Did you know there were Q&As on your GMB listing? Use this to your advantage!

Most people are aware that their business has it’s own listing on Google Maps, but many people don’t scroll down far enough to see some of the more robust features of their GMB listings. One in particular is extremely valuable to the reputation of your business - the Q&A (question and answer) section.

Why is the Q&A section so important? Because it lets you control the information on your listing and it shows perspective customers that you are an active, responsive shop who will go out of their way to help them out if they should ever encounter a problem. Great customer service goes a long way.

 
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It it also an outstanding opportunity to clarify any comments or complaints that customers may have. I have found that more often than not, most upset customers can easily be satisfied with a one-minute conversation where you just listen to their issue and try to find a resolution.

Keep in mind that this is also a fantastic chance to showcase your customer service skills. It’s on display for everyone who looks at your listing so be sure to take some time to give it the attention it deserves. If you need help with your GBM listing, give us a call today. We can help you! (941) 809-5000.


SEO on Your Teleflora Website Showing Results You Can See and Understand

I am proud to say I created the very first "LOCAL" pages almost 20 years ago as an online marketing strategy for my flower shop in Sarasota as well as for other prominent florists around the nation. Once these pages started to appear and started drawing traffic, they were quickly copied and used in many shops and in a host of other industries.

What I am most proud to say is that Teleflora has allowed me to work with their software to be able to achieve results for my clients that have Teleflora websites.

So if you have a Teleflora website, you can rest assured I can achieve results like this for you as well. Teleflora has listened to, and has truly become a partner with the retail florist allowing them the opportunity to grow while helping them meet their needs and accomplish their goals.

Here is a terrific example. In this case, I searched “west allis wi florist” (the birthplace of Liberace) for Alfa Flower Shop. Not only am I securing the 2nd spot at the top of the Google search results page, we are also #1 in organic results under the maps in a town that the service florist does NOT have a shop but delivers to - which is why they are not in the top 3 for maps.

 
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If you want to secure placement for FREE (organic results do not require a cost per click) results and you have a Teleflora website, this is what that could look like for you. With great partners like Teleflora and Bloomerang Solutions, you shop can be well on its way to the top of results. Call us today at (941) 806-1911 to get started!

How to Calculate Google Ads (aka Pay Per Click) During a Pandemic

If you own a business, 2020 has been quite the ride so far. This year has been everything, except business as usual and we must approach our marketing efforts with that in mind. This is especially true when we’re looking at analytics from Google Ads (aka Pay Per Click). As you can see below for this client, the impressions dropped a great deal during the month of July 2020. You can't help that (besides making sure the cost is also reduced), but the reason their online conversions dropped was because people were calling in orders while so many florists were closed or not delivering after a cut off time.

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We saw a lot of this where customers would click and then proceed to call-in the orders by phone. The only way to calculate those experiences is to use an industry avg of 3 orders over the phone to every 1 order online. However, since COVID it's so much greater. How much? We just don't know, but we do know that during uncertain times like these, more people will click and call to make sure they can get delivery made and order over the phone gives them the peace of mind of speaking to a real person who can confirm and be responsible for the order. This is clearly reflected in the increased dollar volume in sales.

You can see they spent less in July and saw a very favorable result in sales. Google results (when managed correctly) have been the fuel florists need to compete. You will notice most successful florists are all running Google Ads in their local markets and connect with Google My Business listings to optimize the listing.

Q: Why doesn't everyone do this?

A: The results are a reflection of the experience and capability of the agency. The cost - if not managed properly - could have easily been another $2,000 to 3,000.

Google is a bidding model where you only spend 1 penny more than the listing below you. It's important to always know your positioning and adjust accordingly, this is why it's not always best to be #1. Many people pay DEARLY for this so you have to decide how much it’s worth to your business. You have to know when to step it up and also when to consider other options.

Here are a few additional things to look for in the example above:

PHONE: The phone field is showing how many users clicked the PHONE NUMBER IN THE AD. Keep in mind that the call had to last over two minutes to register. You can res assured there are more orders here, even if you don’t know how many.

CONVERSION CODE: Google allows a “conversion code” to be created and added to our client’s website. This code triggers when the "THANK YOU" page is reached which is unequivocally a completed order. The code tracks the visit having occurred by clicking the trackable ad and then fires off a conversion signal of (1) for a completed order. We then take the average order of the shop. (which has to be done manually since many shop sales values vary) and then multiply it to calculate the final sale.

Remember, before Google came along all we had were the Yellow Pages, newspaper, print, and a few other options for local marketing. Let's face it, if you received a 1% return it was considered successful. The Yellow Pages produced better results but they were very expensive. Now with Google Ads (aka PPC) the model is a sliding scale that is as easy to follow as any. The more you attract visitors (clicks), the higher your chances are of conversions - tracking is key.

One more note: PLEASE use a lost order register at your place of business. ANYTIME a phone is answered asking about product and/or price that does not result in a sale, it's paramount the experience is recorded so the business owner is aware sales opportunities are missed. After all, you pay for those visitors, conversions are critical in the success of this effort.

