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Local Search Updates You Need To Know About In 2023

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Google updates its features constantly, and this time, the local search feature has some new updates for 2023. If your company relies on previous versions of Google’s local search, it’s time to refresh your approach. Unwired Web Solutions offers businesses options with local search engine optimization. We help companies improve their search engine performance. Here’s what you need to know about the updates for local search engine strategies in 2023.

Revamped Merchant Experience

Starting off, there’s a completely redesigned merchant dashboard for local businesses on Google.  The Google Business Profile Manager interface is out and the “New Merchant Experience” is the new standard. The new interface uses a SERP-style dashboard to manage local SEO strategy tasks. Now, users must make updates to their businesses via the search engine results page or the Maps app.

Hear About This Place

Next, Google now has a new feature on local business listings in Google Maps and the search engine results, a “hear about this place” button. Under the listing’s business profile, some users may spot a button icon with an audio symbol and the text, “hear about this place.”

So far, the “hear about this place” button only appears to be present in some regions of the United States. The update appeared in October 2022, and SEO experts aren’t sure when and if this feature will be introduced to all areas and users. When you click on the audio button, you’ll hear the name of the business and other details read aloud.

Customer Reviews

Another new change in Google’s local SEO features is in the way Google displays customer reviews for a business profile page. Customer reviews and ratings are an essential element to a local company’s recipe for success.

Now, Google may start to display reviews by the percentage of positive to negative reviews in a graphic. Currently, users have to click on filtering results to get a percentage bar to show up in the reviews tab, so it only displays when users look more carefully at the specifics of a business.

Engagement Clarification

Google has also quietly updated its policies for local businesses regarding customer engagement and reviews. Language is now in its Webmaster Guidelines strictly prohibiting a business from influencing its customers from writing positive or negative reviews.

This means businesses should not ask customers to leave positive Google reviews on their business page, and they shouldn’t discourage negative reviews. Additionally, software that manipulates customer reviews shouldn’t be part of a local SEO marketing plan. The reviews should be an accurate snapshot of customer feedback about a business.

Restaurant Changes

Local restaurants that use SEO strategies from Google also have a change to their business profile pages that may help them bring in more foot traffic. Businesses can select the preferred menu that will display on the business profile instead of having Google gather multiple menus from different sources.

Soon, users may also have a new option to search for specific restaurant dishes instead of general cuisine. Restaurants that offer that individual dish, such as Kung Pao chicken, will be part of the photo results page in the search engine listings.

Local Search Engine Optimization To Promote Your Business

Local search engine strategies are a crucial part of making your business more successful. If you want more customers in your store, you have to master the local SEO Canada listings for your neighborhood. We assist local businesses with Google’s search engine tools. Navigating each update can be a challenge, but we understand the ins and outs of each new change.

There are a lot of moving parts in search engine optimization for local businesses. Unwired Web Solutions helps companies boost their search engine performance and increase customer engagement.

How to Use Analytics to Make Better Marketing Decisions

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How To Use Analytics To Make Better Marketing Decisions

We hear it from business owners all the time: “How am I supposed to figure out these search engine algorithms?” With exasperation in their voices, they look to us for solutions. It is true that search engines like Google and Bing are changing their algorithms all the time. This makes it very difficult for just one person to keep up with maintaining their website’s search ranking. Fortunately, we can help troubleshoot your website and provide local SEO services using SEO analysis tools.

What Data Do We Use?

We use a mix of market data to help you make better long-term decisions. This mix may include data from sales, customers, competitors, and the market at large.

Sales Data

How much have sales grown over time? What is the net revenue after overhead is subtracted? How much profit are you making overall? All of this data can guide decision-making on which products to emphasize and overall brand strategy.

Customer Data

You also need to know which types of customers are buying your product. How old are they? Where do they live? What is their median income? Their behaviour is also relevant, such as what time of day they browse your website most often, which products they click on but do not buy, and which they ultimately go home with.

Competitor Data

This data is valuable in combination with the sales data and customer data because it can help you bring back customers that may have been enticed by your competitor’s fresh angle. Does your competitor use more videos whereas you are using blog entries? What is your competition’s social media presence? How does what they do compare to what you do?

Market Research

This type of macro data gives you a birds’ eye view of the overall landscape in which your products are being sold. Consider supply and demand, social trends, and administrative barriers.

