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Right On - No Bull Marketing eBook:

LOCAL SEOHOW TO GET TOP SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS

Places for local businesses near Scottsdale, AZ

RightOn-NoBullMarketing LocalSEOeBook-2

DearFriend,

Didyouknowthatsearchenginesarethenumberonewaythatcustomersfindlocalbusinesses?AccordingtoGoogle,97percentofcustomersfindlocalbusinessesbysearchingonline.That’swhywe’vecompiledthisguide.It’sfullofwaystohelpyourlocalbusinessgetfoundbycustomersonline.

WealsopublishourRightOn-NoBullMarketingBlog.Thisblogkeepsyouinformedaboutsearchengineoptimizationbestpracticesandtrends.Thegoalofourblogistohelpyoubecomebetteratmarketingandsellingintheinternetera.Ourbloggivesyouaninsider’sperspectiveonmarketingstrategies,tacticsandmarketingchannels.Wehopeyouenjoywhatyouread.Wealsohopeyougetourfreeblogupdates.TheycanbesenttoyouviaemailorRSSFeed.AndbesuretolikeusonFacebook.OurFacebookfanpageisfullofcontentyouwon’tfindanywhereelse.WealsorunFacebookfansonlywebinars,giveawaysandspecials.Ihopeyoujoinus.

Thanksforreading!

StayThirsty!

BrianOffenberger,CeM,CSMA

CEO|RightOnNoBullMarketing

InternetMarketingServices

www.RightOn-NoBull.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHYYOURBUSINESSNEEDSLOCATIONBASEDMARKETING.............................................4

HOWTOBUILDAPOWERFULGOOGLE+LOCALLISTING.......................................................7

HOWBING’SBUSINESSPORTALHELPSLOCALSEARCHENGINEOPTIMIZATION.............................................................................................16

HOWTOPROMOTEYOURLOCALBUSINESSONFOURSQUARE.......................................25

15WAYSTOGETONLINELOCALCUSTOMERREVIEWS......................................................34

HOWTOSPOTFAKEONLINEREVIEWS..................................................................................36

HOWTOTRACKWHAT’SBEINGSAIDABOUTYOUANDYOURCOMPANY..........................38

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WiththeexplosivegrowthofsmartphonesandGPS,locationbasedservicesarebecomingalltherage.

Ifyou’reunfamiliarwithlocationbasedservices,here’swhatyouneedtoknow.

Peopleuselocationbasedserviceswiththeirsmartphonesjustliketheywouldamap.Theyusetheirsmartphonetofindtheproductsandservicestheyneed.

Peoplealsousetheirsmartphonetonotifyfriendsonsocialnetworksoftheircurrentlocation.Theyalsouselocationbasedservicestopostreviewsandopinionsaboutdifferentbusinessesandlocationstheyvisit.

Smartphoneusersdothisthroughavarietyoflocationbasedservice(LBS)platforms.SomeofthemorepopularLBSplatformsinclude:

• Google+Local• FacebookPlaces• Foursquare

Sowhyarepeoplevoluntarilybroadcastingtheircurrentlocationandopinionsonsocialnetworks?Theanswer:Becausetheyreceiveincentivessuchasdiscounts,onlinebadgesandothermust-haveitems.

Andwhydotheyusetheirsmartphonestofindoutwherebusinessesarelocated?Becauseit’sfast,easy,convenientandfree.

Forbusinesses,locationbasedservicesareanexcitingopportunity.Theseplatformsallowpeopletofindyourbusinessinnewways.Aspeoplecontinuetobuysmartphonesanduselocationbasedservices,businesseswillneedtoimplementalocationbasedmarketingplaniftheywanttobefoundbypotentialcustomers.

ThisreportwilltellyoueverythingyouneedtoknowaboutLBSplatformsandwhyyour

WhyYourBusinessNeedsLocationBasedMarketing

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businessneedslocationbasedmarketing.

Why Is Location Based Marketing Important For Companies?

Youmaybewondering:Whatdosmartphonesandlocationbasedserviceshavetodowithmybusiness?

It’sreallysimple.Smartphones and location based services help people find your business.

Thinkaboutitforasecond.

Let’ssaysomeoneisoutdrivingarounddoingSaturdayafternoonerrands.Aftergroceryshopping,theyrealizetheyneedtogetanoilchange.Theypullouttheirsmartphoneandtheysearch“oilchange”inGoogle.

ThepersonseesamapofallthenearbyrepairshopsinGoogle+Local.TheythenlookfordiscountsonFacebookPlaces,Foursquareandmobilewebsites.Thepersonmakestheirdecision.

Wouldyourbusinessbepartofthatdecision?Ifyoudon’thavealocationbasedmarketingplan,thenprobablynot.

If they can’t find you, they can’t buy from you.

Moreandmorepeopleareturningtotheirsmartphonestofindtheproductsandservicestheyneed.

Takealookatthenumbers:

• OneoutofeveryfourAmericansownsasmartphone(PewResearch)

• Morethan70millionpeoplehaveaccessedtheinternetfromtheirphonelastyear(eMarketer)

• By2012,morethan100millionpeoplewillbeaccessingtheinternetfromtheirphone(eMarketer)

Here’s the most interesting statistic, Google is reporting more than 30 percent of all mobile internetsearchesare“localsearches.”Bycomparison,only20percentofGooglesearcheson

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regularcomputersare“localsearches.”

Thismeansmorepeopleareusingtheirphonestosearchforaddressesandotherinformationtofindthenearbyproductsandservicestheyneed.

What Are The Benefits Of Location Based Marketing?

Thereareseveralimportantbenefitsyougetwithalocationbasedmarketingplan.Most importantly,youincreaseyourvisibilityamongpotentialcustomersnearyourbusiness.

Herearesomeadditionalbenefits:

• Proximity: Withlocationbasedmarketing,anearbycustomerismorelikelytovisityourbusinessthanacompetitorthatisa15-minutedriveaway.

• More Impulse Buying: Byreceivinginformationanddiscountsinreal-timefromtheirsmartphone,itismorelikelytobuyfromyourbusinessonimpulse,whichwillleadtomoreimpulsebuying.

• Higher Search Ranking:Googleisstartingtogivetopbillingtomoreofitsproductsandservicesinitssearchresults.AGoogle+Locallistingensuresthatpeoplesearchingnearbyfortheproductsandservicesyousellwillfindyourbusiness.

• Hassle Free: Customersdon’thavetogothroughthehassleofprintingonlinecouponsorclippingcouponsfromdirectmailadvertisementswithLBS.It’salsoalothardertoloseadiscountonyoursmartphone.Thephoneispresentedtotheemployeeforthediscount,makingtheshoppingexperiencehasslefree.

