Update your Google My Business Listing to Boost SEO

Getting your business’s web presence up to par is hard enough, and the digital marketing game can be pretty competitive. However, there are some pretty simple tools at your disposal to help you optimize your search rankings and edge out your competitors.

What is a Google My Business Listing?

A Google My Business listing is a listing on Google that will appear to potential customers who are searching for the services your business provides. Qualifying local businesses can claim this free listing on Google. This listing will provide information about your business that will be helpful for customers looking for a business that meets their needs, such as your business’s hours, location, payment methods, and reviews.

In order to qualify for Google Local Listing, you must run a business that personally interacts with customers during the hours you’ve listed. You can work with customers at your physical place of business or directly with the customer at another location. This means you don’t need a physical base or establishment in order to qualify for a Google Local Listing, and you can define the area they serve without being tied down to a physical address.

Why Is It Important for My Business to Be Listed?

88% of searches for a local business on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours. When consumers do a search for a business in Google, a map will be generated populated by relevant search results. They’ll also see a list of the top three local listings relevant to their search. If it isn’t already, your business should strive to hit these top spots. If your listing has been updated with the correct information, consumers will have enough details to make their decision without ever having to scroll down further.

What Are the Steps?

1. Claim your Google Business Listing

If you haven’t already, go to Google’s My Business page and click “Manage Now” in the upper right corner. Be sure to fill in every relevant field offered to make sure your profile is complete as possible. Remember, you don’t have to have a physical address to list your business. When Google asks if you want to add a location customers can visit, just list your business as a “service area business.”

2. Choose the most relevant and specific category for your business type

Choosing the right category for your business allows Google to place your business in the right search results. While you can’t create your own category, it’s important to check the category that applies most specifically to your business. You’ll want to stay away from more general categories if possible, because those are much more competitive in terms of search ranking. The more specific your category, the more likely you’ll end up hitting the prized top three spots.

3. Upload quality images and photography

A Google Business Listing with photos is much more likely to generate interest than a listing without. These photos give potential customers an idea of what to expect from your business and will make them feel more comfortable choosing your business. Be sure to use high-quality images that are up to date in order to attract customers.

4. Make sure you’re providing consistent information

One element that Google’s algorithm uses to ensure a listing is legitimate is a comparison of how its information is listed across websites. Make sure the address you enter is written exactly the same across websites, down to the abbreviations. Writing your address in a standard way, using a consistent phone number, and making sure all your listings match one another is a great way to improve your business listing.

5. Encourage customers to leave reviews

In order to provide the best information for its users, Google also lists your business’s reviews and ratings. Having a number of reviews with high ratings will benefit your Google Business Listing.

6. Play by the Rules

Google can suspend your listing for a number of reasons. Make it a point to read through Google’s guidelines for its listings.

7. Always Use a Local Number

It’s important to list your business with a local phone number. A local area code will show Google that you are a legitimately local business. Again, make sure the phone number in your business listing matches the phone number displayed on the web page you’re linking to.

Boost your Local Marketing in Louisville, KY with Content-1

Getting your Google business profile in shape is just the first step in your journey to success with your local marketing. Supporting your Google My Business Listing with a strong web presence and other forms of digital marketing is key to your success as well. Whatever your marketing need, Content-1 will be happy to assist.

Why Direct Mail Marketing is Making a Comeback

As marketers, we’re always looking for the next big way to reach the right audiences. We make use of email, search ads, geofencing, social media, apps, and whatever method we can get our hands on. Thanks to the internet, there seems to be a million new ways to reach the right audiences. It’s true, digital marketing has become the de facto means of modern marketing. With the internet allowing anyone to take marketing into their own hands, the digital marketing sphere has become highly saturated, and, in turn, highly competitive. These days, even great copy, impeccable design, and the right messaging won’t necessarily be enough to make someone engage in your digital marketing. So, how can you make your marketing stand out? Maybe the answer is in the past.

Direct mail was once a dominant fixture in marketing. And yes, you’re right—no one sends mail anymore. And that’s exactly why direct mail marketing is becoming relevant again.