How Do We Use This Data?

One SEO analysis tool we use after gathering sales data is a revenue chart that shows yearly comparisons, quarterly contrast, and weekly figures. It’s pretty powerful to be able to make decisions in real-time based on hard evidence.

Gathering competitor data allows us to create comparative analysis templates as another SEO analysis tool. These visually show how different competitors stack up against each other in discrete categories such as:

  • Products and services they offer
  • Each company’s unique value proposition (UVP)
  • Their market share
  • Their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)

We can also compare segments of customer data for retention projections, loyalty, and whether it makes sense to try new markets.

Why Is This Important?

All of these data analyses should generate better leads, clicks, conversion rates, and profits! More specifically, however, research indicates that decisions made with data as a foundation are significantly more likely to generate sustainable results when compared with gut-level decisions and business experience alone. Humans can sometimes be unreliable, but numbers don’t lie. Data like this can also help you decide which products to discontinue, which types of customers are already warm leads, and create better use of your time.

UWS Provides High-quality Local SEO Services

Thinking about all this data may be overwhelming when you already have so much on your plate. That’s why we are happy to take these cumbersome tasks off your hands and come back to you with meaningful suggestions that clarify and tailor your marketing plans.

You can easily request a quote from us today. Let us help you create a Google Business Profile that will help you stand out from the competition, and entice customers to click your links.

Effective Strategies To Improve Your Google Business Profile

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For any business that is trying to increase exposure online, a Google Business Profile is a must. A Google Business Profile is a tool that lets companies directly influence the way local consumers connect with them online. It can also substantially help to improve your local SEO. At Unwired Web Solutions, we specialize in Google for business in Canada, and through Google Business Profile optimization, we can help build your business and help it grow online.

Vital For Local Business

If your business is primarily or exclusively local, it is important to find effective strategies to advance your local SEO. Most people find local businesses through searches, and Google Business Profile can substantially increase these numbers. 97% of consumers learn more about local businesses online compared with any other source, and approximately half of all Google searches are looking for local business information. So, if you want to get your local business found online, Google Business Profile is essential. 

Google Business Profile optimization is one of the best ways to increase your success and influence in the local market. It can offer a wealth of business information to Google Analytics and local customers. The details provided in your Google Business Profile are used in various ways by the search engine. It can use your information for populating Google Maps, a knowledge panel, providing voice search results, and assisting with Google app search results.

Where To Start?

The first place to start when optimizing your Google Business Profile is to make sure your information on the profile is correct. Your name, address, and phone number for your business are crucial to optimizing your profile. While it may sound simple, remember that your business changes over time and may possibly have had a different address or a number in the past. It is essential to make sure all of your online business citations are consistent with the one you include as part of your Google Business Profile. For example, the contact page of your website should have the same information that you have entered into Google Business Profile; otherwise, it could cause a red flag with Google web crawlers. 

Choosing the right category on Google Business Profile is also an important component of local SEO. It is vital to select the category and subcategory that best describes your business. For example, if you sell pizza, the category you may choose is “pizza restaurant” which would allow people looking for “pizza” or “pizza restaurants” to find your business in local searches.

The subcategory is just as important, especially if your business does more than one thing. Selecting the correct category and subcategory can often be the deciding factor for you outranking your competition, so you need to get it right.

The Business Description

Writing your business description on Google is a great way to let your customers know what’s unique about what you do. Google gives you 750 characters to describe your business, so it’s important to make them count. Tell people about your products and services but do not include any promotional talk in your description as Google doesn’t allow that. It’s also a great idea to have something about your business history and mission.

Photos can speak 1000 words, so it is essential to use some in your Google Business Profile profile. You can upload both exterior and interior shots of your business, as well as 360-degree views. Good quality photos are important because 60% of local shoppers say search results with strong images capture their attention. Also, according to Google, businesses that have photos receive, on average, 42% more requests for driving directions to their location and 35% more clicks through to their websites compared to businesses that don’t have any photos.

Reviews

We can’t express enough how critical reviews can be for your Google Business Profile. On average, consumers read at least ten reviews before trusting a business. Unfortunately, customers are slow to give reviews and often forget, so you need to be proactive with a consistent process to request them. You will also need to monitor and respond to those reviews so that your customers and Google know that you care about your consumer.