• Higher Return On Investment: Usinglocationbasedservicescostsnexttonothing.TheROIonlocationbasedserviceismuchhigherthanothermarketingchannelssuchasdirectmail,TVandradio.

• Spreads Word Faster: LocationbasedservicesaretiedtolargersocialnetworkssuchasFacebook.Thisleadstomorepeoplelearningabouttheproductsandservicesyousell.Additionally,loyalcustomerscanpostreviewsaboutyourproductsandservices.It’sfreewordofmouthadvertising.

Thesearejustafewofbenefitsofimplementingalocationbasedmarketingplan.Asthese

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technologiesaddmorefeatures,youcanexpectmorebenefits.

What Location Based Service Platforms Should You Use?

ThereareseveralLBSplatformsyoushouldincludeinyourlocationbasedmarketingplan.ThelistincludesGoogle+Local,FacebookPlacesandFoursquare.Hereiswhatyouneedtoknowabouteachoftheseplatforms.

Google+ Local

What It Does: AllowspeopletosearchGooglefornearbybusinesseswiththeirmobilephone.Searchinformationresultsincludephonenumber,address,mapwithdirectionsandcustomerreviews.It’samap,phonebookandreviewguideallinoneplace.

What Information Is Required: TomaintainyourGoogle+Locallisting,youneedtoverifyyouarethebusinessowner/managerwithaGoogle+account.Youwillneedtoprovide:phonenumber,address,website,hoursofoperationandashortbusinessdescription.Thisserviceisfree.

Foursquare

What It Does:Allowspeopletosharetheircurrentlocationwithfriendsby“checking-in.”InformationissharedwiththeFoursquaresocialnetworkandFacebooksocial

networkifconnected.Usersareawardedpointsandbadgesforcheck-ins.

What Information Is Required:YouwillneedtocreateaFoursquareprofile.Youwillneedtoenteryourname,emailandlocation.Onceyouhaveaprofile,youwillneedtoaddyourbusinesstothevenuelistingsifonedoesnotexist.Youwillneedtoadd:businessname,address,crossstreets,phoneandTwitterhandle.Youcanthenregisterasownerofthebusinesstocreatespecialanddiscounts.AFoursquarerepresentativewillcallyoutoconfirmyouaretheowner.

Promotional Features: Foursquareallowsbusinessownerstopostspecials.Specialscanincludefreeitemsanddiscountsonpurchases.Specialsareearnedbasedon“check-ins.”Theycanbebasedonfrequencyorgiveneverysingletime.Specialsarefreetorun.

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Facebook Places

What It Does:Allowspeopletosharewithfriendstheircurrentlocationby“checking-in”usingtheFacebookPlacesfeatureontheFacebookMobileAppontheirsmartphone.

What Information Is Required:ToregisteraFacebookPlaceyouwillneedtheFacebookMobileApp.Searchforyourbusinessusingtheapplication.Ifyourbusinessdoesnotexist,enterthecompanynameandashortdescriptionofyourcompany.Besureyouareatyourplaceofbusinesswhenregistering.

YoucanthenvisitFacebookandclaimyourpage.Afteryouclaimyourpage,youcanmergeyourplacespagewithyourbusinesspageonFacebook.AFacebookrepresentativewillcallyoutoverifythatyouaretheownerofthebusiness.Thisserviceisfree.

Promotional Features: WithinFacebookPlacesthereisFacebookDeals.ThisserviceallowsyoutooffercustomersspecialdealswhentheycheckintoyourbusinessusingFacebookPlaces.Dealscaninclude:coupons,freeitemsanddonationstocharitableorganizations.Currently,itisfreetopostdealsonFacebookPlaces.

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Inthegoodolddays,customersflippedthroughtheYellowPagestofindalocalbusiness.

Today,it’spracticallyalldoneviacomputersandsmartphones.AccordingtoGoogle,97percentofconsumerssearchforlocalbusinessesonline.

Ifyouwantlocalcustomerstofindyourcompany,it’simportanttohaveaGoogle+Locallisting.Google+ Local isthetoponlinelocationforlocalsearchresultsontheweb.

Whatisthedifferencebetweenlocalsearchresultsandtraditionalsearchresultsandqueries?

Local search adds a WHERE component like an address to the WHAT component most commonly used in search queries (keyword, product, service, etc).

ThisarticlewillshowyouhowcompaniescanuseGoogle+Localtodrivemorelocalcustomertraffictoyourbusinesslocations.

What is Google+ Local?

Google+Localisanareaonasearchresultpageforlocalbusinesslistings.ThisareaisoftenreferredtoasaZeroPack.Here’sanexampleifyousearchforsecuritycompaniesinScottsdale,Arizona.

HowtoBuildaPowerfulGoogle+LocalListing

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Asyoucanseefromtheabovepicture,Google+Localgivesyouthetopsevenlocalsecuritycompaniesonitssearchresultspage.Googlewillgiveyouanywherefromzerotosevenlocalsearchresults.That’swhyit’scalledtheZeroPack.

TobeincludedintheZeroPacklocalsearchresults,Googleusesmathematicalalgorithms.Wewon’tboreyouwithallthedetails,butwe’llshowyouthebestwaytogetintothetopsevensearchresultslaterinthepost.

Ifyouclickonthe“More Results”linkatthebottomoftheGoogleZeroPack,you’llbetakentoacompletelistingofallthelocalbusinessesrankedforavarioussearchterm.

EachGoogle+Localsearchresultalsoincludesadditionaldetailsforeachofthebusinesses.

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Theadditionaldetailsinclude:

• PicturesandVideos

• Maps

• BusinessHours

• MainCrossStreets

• OnlineReviews

SonowthatyouhaveabackgroundonGoogle+Local,youneedtounderstandwhyit’simportanttoyourbusiness.

Why is Google+ Local Important?

BusinessesshoulduseGoogle+Localforthefollowingreasons:

• It’s Where Google Shows Local Search Results–ThisiswhereGoogledisplayslocalsearchresults.Thisiswherecustomersexpecttofindinformationaboutlocalbusinesses.

• Maximum Exposure –Asnotedearlier,97percentofcustomerssearchforlocalbusinessesonline.AlotisdonethroughGoogle.

• It’s Free–ItcostsnothingtolistyourbusinessonGoogle+Local.YellowPageslistingscansometimescostthousandsofdollars.

• It Appears on Smartphones–Customersareusingtheirsmartphonestosearchfortheaddressesandphonenumbersoflocalbusinesses.Google+Localhelpspeoplefindyourbusiness.

Most importantly, Google+ Local drives local customer traffic.It’smorepowerfulthananytypeofadvertisement.That’sbecausemanypeopleusingGoogle+Localarereadytobuy.

