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earlpearl
Excellent story and nice analysis. I think last year there was some other reference to the data showing an increase in Google maps usage as of March, wherein Google started the process earlier.
Regardless of the timing of the uptick in Google Maps usage, it appears that Google's injection of maps (universal search) into generic searches that describe a geographic area and a service/product for a search that is something like Denver florist has been the chief reason behind this increase in traffic to google maps.
To the extent that this is reducing traffic to other maps products that is a significant business issue for the owners of competing products.
The second issue is that these business maps have inconsistant information that is often erroneous. This is creating big issues for a variety of businesses that are getting caught in this problem and are finding that it is difficult to correct the issues.
Come on Google. Start cleaning up maps!!!!!
That is a lot of evidence for pretty obscure phrases. So what gives?
Once Matt's hand stops smarting from the ;) smackdown, maybe he'll be able to give us an idea!!!!
Dave
Ugh. Someone at Google needs to do a little screening on those automated ads. They are brutal!!!!!!!!!!
Story: Monetizing SEO/ the Moz method - A Question and Answer forum discussion on the progress of MOZ
I found it interesting that in the world of seo and in an environment where lots of information is free, Moz has so far successfully built a successful model with a paid membership. (I had joined many months ago during the early stages of their effort). Its a unique approach and I'm interested in hearing how others perceive this, including mozzers.
With regard to referencing the probable dominant IYP within a region this is quite helpful.
As a business person I'd suggest extensive keyword research for one's business service/products within your logical region. Then I'd do a ton of extensive searches using expanded keyword research in a variety of engines. The expanded keyword research should have two aspects; your main and secondary keyword phrases that reflect the business and the major geographical terms that reflect your business. If any IYP shows high in serps for significant terms I'd consider advertising within those venues.
Dave
Buying T-shirts. hm we have used several thousand t-shirts over the years for the hard sell aspect of the business our website promotes. Cost of t-shirts -> a couple of dollars per shirt. Cost of a sale of our service -> about $5-800. How many sales. Ugh. It really hasn't paid off. We expect an advertising campaign to pay off in sales at about 5 -10 times cost. t-shirts have barely broken even with cost. and we have had attention grabbing shirts that viewers love.
Ah well, it might work for others it didn't work for us.
Dave
Story: Real Estate SEO is a Joke
On the other hand residential real estate is probably the local industry that has taken most advantage of optimizing for local seo. In the past realtors that achieved high listings referenced how much it meant to them. Admittedly I haven't looked at local real estate sites in a while yet as an industry it utilized local seo far more than any other industry to vault individual sites to top rankings before any other industry. Even auto's with much to gain for local seo is primarily dominated by large vertical sites.
There is a lot to be gained by getting the traffic to ones own website.
Always a good topic, Donna. I love traffic from highly relevant sites. They convert well!!!!! Whether they come from relevant links, relevant articles, relevant social communities, etc. they comprise conversion traffic.
Likewise, the granddaddy of traffic, SE's and its grandkids-> ppc bring in relevant traffic for the most relevant keyword phrases.
Story: Yelp SEO Analysis: Part One
Interesting article, interesting comments, and interesting observation by incredibill. I'll have to try out their serps from a variety of phrases. In terms of salespeople being able to show traffic volume for a phrase or business.....ugh...we are a long way from that.
Story: The Search Mafia
That is an excellent article and description. As a local business operator and SEO, tracking is critical and off-line tracking is ever more critical. We have been tracking for over 20 years. Most inquiries were always by phone (2nd was walk in). Tracking for our service, was always accompanied by a sales chat, in which we always had to ask--"How did you find us?" Always.
Tracking over many years determined interesting trends, some of which hold true today. For years, prior to web visibility we saw relatively fewer contacts from YP but consistently higher conversion rates than from our more significant numbers of calls. From one old media source we found lots of contacts and calls and scarcely any conversions. We determined that media source went to potentially interested but unqualified customers and dropped it.
Tracking led us to refine our marketing efforts as we had a better understanding of what drove our customers.
Today the vast majority of customers find us on the web. Approximately, 60% of them contact us through the web and the remainder call us first. We always ask...."How did you find us". Our better sales people might squeeze in questions about web source (which SE or a link) and what kind of phrase did you use. Those findings tend to have reinforced the data we are picking up from Analytics tools.
A special phone number is INCREDIBLY effective for identifying the impact of special marketing efforts. For local businesses/those businesses that convert off line it is relatively inexpensive and easy technology and it is remarkably telling.
Tracking needs to be continuously done. Markets are always competitive and ever changing. ITs an amazing eyeopener.
Finally after all is said and done. We don't attribute exact numbers to our tracking but look at them in a broad scope. Over many years, many customers became aware of us through a multi-faceted manner, seeing us in various media, hearing about us through word of mouth, etc.
But it absolutely paints a picture of what works and doesn't and it leads to dramatic internal understanding on how to operate better.
Dave
I can't emphasize the importance of offline tracking and the phone conversation with the potential customer. I just got off the phone with someone who found us on the web. I was able to ask the SE term she used (or long tail derivation) (It was one of our 4 most used industry terms.) I found out where she lived and offered her a discount, due to considerations via the phone conversation.
The site is often, the first step in generating the sale. The phone conversation is so critical to bringing in the customer. This was a wonderful article by Christine.
Dave
That is a great example. In reviewing some of the links I loved their anchor text. A terrific example. Thanks.
Dave
I was happy to see the interview. I know that Rand and some members of the Refugee go back probably 5 or more years. I thought the "attacks" on Rand had merit with regard to a variety of the substitive issues w/ regard to both the directory and outing issues. At the same time I wasn't always pleased with the tone of the attacks on the one hand and the lack of straight up responses to questions on the other.
