local search for australian small business

Local Search

What Traditional In 2012

Helping new customers find you

Yellow Pages, local newspaper ads

Local search

Attracting new customers with introductory offers

mailbox drops, local newspaper ads

Social buying offers (groupon, cudo...)

Connecting & communicating with existing and former customers

newsletters Email newsletters, facebook, Twitter, Google+

Online sales Website, eBay (mostly dedicated online retailers)

custom apps, facebook stores, hybrid channel for bricks & mortar retailers

Our topic

Online Essentials for small business:

Google Places

What is local search?

• Local search is a search for a business where a well-defined location is a crucial part of the search result (suburb, street, locality)

What does it look like?

• When run from a browser, Google serves ads using the location, it provides a map with businesses and it lists place-specific business listings on the first page

On a phone, local results are even more emphasized.

The local search revolution

• Local search has rapidly become very important• This is due to the growth of smartphones, which

Are always with usAre always connected to the internetHave location tools (GPS and wifi)

Did you know that Google has a huge database of Wifi network names mapped to a GPS location? Even when your phone can’t get a GPS signal, it can tell Google what wifi networks are nearby, and Google can get a good location fix. It’s not necessary to be connected to those wifi networks.

Australia: A smartphone leader

• Australia has the 4th highest smartphone penetration in the world (behind HK, Singapore & Sweden)

• Among G20 countries, Australia is #1• Australia lagged behind in traditional

online commerce, so this is a big change

• Data compiled (a) December 2011, (b) April 2012• Source: (a) wired.com, (b) Economist

Australia

• Australia has been relatively slow to adopt online commerce

• But Australia has the leading smartphone penetration among the Top 20 economies (The G20)

Good things about local search

• It’s about businesses with addresses and a specific geographic focus (ie, real businesses)

• Local search is easy to get right, and levels the playing field: fancy websites don’t necessarily score well in local search. A simple, low-cost approach can do very well. Even without a website!

Even better ...

People use local search when they want to buy

Follow the money

• Google pays $1B to be the default search engine on iPads and iPhones

• Google invests billions in developing Android and giving it away for free

• Yellow Pages losing sales fast

“The easiest way to get a good Google ranking now is to leverage Google Places.  ”

Eric Haaranen, Marketing Experthttp://ehaaranen.com/

Google Places in East Malvern(A locality in Melbourne)

• The following demonstrations are real searches made on an Android phone in March 2012

• Many businesses have automatically generated Google Places entries based on data provided by Sensis or other sources found by Google.

• These automatic Google Places entries hardly touch the potential of Google Places

Places: How it works

• I need to wash my car

• Be default, the phone looks locally

This demo manually specifies ‘near malvern east’: someone actually in East Malvern wouldn’t need to do this

Google Places: where does the data come from?

• Many businesses list in Google Places without having ‘claimed’ their own listing

• How? Google automatically searches for basic data

(mostly from Sensis listings)This works well for businesses with active

review sites (cafes, hotels) but is not optimised for most businesses

If you rely on auto-generated Places data...

• Sensis data (Yellow Pages): often not keyword-based

• Changes are slow to flow through (old business addresses and phone numbers can linger for more than a year)

• And what happens if you stop paying $$$ to Yellow Pages?

So, key advantages of claiming your own listing

• Better search results• More useful results (eg opening hours)• Data analysis tools• Reduced reliance on Yellow Pages• Advanced features (eg Local Offers)• Response to reviews• Better IP for when the times comes to sell

the businesses• Manual location correction if necessary

Keywords are king

• If a customer searches for words not in your business name, keyword searching becomes important

• Let’s test it in East Malvern ...

Flat tyre:No local hits because no local traders have keyword optimised.

Change oil

Another poor local result

Hats off to Ultra Tech motors, 69km away in Geelong. Ultra Tech Motors has an owner-registered Google Places site, with reviews and keywords. The business has a simple, effective SEO.

Car Cooling

• Fact: Car cooling is a common search term

• Car cooling shows no local hits

Car service

• A search for car service shows local traders.

• Why didn’t we see these results in the previous searches?

• Bad keyword optimisation.

• Solution: claim Google Places and do some keyword work

The role of reviews

• Users can filter results by average review

• Sites with more reviews get more attention and credibility

• Reviews seem to result in better search visibility

• Reviews seem to contribute to keyword matching

• In an owner-registered Places site, owners can respond to reviews

A good Places listing

Nice photos (smart size for a small-screen )

Some keyword optimisation (banana bread may seem an odd keyword, but

this cafe is well known for it)

The listing includes opening hours and reviews

A bonus: AnalyticsA ‘claimed’ listing gives access to useful analytic tools giving insights:

• local search results• Clicks• Main keywords

How to registerThe DIY option

• Create a free Google account for your businesshttps://accounts.google.com/Login(only if you don’t already have one)

• http://www.google.com.au/places/

• Enter your business phone number -- Google may be able to immediately validate your ownership of the business

DIY (2)

• Registration: if there is an existing listing, claim it

• VerificationIf the phone number verification doesn’t work,

Google will send a PIN in the mail (yes, snail mail) to the business address. Expect to wait two to three weeks. They come from Jamaica at present.

• You can set up the listing prior to verification, but it won’t go live

DIY (3)

• If you like video tutorials:• Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJFzsfhqz0o

Or you can get an expert to do it

• GrowthPath offers:• 1) Core Package: $250 (registration).• 2) Core + Keyword Optimisation Package:

$600• 3) Keyword Optimisation Package for

existing places $400• We can also arrange a photographerThe keyword packages mean we do keyword research and set it up. For best results, this should be followed up regularly

Advanced Local Search

An advanced local search approach looks at the role of • Reviews: Google is ok with you encouraging

reviews as long as no incentive is involved (like a referral)Are there other review sites relevant to your business?

• Your website• Your presence elsewhere on the web• Consistency in keywords, your address, your

business name

Contact GrowthPath

• To find out more:• Call GrowthPath on 03 8678 1850 and ask

for Tim Richardson • If you want a copy of these slides, please

email info@growthpath.com.au

Opportunity-Based Growth

L1 368 Johnston St Abbotsford 3067

www.growthpath.com.au

GrowthPath

Opportunity-based growth• Growth through recognising opportunities

and responding quickly• The common thread is faster, more

effective use of information from your business and from your market

• We serve small and medium sized businesses

GrowthPath

Opportunity-based growth• Growth through recognising opportunities

and responding quickly• We offer CFO, marketing and

technological expertise. • The common thread is faster, more

effective use of information from your business and from your market

• We serve small and medium sized businesses

GrowthPath Capabilities

Tim Richardson

• Tim Richardson, CPA, is a CIO and CFO and IT guru with experience in Australia, Asia and Europe

Online Action Team

Linda Vydra (Associate)

• Fashion entrepreneur (lydra.com.au)

• Lydra launched in 2010; fast growth, now employs designers, production staff, interns and office staff. 

• Social-media marketing and sales a key part of her success.

• Linda teaches the use of social media to business students at Holmesglen’s Business Enterprise Unit.

Online Action Team

Daniel Gundry (Associate)

• Dan is a white-hat search expert (SEO)

• Dan has helped Australian SMEs save thousands of dollars and get great sustained sales with SEO and online marketing. His clients include construction, professional services and retail

• Dan teaches SEO and online marketing at Holmesglen BEU