Forinstance,peoplesearchingfor“grocerystoresinScottsdale”onGoogle+Localarelookingtofindanearbystorenoworinthenearfuture.

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How Does Google+ Local Work?

BeforeyoustartcreatingyourownGoogle+Locallisting,youneedtobetterunderstandhowitworks.

YoualsoneedtocompleteallyourothercitationservicessuchasBingBusinessPortal.

Google+LocalrankslocalbusinessessimilartostandardGooglesearches.Googleusesamathematicalalgorithmtodeterminewhereyourbusinesswillrankamongvariouskeywords.

ThealgorithmtakesintoaccounttheinformationthatyouincludeinyourGoogle+Localprofile.Thisincludes:

• CompanyInformation

• ContactInformation

• CompanyAddress

• CompanyWebsite

• ServiceRadius

Whilethealgorithmistopsecret,manysearchmarketingexpertsagreethatotheronlinebusinesslistingsandonlinereviewsaboutyourbusinessaffectyourbusiness’placementintheZeroPackandGoogleMaps.Themoreplacesyourbusinessislistedandthemorereviewsyouhave,thehigheryourbusinesswillrank.

Properlylistingyourbusinessononlinebusinessdirectoriesandreviewssitesisaveryimportantfirststep.IthelpstogetyourbusinesstorankhighforcertainsearchphrasesinGoogle+Local.

Be sure to list your business on lots of online business directories and review sites before filling out any Google+ Local information.Youcanfindalistofgreatdirectoriesandreviewsiteslaterinthisarticle.

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How Do I Create a Powerful Google+ Local Listing?

Google+Localisfairlyeasytosetup.Tostart,allyouhavetodoishaveaGoogleIDandvisitwww.Google.com/+/learnmore/local/,andfillouttheinformationinallofthefields.

It’srathersimpletofillout.Thechallengeliesincreatingahigh-rankingGoogle+Locallisting.

Tocreateapowerful,high-rankingGoogle+LocalListing,werecommendthefollowingtips.

• Completely Fill Out Information–It’sveryimportanttoaccuratelycompletealltherequestedinformationaboutyourbusinessforGoogle+Local.Thisincludesthepictureandvideofields.

• Be Consistent–Googlecrosscheckstheinformationthatyouenterwithyourwebsite.Makesurealltheinformationthatyouenteristhesameasonyourwebsite.

• Use a Mix of Custom and Standard Categories–Googlehasanestablishedlistofcategories.Useafewofthoseaswellasafewcustomcategories.Googlelimitsyoutofivecategories.

• Avoid Location Terms in Categories–Don’tenterlocation-basedtermssuchas“PhoenixCarRepair”or“PhoenixDrugStore.”Googlemaythinkthatyou’rekeywordstuffing,whichisawaytotrytomanipulatethesystem.

• Include Your Categories in the Description–Googlegivesyou200characterstodescribeyourbusiness.Trytousethemallandincludethecategoriesyouselectedinthedescriptionasseeninthepictureabove.

• Include Photos and Videos–Themorephotosandvideosthebetter.Includeyourcompanylogoaswellaspicturesofyourbusinessaswellastheproductsandservicesthatyouoffer.

• Avoid Toll Free Phone Numbers–Google+Localisforlocallistings.Avoidusingtollfreenumbers.Besurephonenumberswithareacodesarealsolistedonyourwebsiteforconsistency.

• Use Bulk Uploading For Multiple Locations–Ifyouhavemultiplelocations,youwillneedtocreateaprofileforeachofthoselocations.Googlehasabulk-uploadingtooltohelpyouwiththis.AllyouneedtodoisfillouttheBulkUploadingTemplateandloaditintoGoogle+Local.

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• Update Your Website–YouwanttomakesurealltheinformationisconsistentbetweenyourwebsiteandGoogle+Local.Ifit’sbeenafewyearssinceyoulastupdatedtheinfoonyourwebsite,besuretomakethechanges.

• Create Google+ Local Last –Wesaidthisearlier,andwe’llsayitagain.WaittofilloutyourGoogle+Localinformationuntilyoulistyourbusinessononlinebusinessdirectoriesandreviewsites.

How Can I Increase My Google+ Local Ranking?

AfteryoufilloutalltheinformationintheGoogle+Localform,Googlespiderscrawlthewebsearchingforyourbusiness,itsaddressandotherinformation.

Thechancesarebetterthatyou’llhaveahigherGoogle+Localrankingifyourbusinessanditsaddressappearonlotsofdifferentreviewwebsitesandonlinedirectories.

Thatiswhyyouneedtohaveyourbusinesslistedonotheronlinereviewwebsitesandonlinelistings.Makesureyourbusinessison:

• Yelp

• Foursquare

• MerchantCircle

• YellowBook

• YellowPages

• Judy’sBook

• SuperPages

• CitySearch

• DexKnows

• Manta.com

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• LocalChamberofCommerceWebsite

Themoreplacesthatyourbusinessislistedthebetterchancethatyou’llmakeitintooneofthetopsevenspotsontheZeroPackofGoogle+Local.It’simportanttomakesurethatyourbusinessaddressislistedthesamewayforallofthesewebsites.

Mostofthesewebsiteshavewaysforyoutoclaimyouronlinelistingtoensuretheinformationiscorrect.

Onceyourbusinessislistedonallofthesesites,you’llwanttoencouragepeopletosubmitonlinereviews.Themorereviewsthatyouhavethebetterthechancesyou’llrankhigherinGoogle+Local.

TrainyouremployeestoaskcustomerstosubmitreviewsonYelporCitySearch.ThemorereviewsthegreatthelikelihoodforhigherrankingswithintheZeroPackofGoogle+Local.

ThesearesomeofthebestwaystoimproveyourrankinginGoogle+Local.

RightOn-NoBullMarketing

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Moreandmoreconsumersareusingsearchenginestofindnearbybusinesses.

Justlookatthestats.AccordingtoGoogle,97percentofcustomerssearchforlocalbusinessesonline.Bycomparison,81percentofconsumersnolongerwantaprintedphonebookliketheYellowPages.

It’sasignofthetimes.Localsearchisagreatwayforyourbusinesstogetfound.ThetwotoplocalsearchplatformsareGoogle+LocalandMicrosoft’sBingBusinessPortal.Yourbusinessshouldbeonboth.

That’sbecauseGoogleandMicrosoftcontrolamajorityoftheonlinesearchmarketintheUnitedStates.Googlehas64percent.Microsofthas30percentbetweenBinganditspartnerYahoo!That’salmost95percentofthemarket!

Totakeadvantageofthis,yourbusinessneedstobeusingplatformssuchasGoogle+LocalandBing’sBusinessPortal.

