquare,thenreadourinstructionsbelowonhowtomanageit.
How to Manage Your Business on Foursquare
Foursquareallowsusersownersandmanagersofvenues,suchasbusinesses,tomanagetheirlocation.Tomanageyourvenue,searchforthenameofyourbusinessinthesearchbaratthetoprightofthescreen.Onceyoulocateit,clickonthelink,whichwilltakeyoutothevenuepage.
Onthevenuepage,clickontheorangeboxlocatedonthetoprightofthescreenentitled“Doyoumangethisvenue?Claimhere.”Fromthere,followtheconfirmationsteps.
Byclaimingyourvenue,you’llgetexclusiveaccesstothestatsFoursquarecollectsforyourvenue—howmanypeoplecheckinonwhatdaysandtime,etc.Onceyouclaimyourvenue,youwillbecontactedbyaFoursquarerepresentativetoconfirmyouarethemanager/ownerofthebusiness.
WhatshouldIdowithmyvenuepage?
Nowthatyouhaveyourbusinesslisted,youwillneedtoprovidetags.TagsarethereflectionsofsearchtermsFoursquareusersentertofindyourbusiness.Tagsalsoareusedtoaward
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badges.We’veprovidedanexcellentexamplebelow.
Noticehowthetagsdescribethebusinessanditsofferings.Themoredetailsyoucanincludeinyourtags,theeasieritwillbeforsomeonetofindyourbusinessonFoursquare.
How to Market Foursquare Specials for Your Business
Foursquareallowsyoutopromotedifferentspecialstoenticeuserstovisityourbusinessandcheck-inwiththeirsmartphone.
Specialsarelikebillboardsignswithalotofreach.AsusersaresearchingFoursquaretheycanseethespecialsyourbusinessoffers.Also,ifthey’retravelingnearyourbusiness,Foursquareuserswillbenotifiedwithagreen“SpecialNearby”logo.
SowhywouldyouwanttosetupaFoursquarespecial?Well,thereareseveralreasons:
1. Specialsaretargeted:Foursquareuserscanseespecialsontheirsmartphoneswhentheyarenearyourbusiness.
2. Specialsareengaging:BecausethespecialsareintegratedthroughoutFoursquare,usersseespecialsaspartoftheplatformasopposedtoanadvertisement.
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3. Specialsarefree:Whocanturndownfreeadvertising,especiallyonethatisthissophisticated?
WhenscanningFoursquare,you’llnoticethere’salreadylotsofbusinessestakingadvantageoftheplatformWe’veincludedanexcellentexamplebelow.
How to Make Your Foursquare Marketing Plan Visible
NowthatyouknowhowtogetonFoursquareandpromoteyourbusiness,youwillneedtoknowhowtomakeyourpromotionsvisibletoallofyourcustomers.
HerearefourwaystomakeyourFoursquareplanvisible:
1.Usetheofficialfoursquarewindowclings:AfteryouclaimonFoursquarethatyouarethemanagerofyourbusiness,FoursquarewillsendyouwindowclingspromotingyourbusinessisonFoursquare.Wesuggestplacingtheminwindowsandnearcashregisters.
2.HaveemployeestellcustomersaboutFoursquare:ThebestwaytoletpeopleknowaboutyourFoursquarespecialsistodiscussitwithcustomersatthebusiness.ExplainFoursquareandhowithelpspeoplefindcoolthingsnearbythemfromthepalmoftheirhand.Tellthemaboutyourspecials.
3.PromoteFoursquarespecialsonFacebookandTwitter:ReachouttotheFacebookandTwittercommunitiesbycreatingFacebookandTwitterpages.PromotethatyourbusinessisonFoursquareaswellasthespecials.HaveyouremployeesandfriendsusetheirFacebookandTwitteraccountstogetthewordout.
4.Utilizeexistingtools:Youcanletpeopleknowyou’reonFoursquarebyincludingitonthebusiness’websiteaswellasthroughyouremailsignature.Also,tellpeopleyou’reonFoursquarethroughyourtraditionaldirectmailadvertisements.
Foursquare Tools
We’vealreadymentionedafewimportantinternaltoolssuchasthestatsfeatureonFoursquare.Nowwewilllookatafewothertools,youshouldintegrateintoyourFoursquaremarketingstrategy.
