Have you claimed your listings on the Big Three search engines like I suggested in Part One of the Review Strategy for Local Internet Marketing Strategy?
Here's Part Two of the strategy.
A very big factor in getting higher local rankings is “citations” – mentions of your business on local sites. In your organic search engine rankings, the key is backlinks, but the search engines aren't looking for links in Local Listings. They just want to make sure that you are a true local business. So they look at sites where local businesses might be mentioned: The Chamber of Commerce directory, local news sites, and all those review sites that have been popping up in the last few years: Yelp, MerchantCircle, Kudzu etc.
These review sites let you claim your listings (and provide keyword rich content) like the search engine sites we discussed in Part 1, but more importantly, they let customers tell the world about their experience with you - and even give you rankings on a scale of 1-5 stars.
You've heard the cliche: "A happy customer will tell a friend but an unhappy customer will tell 10."
This should get any business owner thinking about what they can do to:
But if you simply ask for a review, the most likely thing that will happen is: nothing.
Your customers may love you to death, but most likely they'll just forget about it...or, since the vast majority of them are not that internet savvy, they won't know how to do it.
So you have to make it very easy.
Step One. You need to claim your listings.
There are dozens of review sites out there. You’re likely already listed and there may even be a review or two out there that you didn’t know about. Claim these listings - just go for the free or basic option to start with - you can always come back later and upgrade if you find them sending you customers.
Here are a couple of review sites to start with I’m sure you can find at least 20 others:
Step Two. Add a page to your website.
Have your web designer add a page to your site like this: McColley Marketing Media Review Page.
You'll see that we give them some simple directions on what we want them to do.
Each of the logos is a link to my claimed profile on that service, so all a customer needs to do is click on picture, register, and add a great review.
Step Three. Ask for reviews - especially from your happy customers.
You could send out an email, post a note on your social networks, print up business cards with the link to your page, include a slip in their monthly bill, or...get creative. If you do, be share your idea in the comments section!
Be sure you get the front line people in your business involved in asking for reviews.
And now that you have some reviews and testimonials...let's leave that for a Part Three.Lynn McColley owns and operates McColley Marketing Media in Mesa, Arizona. He does Small Business Web Site Design, Local Internet Marketing and helps business do drop-dead simple Email Marketing Blasts using McMail Email Marketing. Call him at 480-704-4286.
Here's Part Two of the strategy.
A very big factor in getting higher local rankings is “citations” – mentions of your business on local sites. In your organic search engine rankings, the key is backlinks, but the search engines aren't looking for links in Local Listings. They just want to make sure that you are a true local business. So they look at sites where local businesses might be mentioned: The Chamber of Commerce directory, local news sites, and all those review sites that have been popping up in the last few years: Yelp, MerchantCircle, Kudzu etc.
These review sites let you claim your listings (and provide keyword rich content) like the search engine sites we discussed in Part 1, but more importantly, they let customers tell the world about their experience with you - and even give you rankings on a scale of 1-5 stars.
You've heard the cliche: "A happy customer will tell a friend but an unhappy customer will tell 10."
This should get any business owner thinking about what they can do to:
- Improve customer satisfaction
- Get happy customers to post a review
But if you simply ask for a review, the most likely thing that will happen is: nothing.
Your customers may love you to death, but most likely they'll just forget about it...or, since the vast majority of them are not that internet savvy, they won't know how to do it.
So you have to make it very easy.
Step One. You need to claim your listings.
There are dozens of review sites out there. You’re likely already listed and there may even be a review or two out there that you didn’t know about. Claim these listings - just go for the free or basic option to start with - you can always come back later and upgrade if you find them sending you customers.
Here are a couple of review sites to start with I’m sure you can find at least 20 others:
- http://www.merchantcircle.com/corporate/
- http://www.judysbook.com/post/0
- https://biz.yelp.com/
- http://www.insiderpages.com/session/new
- https://register.kudzu.com/packageSelect.do
Step Two. Add a page to your website.
Have your web designer add a page to your site like this: McColley Marketing Media Review Page.
You'll see that we give them some simple directions on what we want them to do.
Each of the logos is a link to my claimed profile on that service, so all a customer needs to do is click on picture, register, and add a great review.
Step Three. Ask for reviews - especially from your happy customers.
You could send out an email, post a note on your social networks, print up business cards with the link to your page, include a slip in their monthly bill, or...get creative. If you do, be share your idea in the comments section!
Be sure you get the front line people in your business involved in asking for reviews.
And now that you have some reviews and testimonials...let's leave that for a Part Three.Lynn McColley owns and operates McColley Marketing Media in Mesa, Arizona. He does Small Business Web Site Design, Local Internet Marketing and helps business do drop-dead simple Email Marketing Blasts using McMail Email Marketing. Call him at 480-704-4286.
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