What they did accomplish, though, was bring up various perspectives with regard to the posts at moz that merited thought and response. I was particularly interested in comments on "hurting" other sites through one comment or another.
The interview is a worthwhile read and further comments and insights would be greatly appreciated
Some of the comments in the interview reviewed issues about adversely affecting web businesses, such as aviva, and the sites that were obviously selling ads. Their were critiques about these issues while the controversy was brought up. It was referenced many ways.
It was further brought up in the interview. Rand referenced Aviva as one example. I suppose the facts on that would best be articulated by the owner of Aviva--as to whether the commentary had any affect on his business.
As a business person, this stuff is so prevalent. Purposefully, or inadvertantly someone or a business says things that inadvertantly badmouth another business. That stuff drives law suits. It is taken very seriously.
It is also something someone learns along the way. The fact that this commentary and criticism of Rand may have contributed to killing a potential acquisition by moz, is both a problem, and a valuable lessson to be learned for future efforts. In fact, taking business hits for mistakes is exactly how I learned valuable lessons for the future.
If the criticism's from members of seorefugee and other places contributed to the breakdown of that deal so be it. If Rand is big enough to attribute the loss to his own actions--then his own learning curve is terrific.
For every business, email is helpful. National businesses like Border's books send me discount offers, updates, you name it. But for a local business it is ever more critical. So many ways to apply it. So many ways to enable the business owner to stay in touch with his/her customers, so much cheaper than snail mail.
That is a nice test and an interesting result. I have generated multiple links on a page to the same singular page, both internal and external in different examples. Its very worthwhile to see this fully reviewed. Per this analysis the first link is the only one that shows. That implies an important and critical value to the first link. I'd love to hear confirming or contrasting experience with this.
I can't seem but sense that there could be 2 types of treatments here. Google allowing certain sites, like those from newspapers to freely send out links accompanied with link juice. And if they are manually working through devaluaing value...that is an enormous amount of manual effort to degrade the value of sum total of millions of ads from so many newpapers in so many locations. Those same newspapers can provide editorial comment and links withn content that are helpful.
I checked washingtonpost.com for 2 paid links to 2 different advitisors who similarly rank well for 2 logical search phrases for their services in topics of great dollar value to them. Both sites had 1st page rankings for the important money pages.
Is google treating different kinds of pages differently? Is google treating "partners" differently?
Putting the onus of "outing" websites on webmasters is doubly sneaky if in fact there are millions of ads passing linkjuice from certain types of sites.
It makes me terribly unhappy with this google treatment. If they have an enormous problem with selling links...then automate some system to tackle the problem. Don't lay it on webmasters.
I was trying to think of someone with prestige in the industry who has written extensively about link "acquisition" and never once referenced a particular site. Jim Boykin comes to mind. I've read tons of his stuff on his blog and in some other places. I didn't go back to reference it, but I've always been struck at how he has made a great case for "acquiring" links (it might be paid-and it might be through some other mechanism. I'd bet some are paid.
I don't have the faintest idea as to a single link he's placed on a single site representing a single other site that might be paid. He is very well published, his business seems to be growing, he is well respected, he makes the point that you can buy links.....but I don't have the smallest shred of evidence that there are particular links bought on any particular site.
You can discuss the topic in many ways without identifying particular sites.
On the other hand, what goes around comes around. So if I had a site that was "outted" and it suffered penalties because of it I'd be extremely aggravated. If I was vindictive I'd find out who are Moz's clients (not hard). Some of them have been made public by Rand. Then I'd scrutinize those sites for any probable paid links running back to them.....and I'd "out" that client to Google, somehow, surreptitiously or not, I'd let the Moz client know, somehow, surreptitiously or not that the ranking penalties are payback.
Nothing good comes from the process. Its Google's problem and issue. In fact, I can see why they want to combat "linkjuice" links. Regardless, let them work on it. Don't get yourself involved.
As an seo and business operator I'm concerned about rankings. I'm concerned about more. I'm really concerned about rankings and conversions. If I had 50,000 keyword phrases, as Rand referenced, that is too many for a single person or group of people. Like any modern business I'd need reports that categorized those keywords/products to be able to act on them and would need groups of people to take appropriate reactions.
If I have a managable set of keywords and kywrd phrases that lead to conversions I'd be focused on the steps of the sale, which is always like a funnel. Rankings are at the top of the funnel. The higher the rankings the more opportunities for clicks. Next comes the snippet under the ranking, it helps create a click, then comes the landing page for the keyword, etc. etc. etc.
Ultimately I need to check on all the steps within the funnel. The widest part of the funnel and the opportunity for the most traffic are rankings. It is an appropriate thing in which to be focused but is also only one of the steps.
Thanks for the article. As someone who runs local campaigns and who runs combinations of exact match and broad match I appreciate your comments.
I've tended to focus on exact match for years, if only to prevent this type of thing from happening. Doing so, though, eliminates the opportunity to capture ppc on the amazingly large scope of the long tail. So exact match has its limits.
The other day I was reviewing some ppc tools....and noticed they reported (scrapes of) ads running for totally unrelated broad match ads that will never convert.
So now I've got to either convert all broad match to exact or generate a ton of negative words.
Neither is a good alternative....and a waste of time and resources.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Dave
I missed this news a little bit ago.
I'm always coming from the perspective of the b@m operator and the article and the links to those newer community sites was fascinating.
Story: Google Maps Gaining On Market Leader Mapquest