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WeearliermentionedintegratingFacebookintoyourFoursquarecampaignincreasesitsvisibility.Withmorethan500millionusersFacebookisthetopplayerinsocialmedia.
Ifyouhaven’talready,werecommendcreatingaFacebookpage.AFacebookpageissimilartoaFoursquarevenuepage,butyoucanpostmoreinformationsuchaspicturesaswellasyourmenu.Asearlierrecommended,youshouldpostyourFoursquarespecialsonyourFacebookpagetocapturealargercustomerbase.
Twitteristheleadingmicro-bloggingsitewhereuserscanpostshortmessages(“tweets”)abouttheirthoughtsonissuesorwhattheyaredoing.ByhavingaTwitteraccount,youcanpostFoursquarespecialsandincreaseyourreach.
SigningupforaTwitteraccountisquickandeasy.Werecommendusingyourbusiness’nameasyourTwitterhandle(username).LikeFacebook,onceyougetanaccountbeginpostingyourFoursquarespecials.
When Will I Be Mayor
WhenWillIBeMayorisaneffectivetooltolearnhowmanymorecheck-insuntilyoubecomethemayorofyourfavoritevenue.Thisisanexcellenttoolforbusinessownerstolearn
Badge Directory
ThereareseveralexcellentwebsitesthatlistalloftheFoursquarebadgesaswellaswhatyouneedtodotoearnthem.WerecommendtheFoursquarebadgesblog.
Reviewthedifferentbadgesandgetcreative.Thinkaboutthe“I’monaBoat”example.
Youalsocanreviewsomeofthebadgesbylookingatthemonyourmobiledevice.YoucanseethembyclickingonyourFoursquareprofileandclickingtheBadgesbutton.
Asyoucanseefromthepicturetotheleft,yourmobileappwillprovideyouwithaniceoverview
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ofthedifferentbadgesFoursquareuserscanearn.
WerecommendusingtheFoursquarebadgesblogtoseewhatpeoplehavetodotoearnthosebadges.Fromthere,youcancreateauniqueFoursquarecampaign.YoushouldtrydotoatleastoneSwarmpartyorsomeotheruniquepartytwoorthreetimesayear.
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OnlinereviewsareanimportantpartoflocalSEOforbusinesses.
Themorelocalcustomerreviewsthatyouhaveononlinereviewsites,thebetteryourchancesforhighsearchtermrankingsonGoogle+LocalandBingBusinessPortal.
Ifyouwanttogetmoreonlinecustomerreviewstoimproveyourlocalsearchengineresultrankings,followthese15tips.
1. Join Review Sites–Youwanttomakeitaseasyaspossibleforcustomerstoleaveareview.Makesureyourbusinessislistedonallthepopularreviewsites,includingYelp,Foursquare,MerchantCircle,YellowBook,YellowPages,Judy’sBook,SuperPages,CitySearch,DexKnowsandManta.com.
2. Claim Your Listing–Mostofthesereviewsiteshavewaystoclaimyouronlinelistingtoensuretheinformationiscorrectandtomoderatereviews.
3. Ask Customers for a Review–Itallstartsbysimplyaskingthem.Bepoliteandcourteouswhenrequestingareview.
4. Provide an Incentive–Considergivingasmalldiscountorprizetoencourageonlinereviews.Don’tgooverboardwithincentives.Youwantpeopletoprovidehonestreviews.
5. Send an Email –Utilizeyouremaillist.Letcustomersknowaboutpostingonlinereviewsaboutyourbusinessbysendingthemanemail.
6. Mention It on Social Media–BroadcastitonFacebook,Twitter,YouTube,etc.Makeiteasyforthemtowriteareviewbyprovidingalinktothereviewsiteinthepost.
7. Ask on Your Website–Makeiteasyonyourcustomersbypostinglinkstothereviewsitesonyourwebsite.
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8. Train Your Employees–Haveemployeesaskcustomerstoleaveonlinereviews.Alsohavesignsinyourbusinessrequestingonlinereviews.Makesureyouremployeesaretrainedtoansweranyquestionsinvolvingonlinereviews.
9. Encourage Smartphone Reviews–It’sreallyeasyforcustomerstosearchforyourbusinessonGoogleandgiveitaonetofivestarratingonGoogle+Local.Encouragesmartphoneuserstoleaveareview.
10. Never Write Fake Reviews–Fakereviewscancausecustomerstoavoidleavingcommentsaboutyourbusinessonreviewsites.Stayawayfromwritingorsolicitingfakereviews.