ThisarticlewillfocusonBing’sBusinessPortal.You’lllearnhowitcanhelplotsoflocalcustomersfindyourbusiness.

What is Bing Business Portal?

BinglauncheditsBusinessPortalinApril2011.It’sanonlinebusinesslistingthatallowscustomerstodiscoverlocalbusinessesthroughsearch.

TobetterunderstandBusinessPortal,supposeacustomerlivinginScottsdale,ArizonawassearchingBingforasecuritysystem.Thesearchresultswouldshowthefollowing.


HowBing’sBusinessPortalHelpsLocalSearchEngineOptimization

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BingBusinessPortalistheportionhighlightedinredintheabovepicture.Asyoucansee,itliststhefivemostrelevantlocalsecuritycompaniesinthesearchqueryforthesearchterm“securitycompaniesinScottsdale,AZ.”Itgivesyoutheaddress,thephonenumberandotherimportantinformationsuchasamapofthenearbylocations.It’slikehavinganinteractiveversionoftheoldYellowPagesphonebook.

WithBingBusinessPortal,searchersgetuptofivelocallistings.Thesefivelistingsaredisplayedinamapformatliketheexampleabove.ToseemoreofoptionsthatBinggivesyou,clickonthe“MoreListings”option.

Ifyouclickonanyoftheresults,youaretakentothebusiness’locallistingspage.There,youcanfindcontactinformation,userreviewsandotherinformation.Youcanseeanexampleofalocallistingspageonthenextpage.


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Thelocallistingpageincludes:hoursofoperation,address,map,paymentsaccepted,photosandorganicsearchresults.

BingBusinessPortaloffersafewotherhelpfulfeaturesforyourbusiness’locallistingspage.

• Discount Coupons–Youcancreatecoupons,discountsandotherpromotionstoofferonyourbusinesslistingspage,Facebookpage,BingdesktopsearchresultsandBingmobiledealtab.

• Mobile Websites –Youcancreateamobilewebsiteversionofyourbusinesslistingspage.

• QR Codes–QRcodesarecreatedforeachbusinesslistingsocustomerscaneasilyaccesscontactinformationontheirmobiledevices.

BingBusinessPortalisfreetosignupand,atthemoment,allofitsfeaturesarefree.

Why is Bing Business Portal Important?

BingBusinessPortalisimportantbecauseithelpscustomersfindyourbusiness.Herearesomeotherreasonsyoushouldbeusingthisplatform.

• You Get New Customers–YouareexposingnewlocalcustomerstoyourbusinessthroughBingBusinessPortal.


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• Bing Business Portal Costs Nothing–Itdoesn’tcostapennytolistyourbusiness.Atthemoment,itsdealfeaturesarealsofree.

• It’s Smartphone Friendly–AccordingtoAT&T,43percentofpeopledoinglocalsearchesonmobiledevicesshowuptothelocationtheyfoundontheirsmartphone.BingBusinessPortalhelpsdrivesomeofthattraffic.

• Deals –WithBingBusinessPortalnotonlywillcustomersfindyourbusiness,they’llalsolearnaboutdealsandpromotionsatyourbusiness.

How Does Bing Business Portal Rank Your Business?

It’simportanttounderstandthatBingusesamathematicalalgorithmtorankyourbusinesslistingbysearchterm.WhileBingdoesnotdiscloseinformationaboutitsalgorithm,searchmarketingexpertsbelieveBinglooksatanumberoffactorsincluding:

• BusinessAddressConsistency

• BusinessLocation

• BusinessInformationonYourWebsite

• YourFacebookandTwitterAccounts

• OnlineDirectoriesandOnlineReviewSitesWhereYourBusinessisListed

• TheNumberofOnlineReviewsaboutYourBusiness

Allofthesefactorsmaydeterminewhereyourbusinesswillrankforcertainkeywords.HigherrankingbusinesseswillappearinoneofthetopfivelocalsearchspotsonBing’ssearchresultspageforcertainkeywordphrases.

It’scriticalforyourbusinesstoappearinoneofthetopfivesearchresultsspotsbecausemostcustomerswillonlyvisittheselocations.

Inthenextfewsections,we’llshowyouhowtoimproveyourchancesofgettingintooneofthetopfivespotsforcertainkeywordsearchphrases.


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How Do I Get My Business on Bing Business Portal?

GettingyourbusinessonBingBusinessPortaliseasy.Youvisitwww.Bing.com/BusinessPortal.There,youcanclaimyourbusiness.YouwillneedaWindowsLiveIDtologintotheBusinessPortal.

Ifthereisn’tanyinformationonyourbusiness,yousimplyenterinthebusinessnameandaddress.Youcandothisbyclickingonthe“PlusButton”highlightedinred.

Ifyourbusinesshasmultiplelocations,besuretofilloutandregistereachlocation.Ifyouhavealotoflocations,clickonthe“25+”buttonasseeninthepictureaboveintheredbox.

Onceyouaddandclaimyourbusinesslisting,you’llbereadytoenterdetailsaboutyourbusiness.Thefieldsinclude:

• Business Name–Typeouttheexactbusinessname.Donotincludeanykeywordsorlocationsinname.

• Type of Business–ChoosefromoneoftheoptionsthatBingoffers.


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• Address–Enterinyouraddressexactlyasitappearsonyourwebsite.Ifitsays“124N.StateStreet”onyourwebsite,putitinthesameway.Don’tenteritas“124NorthStateStreet.”

• Phone Number–Bingoffersbothtollfreeandlocaloptions.Besuretoenteralocalphonenumberoption.

• Business Email Address–Thisshouldbeanemailaddresswherecustomerswillreceiveaquickresponsetotheirquestions.

• Website–Entertheaddresstothehomepageofyourwebsite.

• Facebook and Twitter Address –Ifyoudon’thaveeitheroftheseaccounts,werecommendyoucreateboth.Besuretoactivelyusebothofthese.

• Logo–Includeabusinesslogothatisadecentsize.

Whenenteringallofthisinformation,beasaccurateandthoroughaspossible.Theinformationyouentershouldbeanexactmatchfromyourwebsite.

How Do I Use the Additional Features on Bing Business Portal?

Onceyou’veenteredinthemaininformationaboutyourbusinessinBingBusinessPortal,thereareseveralotherfeaturesyoushouldcomplete.

Business Specialties

Thissectionallowsyoutoentervariousproductsandservicesthatyourbusinessoffers.Forinstance:Ifyouownasportinggoodsstore,youcouldenterfootballequipment,baseballequipment,golfclubs,etc.