Get started with Google Ads today. Drop us a line below or call anytime at (941) 806-1911 and we we help you get set up.

GMB aka Maps Has Become More Popular Than Traditional Google Search - Is Your Profile Up to Date?

Did you know that most online search queries land on the Google My Business (MAPS) page? There you will find a brief to an expanded list of services, products and information that allows you to take in a quick but brief understanding about the company you are looking up. This is also a place to find REVIEWS to help you learn more - or you can post reviews of your own as well.

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Google My Business also allows you to add a SHORT NAME of your business to make it easier for customers to find you. More and more companies are focusing on optimizing this result by understanding the strategies you can apply combining images, Q & A's, Videos and even Instant Messaging. The truth is, the more features you use, the better your results will be.

Above the Fold

Above the Fold is an old newspaper term for the upper half of the first page. The most important information in the paper appeared at the top - above the fold - so it would be visible on newsstands and boxes. Just like newspapers, the goal of most businesses is to appear ABOVE THE FOLD because that’s what will be seen on your computer screen on the first view.

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The results are ORGANIC meaning the site is ranking high on its own and the position is not paid for, although paid ads can also appear in some searches.

It is proven that ONLY in this case do people avoid ads and look for the actual location whereas in traditional look ups, the paid ads do better because you can aggressively bid for position AND select what you wish to display, they are ads.

Optimizing Your Business Profile

You will need a separate Google My Business account in order to manage and optimize your Google Business Profile. It’s easy to get your Business Profile (your Google business listing) confused with Google My Business so remember that GMB is the tool you use to enhance your Business Profile in order to boost visibility and effectiveness. Optimizing your GMB profile has several benefits.

  1. It helps you engage with customers

    Customers are able to interact with your Google Business Profile and you can use your GMB account to engage with them. GMB not only allows you to respond to reviews and answer questions, but you can also use it to publish posts like you would on Facebook or other social media channels.

  2. It helps you highlight your business

    Your Google Business Profile contains a limited amount of information about your business but a GMB account gives you the ability to provide hours, link to your website, feature products and pricing along with other details that make your business unique.

  3. It helps you gain insights

    GMB has analytics available through the profile dashboard that gives you key insights about your audience as well as your local search performance. You can see which queries customers are using to find you along with how they found you (Google Search or Google Maps) and what they do when they get to your site.

  4. It helps enhance your local SEO

    Google uses algorithms for ranking Business Profiles just like it does with websites and ads. Your GMB dashboard allows you to incorporate keywords to your profile and perform other optimizations to help you rank better in local results.

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Using GMB for SEO

GMB is not only an outstanding tool for optimizing your profile and expanding your reach, but it is also a great tool to help with your local SEO, here’s how:

  1. By targeting your information

    It is extremely important to incorporate relevant keywords in your Business Profile so Google knows what you are trying to rank for. You should use as many as possible in the “from the business” description as well as in answers to questions, responses to reviews and the posts you publish.

  2. By maintaining quality of information

    The accuracy and completeness of your Business Profile has a big impact on how it ranks, so it is important to provide as much information as you can in every section of your google profile. It is especially important to make sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) are all correct, as well as your hours, attributes and relevant contact information.

  3. By building trust

    Consumers prefer to do business with people they trust and GMB can help enhance your shop’s reputation with reviews AND responses that can be managed through your GMB dashboard. Regularly uploading photos and publishing posts will also help show Google that you are active.

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Google My Business is quickly gaining favor as the place to be listed so it’s important to make sure your GMB Business Profile is up-to-date. SEO is important for any business, but it’s especially important for small businesses to utilize targeted marketing to compete against larger competitors with bigger budgets. Now SEO is easier than ever before with the help of GMB.

Are you trying to maximize your visibility in your local market? Bloomerang Solutions can help you show up where customers are searching. Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 or drop us a line below.

-Art





Neiman Marcus - Falling Short on SEO

I’m constantly looking at industry leaders and how they operate, particularly when it comes to online marketing and SEO. Most of us can only dream of the ad budgets they have to work with, but that does not mean we can’t replicate their successful formulas and scale them down for our shops. The important thing to take away is HOW they do things and WHY.

Neiman Marcus is a luxury brand who appears to do everything right – at least on the surface. I recently received an email from them and decided to see where I ended up when I clicked on their links. I was surprised to see that it was not where I expected, take a look below:

 

 

Proper creation of links and proper implementation and reciprocation is how you achieve results with SEO. The key is making sure everything connects and is informative and keeps you engaged and moves you on to the next step. If that is being done, that’s the proper SEO. It’s Important to star with content and wrap it around until it gets to the website and every step along the way needs to complement and make the experience better.

Call me anytime you’d like or email us at the link below. We’re happy to give you a free consultation and look over your website so you can understand the benefits of having strong SEO strategies on your website.

-Art