The Downfalls of Digital

It’s true, email marketing has a pretty high ROI, and digital marketers would be foolish not to take advantage of this. But this comes with a price. People’s inboxes are filling up faster than ever. People are saturated with emails. Your email is competing for attention, and it’s going to be pretty easy to get lost in a sea of emails the average person receives daily. And, by nature, the emails you send out will likely be checked by an audience on-the-go. This is just another reason your email won’t receive full attention.

The Beauty of Direct Mail

When it comes to the old standby, there’s a lot less competition. The volume of mail an average person receives has decreased drastically over recent years. Since people are receiving less and less mail, the pieces of mail they do get are much more likely to stand out. Building on this, the act of checking and receiving mail provides a tangible experience that’s completely different from the action of checking an email. The act of receiving mail inherently forces the recipient to see and consider the content of the marketing piece.

Direct mail marketing also affords the opportunity for marketers to expand upon their message. Email marketing requires the message to be short, concise, and focused on getting the recipient’s attention in the first place. This can create difficulties for consumers and marketers alike. Direct mail generally allows for wider parameters with a greater space to expand upon your message.

Let’s Get Started

With all that being said, digital marketing is still critically essential. But, if you want to make the most of your marketing, you’ll have to have some variety in your approach. Using both digital and direct mail gives you the chance to make the most of your business’s marketing efforts. Are you looking for direct mail marketing in Louisville, KY? Whether it’s email or snail mail, Content-1 has what it takes to set your marketing apart. Contact us today.

The Benefits of Long-Form Content

Whether you’re a startup or an established business, everyone is looking for new ways to enhance the visibility of their digital marketing presence. But producing blog and social media posts is only part of the answer. If long-form content isn’t figuring into your digital marketing strategy, you’re likely to be missing out on plenty of opportunities for growth. Focusing on high-quality, thoughtful long-form content is a great step toward producing content that matters. Here’s why.

Long-Form Content is Great for your Search Engine Ranking

Producing long-form content is good for your search engine rankings in a number of ways. Studies consistently show that the higher the word count of a post, the higher the search engines will rank your content. Producing long-form content consistently will continuously open up new avenues for increasing your web traffic.

Building from that, creating high-quality long-form content will help you to establish your brand as a thought leader and increase your reputation as an expert in your field. Building your brand’s presence and reputation through thoughtful, long-form content will help to increase your level of organic traffic through word of mouth.

People Actually Share Long-Form Content

Long-form content is consistently shared by users at much higher rates. Creating content that visitors find trustworthy and useful is a great way to increase social media shares. Longer-form articles are much more likely to spread across the internet in comparison to shorter posts.

Long-form content is also much more likely to get linked to by other articles, creating a network of opportunities to increase your web traffic.

Boosts Conversion

All of these upsides are leading to one thing: high-quality long-form content generating leads and ultimately increasing your conversion rates. Long-form content with strategically placed CTAs offer a great way to attract readers to your site. An informative article also serves as a convenient conglomerate for your business’s information, preventing customers from having to dig through multiple pages to get answers. This increases the chance of generating leads and conversions.

Long-Form Content in Action

SkuVault, a company helping online sellers conveniently manage their inventory and streamline their warehouse operations, was looking for a way to target their marketing on a rapidly growing sector—the vaping industry. They needed a way to educate potential and existing leads on the benefits of using SkuVault to jumpstart their success in the vaping industry. SkuVault turned to Content-1 to take a deep dive into the vaping industry, telling the story of how their inventory management system could provide benefits to this rapidly growing retail sector.

Unlike a short-form piece, producing an eBook allowed the opportunity to illustrate a detailed perspective on the concept, demonstrating to potential customers that SkuVault is serious and thoughtful about the benefits of joining this field. The eBook offered an in-depth look into why the vaping market is exploding, complete with examples and statistics. This gives the reader a comprehensive source from the get-go, as opposed to counting on the reader to search through multiple pages on a website and searching for their own sources. The eBook also featured a number of calls to action and links designed to direct people back to SkuVault’s site, spurring organic growth as well.

Get in Touch

Looking for a way to spur your online growth? Long-form content is the perfect way to jumpstart your business. Contact us at Content-1 to get started.