Tip:WhenenteringBusinessSpecialties,trytolimitittonomorethanfourorfive.Enteringtoomanycouldbeconsideredkeywordstuffingandnegativelyaffectyourranking.AlsodonotattempttouselocationswithBusinessSpecialtiessuchas“Phoenixhardwarestore.”Bingcouldseethisaskeywordstuffing,whichcanhurtyourrankings.


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Photos

Besidesyourcompanylogo,Bingallowsyoutoenteruptoninebusinessphotos.Werecommendloadingninephotos.Theycaninclude:

• ExteriorShotsofYourBusiness

• InteriorShotsofYourBusiness

• Products

• Services

Theideaistoprovidepicturestogivecustomersanideaoftheshoppingexperience.

Mobile Website

BingBusinessPortalalsohasabuilt-intoolthatallowsyoutocreateamobileversionofyourwebsite.Thisisonewaytogetcustomerswhousesmartphonestofindyourbusiness.

Customersusingsmartphonesaremorelikelytovisitabusinesswithamobilewebsitebecauseitiseasierforthemtoquicklygettheinformationtheyneed.

Bing’smobilewebsitebuilderfeatureallowsyoutocreatethreetabs:products/services,addressandcall.Bingpullsyourlogo,addressandphonenumberfromtheinformationyouenteredwhensettingupbusinessportal.Allyouhavetodoislistafewofyourtopselling


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productsorservices.

WhiletheBingmobilewebsitebuilderisausefultool,itisverybasicandmaynotmeetalloftheneedsofyourbusiness.BothDudaMobileandGoogleSitesoffermorerobustmobilewebsitebuilders.

How Do I Create a High Ranking Bing Business Portal Listing?

Asnotedearlier,it’sveryimportanttocreateahigh-rankingBingBusinessPortallisting.CustomershavethetendencytoonlylookatthetopfivethatappearonBing’ssearchresultspage.

Herearesomeofthemostimportanttipsthatwillhelpyougetintothetopfivelocalsearchresults.

• Have Lots of Listings on Directories and Review Sites–Searchmarketingexpertstendtoagreethatthemoreplacesyourbusinessanditsaddressarelistedthebetterrankingyou’llgetfromBingBusinessPortal.

• Get Lots of Reviews–Themoreactivitythatyouhaveonreviewwebsitesthebetter.EncouragecustomerstoleavereviewsonsiteslikeYelpandCitysearch.

• Create Bing Business Portal Last After Your Other Listings –WaittocreateyourBingBusinessPortalpageuntilyouhaveregisteredyourbusinesswithotheronlinedirectoriesandreviewsites.ThisisveryimportantbecauseBingsearchestheseothersites…themoreyouarelistedon,themorelikelyyouaretorankhighlyonBing.Oneexception…doyourGoogle+LocallistingafteryourBinglisting.

• Accurately Complete All Information–We’vesaidthisbefore,andwe’llsayitagain.Thisisverycritical.Bingcomparestheinformationyouenteragainstyourwebsiteaswellasonlinedirectoriesandreviewsites.Allofthisinformationshouldmatchupexactly.

• Fill Out All Information–Don’tleaveanythingblankontheBusinessPortal.Thiscouldhelpimproveyourranking.Itwillalsogivecustomersalltheinformationtheyneedaboutyourbusiness.

• Have Social Media Profiles–Bingisoneoftheleadingcompaniesinsocialmediasearch.HavingactiveFacebookandTwitteraccountswithlotsofuserscouldboostyourrankinginBingBusinessPortal.


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• Update Your Website –Ifyourwebsitehasold,outdatedinformationonit,youneedtoupdateyourwebsiteASAP.Makesureit’sthesameinfoasonyourBingBusinessPortalprofile.

Whenitcomestohavingyourbusinesslistedonreviewsitesandonlinedirectorieshavethemlistedon:Yelp,CitySearch,Foursquare,YellowPages,YellowBook,DexKnows,SuperPages,Judy’sBook,etc.It’salsonotabadideatobelistedonyourlocalchamberofcommerce’swebsite.

AllofthesetipscouldhelpimproveyourBingBusinessPortalsearchresultsrank.


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Foursquareisalocationbasedsoftwareplatformthatisrevolutionizingthewaycustomersfindbusinessesaroundthem.

Withasmartphone,peoplecanuseFoursquaretodiscovernearbybusinessesandspecialswhilethey’reoutshopping.FoursquareandotherlocationbasedservicessuchasFacebookPlacesandGoogle+Localarequicklybecomingpowerfulshoppingresourcesforcustomers.

LocationbasedservicessuchasFoursquarearelikehavingamapandacouponbookinthepalmofyourhand.

CompaniesneedtostartadoptinglocationbasedserviceslikeFoursquareiftheywanttheirbusinesstobefound.Why?Becausemoreandmorepeopleareusingtheseservicestofinddiscountsandshop.

Tohelpyougetyourbusinessfound,we’vecreatedthisFoursquareresourceguide.ThisguidewillhelpyouunderstandthepowerofFoursquareandhowtogetmorecustomersbeforeyourcompetitorsdo.

How Foursquare Works

BeforeweshowyouhowtogetyourbusinessfoundonFoursquare,youneedtoknowhowitworks.

Takealookatthepicturetotheright.FoursquareusersusethismobileapplicationontheiriPhone,BlackBerry,orAndroiddeviceto“check-in”tovariousbusinesses.

Bycheckingin,peoplehavethepotentialtoreceivediscounts.ItalsoletsFoursquareusers’friendsknowwheretheyare.Alongtheway,usersearnpointsandbadgesthemoretimestheycheckintovariouslocations.ThinkofFoursquareassomewhatofasocialmediagame.

Theultimateprizeforusersisbecomingmayorofaparticularlocation.Foursquarenamesmayorsbasedonthenumberoftimessomeonechecksintothesamelocationduringatwo-monthspan.Thepersonwiththemostcheck-insisnamedmayor.


HowtoPromoteYourBusinessonFoursquare

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Whatdoesthishavetodowithmycompany?

Alot.WithFoursquareyou’reincreasingyoursalesandloweringyouradvertisingbudget,whileatthesametimesending,free,targetedadvertisements.

Rememberthegoodolddaysofadvertisingwithradioandnewspaperads?Well,peopledon’treadthenewspaperanymoreandradioadsaren’tworththecost.

Issomeonereallygoingtoremembertovisityourbusinessbasedonanadinyesterday’snewspaperora30-secondradioadvertisement?

Additionally,it’salsopossiblethataFoursqurelistingcanhelpyouimproveyourlocalsearchrankingsonGoogleandBing.

Foursquare Terms and Lingo

Beforegettingstarted,thereareanumberofkeytermsyoushouldfamiliarizeyourselfwith.BelowisalistofkeyelementsonFoursquarethatyou’llneedtoknowtobetterunderstandtheplatform.