11. Don’t Beg for Praise–There’snoneedtobegoraskthem100times.Simplyaskthemandprovidetheinformationtheyneedtoaccessthereviewsite.
12. Respond to Negative Reviews–Ifyounoticeanegativereviewonareviewsite,immediatelyrespondtothecustomer.Don’ttrytodeletethereview.Sometimesthereviewerwilladdsomepositivecommentsoncetheproblemisresolved.
13. Feature Reviewers–Whenyougetgoodreviews,featuredthemonyourwebsiteorinprintmaterials.It’sagreatwaytospreadnewsaboutyourreviewsandencourageevenmoreonlinepraise.
14. Don’t Solicit Yelp Reviews–AccordingtoSearchEngineLand.com,Yelpoftendeletesreviewsofpeoplewhoarenotactivereviewers.It’sbettertojustletreviewsnaturallycomeinonYelp.
15. Provide Great Service–Itallcomesdowntogreatcustomerservice.Goingaboveandbeyondtheexpectationsofcustomersisthebestwaytoentouragecustomerstoleaveglowingonlinelocalreviews.
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Doyouknowhowtospotafakeonlinereviewaboutyourproductsandservices?
Ifyoucan’t,it’simportantthatyoutostartlearningnow.
It’simportantbecauseyourcompany’sreputationisatstake!Fakenegativeaswellasfakepositiveonlinereviewscanturncustomersawayfromyourbusiness.Customersseefakeonlinereviewsasatotalscam.
Recently,universityresearchersdevelopedacomplexcomputeralgorithmthateasilyspotsfakeonlinereviews.Thealgorithmisunderwraps,butafewdetailshaveslippedout.Andwe’vegotthemrighthereforyou!
Tohelpyoufindbogusonlinereviewsaboutyourproductsandservices,youshouldpayattentiontothedetailsbelow.They’llhelpyouspotfakereviewsonYelp!,Google+Localandotheronlinereviewssites.
1. Length: Fakereviewstendtobeshorterthanauthenticreviews.That’sbecausetheydonotactuallyusetheproductthattheyarereviewing.Theyhavenorealinterestintheproduct.
2. Less Punctuation:Thealgorithmshowedthatphonyreviewstendedtohavelesspunctuation.Ifyouseereviewswithalackofperiods,commasandapostrophes,itmaybeafakereview.
3. Lots of Superlatives: Ifyoustartseeingtonsofwordslikegreatest,awesome,best,mostfantastic,etc.,it’sprobablyafakereview.Realreviewsdonotusealotofsuperlatives.Thesearewordsthathelpdescribeaproductorservicetothegreatestdegree.
4. Lack of Detail: Fakereviewstendtofocusalotontheproductfeatures.Theydon’tgointomuchdetailabouttheexperience.Ifthereviewlooksliketheycopiedandpastedtheproductinformation,it’sprobablyafake.
5. Marketing Speak: Doesthereviewsoundlikeapressrelease?Well,it’spossiblesome
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corporateinsidermayhavewrittenthereview.Lotsofmarketingspeakandtechnicaljargonisasignthatthereviewisphony.
6. First Time Authors: Thisisanothertelltalesignthereviewisbogus.Mostpeoplewholiketopostreviewssubmitmorethanonceondifferentproductsandservices.
7. Reviewer Name:Takealookattheusernameofthereviewer.Doesitlooklikevariationsofotherssuchas:Joe1203,Joe3302,Joe1135?Ifyou’renoticingthistypeofpattern,it’sprobablynotarealreview.
8. Time Period:Realreviewstendtobespreadoutoveralongperiodoftime.Ifyou’renoticinglotsofreviewswithinafewminutesofeachother,it’spossiblesomeonemaybecreatingatonofreviews.
Reporting Fake Online Reviews
Onceyou’veidentifiedafakereview,donotrespondtoit!Instead,“flag”thereviewasspam.ManyreviewssitessuchasYelp!andGoogle+Localhavetheseflaggingfeatures.
Ifthesitedoesnothaveflaggingfeatures,considerusingthewebsite’scontactpagetoresolvetheissue.
Neverpostyourownfakeonlinereviews,you’llonlyaddtotheproblem.
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Yourcompany’sreputationisatstake,andyoumaynotevenknowit.