Even if you are a business that does not sell products, it is vital to use the product section. Because of its visibility, everyone should fill out the product section of Google Business Profile. Products get arranged in a carousel-like design which can help to drive more sales, views, and calls.

You can categorize and add images, descriptions, and calls to action to these product profiles, so be sure to leverage it to your advantage. For those who do not have a product to show, think of the section as a way to advertise your services. Instead of uploading a photo of a product, include an image of an employee providing your service.

Blog Posts

Blog posts are extremely important both on your website and in Google Business Profile. When posted to your Google Business Profile, they essentially become mini-blogs that give consumers important information and updates about your business. Posting regular blogs can help feed the important keywords and phrases vital to your business directly to Google’s algorithm. Regular posting can also help to drive up engagement. Google measures how much you as a business owner engages with your profile so, the more you post blogs, photos, or update your information, the more serious Google takes your business.

The Q&A feature of your Google Business Profile can be enormously helpful to your customers. Google allows you to create a storehouse of questions and answers within your profile. Use customer data you already have to include the right questions and the best solutions. By ensuring this section answers important questions, you can have control over the narrative and the perception of your business online.

At Unwired Web Solutions, we understand how overwhelming it can be when trying to drive potential customers to your website. Our experts are trained in SEO strategies and marketing techniques, including Google Business Profile that can help more customers find you. Contact us today for more information about our services.

Google Business Profile Updates To Make For The Holidays

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The holidays are almost here, and as a businesses owner, we understand you want to do all you can to increase sales this season. By updating your Google Business Profile, your customers can easily find the information they may need. Unwired Web Solutions offers local SEO services that include making sure your company’s profile is up to date on Google. 

This holiday season, chances are your customers are using Google to find information about your business. They may be looking for your website, checking for extended holiday hours, or getting directions to your location. No matter the reason, your customer needs to find the information they are looking for; otherwise, they may go to your competitor. 

The peak holiday season is rapidly approaching, and for many businesses, it has already begun. ECommerce sales for November 2021 to January 2022 are forecasted to increase 11% – 15% this year over last year. With much of the world still locked down to some degree, many consumers are still opting to do their holiday shopping online. 

But it isn’t just online shops that need to worry about their online profile. With in-store shopping anticipated to rebound to a 33% share in 2021 from 28% in 2020, customers may be looking online before visiting a brick-and-mortar location. 

To keep up with sales this Christmas, businesses need to prepare their Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google Business Profile. By updating your information online, you can aid shoppers in their searches by presenting the most up-to-date, accurate, detailed information possible. 

Update Hours

If your business is extending hours over the holiday season, we recommend setting “Special Hours” in your Google Business Profile. Setting these special hours enables you to provide shoppers with the information they need to visit your shop. 

Use the “More Hours” section if your business plan to provide specific services at different times during the holiday season. For example, if you plan to be open an hour earlier for seniors this holiday season, you can set it in the “More Hours” rather than the “Special Hours.” 

It can be necessary for a business to close for a number of different reasons temporarily. Google recommends that if your company is closed for 7 or more days in a row or will be closed for an unknown period of time, you should mark your business as “Temporarily Closed.” 

Update Your Images

Businesses with more GBP photos have been shown to get more clicks, phone calls, and driving direction requests. For those with over 100 images, businesses were found to get 520% more calls compared to the average business. 

Providing many high-quality images will not only correlate to more conversions, but they can also provide the visual stimulation needed for a customer to consider your business. By acting as a digital representation of your brand, your images will be a digital storefront, accurately portraying the in-store shopping experience that your customers can expect this holiday season. 

Monitor Reviews

Often time, Google reviews can make or break a business. These reviews can also provide your customers with pertinent information about your business operations. 

Research shows that 50% of consumers feel more confident in a business when they see a brand actively responding to reviews. This gives the customer the feeling that the company cares about their wants and needs. 

This holiday season, have a team in place to respond to both positive and negative reviews to encourage customer loyalty. 

A Few Simple Steps

By taking these few simple steps this holiday season, you can help to ensure a profitable holiday season. Our team at Unwired Web Solutions offers many services to help your local business thrive all year long. From local SEO services to website design, and SEO analysis tools, we can help your business stand out online. Contact us today to learn more about our valuable services.