• Specials:SpecialsareincentivesbusinessescanmarkettoFoursquareusersforfreetoenticethemtocheck-intotheirvenue.Specialscanincludediscountsonservices.

• Venue/Places:VenueandplacesareusedinterchangeablythroughouttheFoursquareplatform.Venue/Placesaredifferentlocationssuchasrestaurants,businesses,parks,etc.Everyvenuehasapage,whichlistsdetailsaboutthelocation.

• Check-in:Check-inisthetermusedwhenyouannounceyourpresenceataparticularlocation.Forinstance,let’ssayyouarriveatacompanyoffice.YouwouldaccessyourFoursquaremobilephoneappand“check-in”tothelocation,whichnotifiesnearbyFoursquareusers.

• Badges:Badgesareoneofthemajorrewardsyoureceivebycheckingintodifferentplaces.Forinstance,ifyoucheckintofivedifferentStarbuckslocations,youreceiveaStarbucksbadge.Ifyoucomplete30check-ins,youearntheSuperUserbadge.

• Mayor:BecomingmayorisanotherrewardearnedwhileusingFoursquare.Mayorsareselectedthroughthenumberofcheck-insduringatwo-monthspan.Theuserwiththemostcheck-insataparticularlocationduringthetwo-monthperiodisthemayor.Whensearching


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forvenuesyoucanseewhoisthemayor.

• Tips:Tipsareshort,200characterpostingsFoursquareuserscanpostaboutaparticularlocation.Tipsoftenprovideinformationoncustomerserviceandwhetherornottovisitabusiness.

How to Create a Personal Foursquare Profile

BeforegettingyourbusinessonFoursquareyouwillneedtosignupforapersonalaccount.TherearetwowaysforyoutojoinFoursquare.

1. VisittheFoursquarewebsiteandclickthegreen“JoinNow”buttonontherightofthescreen.

2. DownloadtheFoursquaremobileappfromyoursmartphone’sappstore.TheappisavailableforiPhone,BlackBerry,AndroidandPalmdevices.Besuretoclickthe“JoinNow”buttonandfollowtheregistrationprocess.

WerecommendjoiningFoursquarethroughitswebsiteandthendownloadingtheapplicationtoyoursmartphone.It’seasiertosignuponthewebsite.

ThefirstscreenyouwillseeisJoinmenu.Enterthefieldswiththenecessaryinformation.Besuretoenterinyourlocation(city,state),soFoursquarecancreateyourprofile.Italsoisimportanttoincludeapictureofyourselfsinceyouwilllaterbeseenasthebusinessownerormanager.

Onceyouhaveenteredthenecessaryinformation,FoursquarewillasktosearchyourFacebookandTwitteraccountsforfriendsusingFoursquare.Youwillthenbegivenanoptiontoinvitethesefriends.IfyouhaveaFacebookorTwitteraccountforyourbusiness,usethatoption.

WhatifIdon’tknowanyoneonFoursquare?

Ifyoudon’tknowanyoneusingFoursquare,that’snotaproblem.YouwillmeetalotofthemonceyoulistyourbusinessonFoursquareasanewvenue.


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How to Create a Foursquare Profile for Your Business

AddingyourbusinesstoFoursquareiseasy.Butbeforeyouaddyourbusiness,checktoseeifsomeonehasalreadylistedit.ItiscommonforFoursquareuserstolistandcheckintoallsortsofplaces.Ifyourbusinessisnotlistedfollowthestepsoutlinedbelow.

Intheupperrightcornerclickonthe“AddThings”link.FromthereyouwillbetakentotheAddTipmenuwhereyouwillneedtoclickthe“AddaNewVenue”link.

AsyoucanseefromtheAddVenuepage,youwillneedtoenterthename,addressandotherinformationtoaddyourbusinesstoFoursquare.WerecommendthefollowingtheFoursquareguidelinesforenteringanewvenue.

FoursquareGuidelinesforEnteringaNewVenue

• Forchainsorvenueswithmultiplelocations,thereisnoneedtoaddalocationsuffix.Forexample:“McDonald’s”isfine(insteadof“McDonald’s–NorthScottsdaleLocation”).

• Whenpossiblestickwithabbreviations:“Ave”insteadof“Avenue”,“St”instead“Street”,etc.CrossStreetshouldbelikeoneofthefollowing:atMainSt(forvenuesonacorner)btw2nd&3rdAve(forvenuesinthemiddleofablock)


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• CrossStreetshouldnotrepeatthenameofthestreetintheaddress.

IfyoudiscoveryourvenuehasalreadybeenlistedonFoursquare,thenreadourinstructionsbelowonhowtomanageit.

How to Manage Your Business on Foursquare

Foursquareallowsusersownersandmanagersofvenues,suchasbusinesses,tomanagetheirlocation.Tomanageyourvenue,searchforthenameofyourbusinessinthesearchbaratthetoprightofthescreen.Onceyoulocateit,clickonthelink,whichwilltakeyoutothevenuepage.

Onthevenuepage,clickontheorangeboxlocatedonthetoprightofthescreenentitled“Doyoumangethisvenue?Claimhere.”Fromthere,followtheconfirmationsteps.

Byclaimingyourvenue,you’llgetexclusiveaccesstothestatsFoursquarecollectsforyourvenue—howmanypeoplecheckinonwhatdaysandtime,etc.Onceyouclaimyourvenue,youwillbecontactedbyaFoursquarerepresentativetoconfirmyouarethemanager/ownerofthebusiness.

WhatshouldIdowithmyvenuepage?

Nowthatyouhaveyourbusinesslisted,youwillneedtoprovidetags.TagsarethereflectionsofsearchtermsFoursquareusersentertofindyourbusiness.Tagsalsoareusedtoaward


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badges.We’veprovidedanexcellentexamplebelow.

Noticehowthetagsdescribethebusinessanditsofferings.Themoredetailsyoucanincludeinyourtags,theeasieritwillbeforsomeonetofindyourbusinessonFoursquare.

How to Market Foursquare Specials for Your Business

Foursquareallowsyoutopromotedifferentspecialstoenticeuserstovisityourbusinessandcheck-inwiththeirsmartphone.

Specialsarelikebillboardsignswithalotofreach.AsusersaresearchingFoursquaretheycanseethespecialsyourbusinessoffers.Also,ifthey’retravelingnearyourbusiness,Foursquareuserswillbenotifiedwithagreen“SpecialNearby”logo.

