Showing posts with label Google My Business tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Google My Business tips. Show all posts

Saturday, July 20, 2019

How Google and Bing Handle Algorithms, Spam, and Penalties

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, has changed a lot since its invention: no longer reliant solely finding keywords on a site Google and Bing have tweaked and improved their algorithms to take into account a whole suite of different information. Changes to these algorithms often elicit complaints however, as site owners view their sites as being penalized when they are displayed to users less. However, both Google and Bing maintain that their unique (and hidden) standards and methods of filtering results serve to better the end result for everyone.

Key Takeaways:
  • While they have slightly different approaches, Bing and Google both demote and penalize sites.
  • What defines spam varies a little between search engines. According to Wiese and Debut, Bing has a 42-page rater’s guidelines document, whereas Google has a 166-page document.
  • Though it may seem counterintuitive, manual penalties are better for sites than facing an algorithm update.
"At a recent SEO conference event, two experts with experience in the way Google and Bing handle these issues internally spoke about the way these companies handle algorithm updates, spam, and penalties."




Friday, May 24, 2019

How to turn a bad review around

Part of being in business is seeking out reviews for your business and products. Sometimes the reviews are not so favorable but the business owner shouldn't respond negatively to a negative review. One way to get a five star review was to respond to negative reviews in a new way. Yelp's data reports that business owners that respond to negative reviews within 24 hours increase the likelihood of their disgruntled customer coming back by 33%. Ultimately a negative review is based off one experience so changing that experience the next time works in favor for both the owner and the customer.

Key Takeaways:
  • Sam Elbandak’s yelp page was formerly a disaster that he needed to have some shots of alcohol before taking a look at it.
  • He used to have a lot of negative reviews that he would get so frustrated and depressed with them whenever he sees them.
  • Many restaurant owners are urged to actively monitor their Yelp pages and ask their customers for reviews because it is part of their operations.
"Elbandak, who owns The New Spot on Polk in San Francisco, was one of three operators who spoke at a Yelp-sponsored panel at the 2019 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Darnell Holloway, director of business outreach at Yelp, moderated the panel."

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

How to Drive Traffic to Your Small Business Website

SEO is not all it's cracked up to be, especially for small businesses, especially if the small business has a Google account. Google has a number of ways to drive traffic to a small business, taking advantage of local communities. But, if a small business owner does want to go down the SEO path, they should carefully look over their options - both in the SEO theory and in what personnel could help them set up a good method.

Key Takeaways:
  • Many businesses have found that if they need to be successful they need to have an online website because this drives customers to the business.
  • The days when people will wander on the streets looking for a product or service are long gone because today when people need something they just Google it.
  • People who provide products and services on a local level want to have online success and the way to do this is to rank well on Google results.
"What's a business owner to do when they need to rank well on Google but have no experience in the area?"


Friday, May 10, 2019

How to Market Your SMB Without Breaking the Bank

Many persons find reasons why they should delay marketing and for many, it is because of time and money. According to data from Drip, 49 percent of small business owners spend less than two hours each day marketing their business and more than half of those business owners say that they carry out their own marketing. But cash flow problems cause many businesses to fail and it is a facet of life for these businesses. Marketing may seem like a luxury when business owners are forced to choose between paying money for marketing or paying money for operational expenses. One advantage that large companies have over small businesses is that they can spend more on their ads. Therefore, consumers might be able to see and hear their ads more than that of small businesses. Yet, small businesses can make research and grow their business despite the competition. The author proposes three unique ways they can do this. The author states that they should be using Google’s free tools. They should try to create a Google My Business account. The second is that they should try texting. This can help them to drive engagement. The third is that they should use facebook in an engaging way. If they do this, they will be sure to grow their business on a low budget.

Key Takeaways:
  • Many persons think that it is hard to do marketing for their business and they cite time and money as one of their drawbacks.
  • A research done by Drip found that about 49 percent of small business owners spend less than two hours a day on doing their marketing activities.
  • Cash flow problem affects several businesses and it is a fact of life for small businesses that makes many of them to fail.
"A Google My Business account is a free account from Google that allows you to publish your business online. It allows your business to become visible when people search and to appear on Google Maps."