The Local Search Marketing Team by Local Search Marketing Team was created to give a business a snapshot of what they are doing well and what they need help with. By applying an overall score we can easily grade a business's online visibility and reputation. The scores are based on factors which we have deemed important based on our research and experience.
First we check the search engines local listings to see how well your business is optimized in Google Places, Yahoo Local and Bing Local. We have applied criteria which we think will help a listing rank well. For example, factors like reviews seem to help a business rank higher so this is a ranking factor. These factors may change in the future as we discover other reasons why a business may rank higher than others.
Next we check for citations. It seems that the more citations a business has, the more trust search engines have in a business. This 'trust' could result in more visibility through higher rankings in the search engines and also within local directories like Yelp and Merchant Circle. Checking the most common national directories to see if your business is present will help you understand your visibility on popular local directories. Listing your business on these directories and optimizing the listing with photos, business and related information will enhance your overall visibility. Naturally this increases your score.
We also check for competitors citations. By checking the citations of your competitors we can dig deep into the landscape of other niche directories like industry specific directories and also geo-specific directories. Our graph shows you exactly where your competition is listed and where you can go to list your business. This is a snapshot view of what you can do to better your visibility in relation to your direct competition.
Next, we check the most important Social Media sites. Do you have a presence on poplar social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and LinkedIn? Simply build pages on these social media sites. Then build out your profile to include your NAP (Name, address, and Phone Number). After that, engage your fans by posting deals, coupons and updates about your business. The Search engines like to see engagement with your customers. This builds trust which can help you rank higher. Also, make a business video and upload it to Youtube. This increases your overall visibility as well.
As you increase your online visibility, your customers will start talking about your business by leaving reviews. Are you engaged in a review program? It seems the more reviews you have; the higher your chances are of ranking high in the search engines. Also, high reviews are a trust builder for your prospective clients. Your prospect is more likely to call, email or walk in if they see more stars. Our reputation management score is an average of all your reviews we could find. Increase your score by getting more positive reviews.
Lastly, we perform a ranking check to see where you place for your top 5 keywords in Google, Yahoo and Bing. We check both the main site (pure organic rankings) and the 'local' sections on all three search engines. Your score will increase as your rankings increase.
Feel free to contact us if you have questions about your score. We can put you in contact with an experienced online marketer if you have questions about increasing your score.
Thank you for using Local Search Marketing Team by Local Search Marketing Team. We hope this gives you a better understanding of what you need to do to increase your online visibility and ultimately grow your business.