SowhywouldyouwanttosetupaFoursquarespecial?Well,thereareseveralreasons:

1. Specialsaretargeted:Foursquareuserscanseespecialsontheirsmartphoneswhentheyarenearyourbusiness.

2. Specialsareengaging:BecausethespecialsareintegratedthroughoutFoursquare,usersseespecialsaspartoftheplatformasopposedtoanadvertisement.


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3. Specialsarefree:Whocanturndownfreeadvertising,especiallyonethatisthissophisticated?

WhenscanningFoursquare,you’llnoticethere’salreadylotsofbusinessestakingadvantageoftheplatformWe’veincludedanexcellentexamplebelow.

How to Make Your Foursquare Marketing Plan Visible

NowthatyouknowhowtogetonFoursquareandpromoteyourbusiness,youwillneedtoknowhowtomakeyourpromotionsvisibletoallofyourcustomers.

HerearefourwaystomakeyourFoursquareplanvisible:

1.Usetheofficialfoursquarewindowclings:AfteryouclaimonFoursquarethatyouarethemanagerofyourbusiness,FoursquarewillsendyouwindowclingspromotingyourbusinessisonFoursquare.Wesuggestplacingtheminwindowsandnearcashregisters.

2.HaveemployeestellcustomersaboutFoursquare:ThebestwaytoletpeopleknowaboutyourFoursquarespecialsistodiscussitwithcustomersatthebusiness.ExplainFoursquareandhowithelpspeoplefindcoolthingsnearbythemfromthepalmoftheirhand.Tellthemaboutyourspecials.

3.PromoteFoursquarespecialsonFacebookandTwitter:ReachouttotheFacebookandTwittercommunitiesbycreatingFacebookandTwitterpages.PromotethatyourbusinessisonFoursquareaswellasthespecials.HaveyouremployeesandfriendsusetheirFacebookandTwitteraccountstogetthewordout.

4.Utilizeexistingtools:Youcanletpeopleknowyou’reonFoursquarebyincludingitonthebusiness’websiteaswellasthroughyouremailsignature.Also,tellpeopleyou’reonFoursquarethroughyourtraditionaldirectmailadvertisements.

Foursquare Tools

We’vealreadymentionedafewimportantinternaltoolssuchasthestatsfeatureonFoursquare.Nowwewilllookatafewothertools,youshouldintegrateintoyourFoursquaremarketingstrategy.


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Facebook

WeearliermentionedintegratingFacebookintoyourFoursquarecampaignincreasesitsvisibility.Withmorethan500millionusersFacebookisthetopplayerinsocialmedia.

Ifyouhaven’talready,werecommendcreatingaFacebookpage.AFacebookpageissimilartoaFoursquarevenuepage,butyoucanpostmoreinformationsuchaspicturesaswellasyourmenu.Asearlierrecommended,youshouldpostyourFoursquarespecialsonyourFacebookpagetocapturealargercustomerbase.

Twitter

Twitteristheleadingmicro-bloggingsitewhereuserscanpostshortmessages(“tweets”)abouttheirthoughtsonissuesorwhattheyaredoing.ByhavingaTwitteraccount,youcanpostFoursquarespecialsandincreaseyourreach.

SigningupforaTwitteraccountisquickandeasy.Werecommendusingyourbusiness’nameasyourTwitterhandle(username).LikeFacebook,onceyougetanaccountbeginpostingyourFoursquarespecials.

When Will I Be Mayor

WhenWillIBeMayorisaneffectivetooltolearnhowmanymorecheck-insuntilyoubecomethemayorofyourfavoritevenue.Thisisanexcellenttoolforbusinessownerstolearn

Badge Directory

ThereareseveralexcellentwebsitesthatlistalloftheFoursquarebadgesaswellaswhatyouneedtodotoearnthem.WerecommendtheFoursquarebadgesblog.

Reviewthedifferentbadgesandgetcreative.Thinkaboutthe“I’monaBoat”example.

Youalsocanreviewsomeofthebadgesbylookingatthemonyourmobiledevice.YoucanseethembyclickingonyourFoursquareprofileandclickingtheBadgesbutton.

Asyoucanseefromthepicturetotheleft,yourmobileappwillprovideyouwithaniceoverview


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ofthedifferentbadgesFoursquareuserscanearn.

WerecommendusingtheFoursquarebadgesblogtoseewhatpeoplehavetodotoearnthosebadges.Fromthere,youcancreateauniqueFoursquarecampaign.YoushouldtrydotoatleastoneSwarmpartyorsomeotheruniquepartytwoorthreetimesayear.


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OnlinereviewsareanimportantpartoflocalSEOforbusinesses.

Themorelocalcustomerreviewsthatyouhaveononlinereviewsites,thebetteryourchancesforhighsearchtermrankingsonGoogle+LocalandBingBusinessPortal.

Ifyouwanttogetmoreonlinecustomerreviewstoimproveyourlocalsearchengineresultrankings,followthese15tips.

1. Join Review Sites–Youwanttomakeitaseasyaspossibleforcustomerstoleaveareview.Makesureyourbusinessislistedonallthepopularreviewsites,includingYelp,Foursquare,MerchantCircle,YellowBook,YellowPages,Judy’sBook,SuperPages,CitySearch,DexKnowsandManta.com.

2. Claim Your Listing–Mostofthesereviewsiteshavewaystoclaimyouronlinelistingtoensuretheinformationiscorrectandtomoderatereviews.

3. Ask Customers for a Review–Itallstartsbysimplyaskingthem.Bepoliteandcourteouswhenrequestingareview.

4. Provide an Incentive–Considergivingasmalldiscountorprizetoencourageonlinereviews.Don’tgooverboardwithincentives.Youwantpeopletoprovidehonestreviews.

5. Send an Email –Utilizeyouremaillist.Letcustomersknowaboutpostingonlinereviewsaboutyourbusinessbysendingthemanemail.

6. Mention It on Social Media–BroadcastitonFacebook,Twitter,YouTube,etc.Makeiteasyforthemtowriteareviewbyprovidingalinktothereviewsiteinthepost.

7. Ask on Your Website–Makeiteasyonyourcustomersbypostinglinkstothereviewsitesonyourwebsite.


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8. Train Your Employees–Haveemployeesaskcustomerstoleaveonlinereviews.Alsohavesignsinyourbusinessrequestingonlinereviews.Makesureyouremployeesaretrainedtoansweranyquestionsinvolvingonlinereviews.

9. Encourage Smartphone Reviews–It’sreallyeasyforcustomerstosearchforyourbusinessonGoogleandgiveitaonetofivestarratingonGoogle+Local.Encouragesmartphoneuserstoleaveareview.

10. Never Write Fake Reviews–Fakereviewscancausecustomerstoavoidleavingcommentsaboutyourbusinessonreviewsites.Stayawayfromwritingorsolicitingfakereviews.