Rightnow,customerscouldbetalkingaboutyourbusinessonvariousreviewwebsites,blogs,socialnetworksandotherwebsites.
Onenegativeonlinereviewcanhurtyourcompany’sreputation.Fivenegativeonlinereviewscoulddamageyourcompany’sreputation.Tenonlinenegativereviewscouldkillyourcompany’sreputation.
Doyouknowhowtotrackwhat’sbeingsaidaboutyourcompanyonline?
Thispostingwilltellyoueverythingthatyouneedtoknowaboutonlinereputationmonitoringforyourcompany.
Online Reputation Monitoring: Why You Should Do It
Onlinereputationmonitoringisthepracticeofwatchingwhatisbeingsaidaboutyourbrand,business,keyemployeesandindustryinfluencersontheinternet.
Thereareplentyofservicesthatwillsendyounotificationswhensomethingissaidaboutatopicofinterestonline.Withtheseservices,youenteralistoftopics,names,keywordsthatyouwantmonitored.Youthenreceiveemailalertswhensomethingispostedontheinternetaboutthetopics.
Sowhyshouldyouuseonlinereputationmonitoring?
Becauseit’savaluabletoolthatallowsyoutostayontopof:
• CustomerComplaintsandCompliments
• NegativeandPositiveNewsStoriesaboutYourCompany
• CompetitorNewsandAnnouncements
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• IndustryTrends
Withonlinereputationmonitoring,youcanhandleacustomercomplaintoranegativenewsstorybeforeitgetsoutofcontrolanddamagesyourreputation.Italsoallowsyoutostayontopofwhatthecompetitionisdoingaswellaswhatisgoingonintheindustry.
Important Areas to Monitor
Whenitcomestoonlinemonitoring,you’llwanttofocusontheseimportanttopicareasaboutyourcompany.
• Company Name–Thisshouldbethefirstkeywordthatyouenterintoanyonlinemonitoringtools.
• Products and Services–Besuretocoverallofyourcompany’sproductsandservices…bigandsmall.
• Key Employees–Alltopexecutivesandkeyemployeesshouldbemonitored.
• Competition–Trackyourcompetitors,theirbrandnames,theirexecutives’names.
• Experts/Influencers in Industry–Thesecanbeheadsoftradeassociations,tradeorganizationsaswellastopjournalistsandbloggers.
• Marketing Keywords and Slogans–Anyslogans,keywordsorphrasesthatyouuseshouldalsobemonitored.Forinstance,ifanimportantkeywordis“Phoenixsecuritysystems,”youwillwanttomonitorthis.
Focusingonthesekeytopicareaswillhelpyoueffectivelymonitorwhatisbeingsaidaboutyourcompany.
Using Google Alerts
GoogleAlertsisbyfarthebestfreeonlinemonitoringtoolontheinternet.Thisfreetoolallowsyoutosetupemailnotificationstoalertyouwhensomethingissaidaboutyourcompanyorthecompetitioninvolvingvarioustopicareas.
GoogleAlertsareveryeasytosetup.
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Asyoucanseefromtheaboveimage,yousimplyenteranyofyourtopicsintotheSearchQueryfield.Youthenenteryouremailaddressintheverylastfield.
Betweenthosetwofields,youhaveseveraloptions.Settingthesealldependsonyourpreferences.
Asanexample,you’llprobablywanttosetcompanyandemployeealertsto“AllResults.”However,youmaywanttosetindustrynewsandtrendalertsto“OnlyBestResults.”Takesometimetoreallythingabouthowoftenandwhattypeofalertsyouwanttoreceive.
Other Great Online Monitoring Tools
HereareseveralotheronlinemonitoringtoolsthatyoumaywanttouseinadditiontoGoogleAlerts.
• Ice Rocket–Thisisareal-timesearchenginethatspecificallytracksblogsandsocialnetworkssuchasFacebookandTwitter.
• Technorati–Thiswebsiteindexesmillionsofblogsacrosstheinternet.It’sagreatplacetodigupcompetitiveinformation.
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• BoardTracker –Thisonlinetoolfocusesononlineforumsandmessageboards.Itsearchesmillionsofforumpostsinjustseconds!
TheseareallgreattoolstouseassupplementstoGoogleAlerts.IfyounoticesomeonlinechatteringaboutyourcompanyviaGoogleAlerts,youmaywanttousetheabovesitestoseeifGoogleAlertsmissedanything.
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