11. Don’t Beg for Praise–There’snoneedtobegoraskthem100times.Simplyaskthemandprovidetheinformationtheyneedtoaccessthereviewsite.

12. Respond to Negative Reviews–Ifyounoticeanegativereviewonareviewsite,immediatelyrespondtothecustomer.Don’ttrytodeletethereview.Sometimesthereviewerwilladdsomepositivecommentsoncetheproblemisresolved.

13. Feature Reviewers–Whenyougetgoodreviews,featuredthemonyourwebsiteorinprintmaterials.It’sagreatwaytospreadnewsaboutyourreviewsandencourageevenmoreonlinepraise.

14. Don’t Solicit Yelp Reviews–AccordingtoSearchEngineLand.com,Yelpoftendeletesreviewsofpeoplewhoarenotactivereviewers.It’sbettertojustletreviewsnaturallycomeinonYelp.

15. Provide Great Service–Itallcomesdowntogreatcustomerservice.Goingaboveandbeyondtheexpectationsofcustomersisthebestwaytoentouragecustomerstoleaveglowingonlinelocalreviews.


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Doyouknowhowtospotafakeonlinereviewaboutyourproductsandservices?

Ifyoucan’t,it’simportantthatyoutostartlearningnow.

It’simportantbecauseyourcompany’sreputationisatstake!Fakenegativeaswellasfakepositiveonlinereviewscanturncustomersawayfromyourbusiness.Customersseefakeonlinereviewsasatotalscam.

Recently,universityresearchersdevelopedacomplexcomputeralgorithmthateasilyspotsfakeonlinereviews.Thealgorithmisunderwraps,butafewdetailshaveslippedout.Andwe’vegotthemrighthereforyou!

Tohelpyoufindbogusonlinereviewsaboutyourproductsandservices,youshouldpayattentiontothedetailsbelow.They’llhelpyouspotfakereviewsonYelp!,Google+Localandotheronlinereviewssites.

1. Length: Fakereviewstendtobeshorterthanauthenticreviews.That’sbecausetheydonotactuallyusetheproductthattheyarereviewing.Theyhavenorealinterestintheproduct.

2. Less Punctuation:Thealgorithmshowedthatphonyreviewstendedtohavelesspunctuation.Ifyouseereviewswithalackofperiods,commasandapostrophes,itmaybeafakereview.

3. Lots of Superlatives: Ifyoustartseeingtonsofwordslikegreatest,awesome,best,mostfantastic,etc.,it’sprobablyafakereview.Realreviewsdonotusealotofsuperlatives.Thesearewordsthathelpdescribeaproductorservicetothegreatestdegree.

4. Lack of Detail: Fakereviewstendtofocusalotontheproductfeatures.Theydon’tgointomuchdetailabouttheexperience.Ifthereviewlooksliketheycopiedandpastedtheproductinformation,it’sprobablyafake.

5. Marketing Speak: Doesthereviewsoundlikeapressrelease?Well,it’spossiblesome


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corporateinsidermayhavewrittenthereview.Lotsofmarketingspeakandtechnicaljargonisasignthatthereviewisphony.

6. First Time Authors: Thisisanothertelltalesignthereviewisbogus.Mostpeoplewholiketopostreviewssubmitmorethanonceondifferentproductsandservices.

7. Reviewer Name:Takealookattheusernameofthereviewer.Doesitlooklikevariationsofotherssuchas:Joe1203,Joe3302,Joe1135?Ifyou’renoticingthistypeofpattern,it’sprobablynotarealreview.

8. Time Period:Realreviewstendtobespreadoutoveralongperiodoftime.Ifyou’renoticinglotsofreviewswithinafewminutesofeachother,it’spossiblesomeonemaybecreatingatonofreviews.

Reporting Fake Online Reviews

Onceyou’veidentifiedafakereview,donotrespondtoit!Instead,“flag”thereviewasspam.ManyreviewssitessuchasYelp!andGoogle+Localhavetheseflaggingfeatures.

Ifthesitedoesnothaveflaggingfeatures,considerusingthewebsite’scontactpagetoresolvetheissue.

Neverpostyourownfakeonlinereviews,you’llonlyaddtotheproblem.


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Yourcompany’sreputationisatstake,andyoumaynotevenknowit.

Rightnow,customerscouldbetalkingaboutyourbusinessonvariousreviewwebsites,blogs,socialnetworksandotherwebsites.

Onenegativeonlinereviewcanhurtyourcompany’sreputation.Fivenegativeonlinereviewscoulddamageyourcompany’sreputation.Tenonlinenegativereviewscouldkillyourcompany’sreputation.

Doyouknowhowtotrackwhat’sbeingsaidaboutyourcompanyonline?

Thispostingwilltellyoueverythingthatyouneedtoknowaboutonlinereputationmonitoringforyourcompany.

Online Reputation Monitoring: Why You Should Do It

Onlinereputationmonitoringisthepracticeofwatchingwhatisbeingsaidaboutyourbrand,business,keyemployeesandindustryinfluencersontheinternet.

Thereareplentyofservicesthatwillsendyounotificationswhensomethingissaidaboutatopicofinterestonline.Withtheseservices,youenteralistoftopics,names,keywordsthatyouwantmonitored.Youthenreceiveemailalertswhensomethingispostedontheinternetaboutthetopics.

Sowhyshouldyouuseonlinereputationmonitoring?

Becauseit’savaluabletoolthatallowsyoutostayontopof:

• CustomerComplaintsandCompliments

• NegativeandPositiveNewsStoriesaboutYourCompany

• CompetitorNewsandAnnouncements


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• IndustryTrends

Withonlinereputationmonitoring,youcanhandleacustomercomplaintoranegativenewsstorybeforeitgetsoutofcontrolanddamagesyourreputation.Italsoallowsyoutostayontopofwhatthecompetitionisdoingaswellaswhatisgoingonintheindustry.

Important Areas to Monitor

Whenitcomestoonlinemonitoring,you’llwanttofocusontheseimportanttopicareasaboutyourcompany.

• Company Name–Thisshouldbethefirstkeywordthatyouenterintoanyonlinemonitoringtools.

• Products and Services–Besuretocoverallofyourcompany’sproductsandservices…bigandsmall.

• Key Employees–Alltopexecutivesandkeyemployeesshouldbemonitored.

• Competition–Trackyourcompetitors,theirbrandnames,theirexecutives’names.

• Experts/Influencers in Industry–Thesecanbeheadsoftradeassociations,tradeorganizationsaswellastopjournalistsandbloggers.

• Marketing Keywords and Slogans–Anyslogans,keywordsorphrasesthatyouuseshouldalsobemonitored.Forinstance,ifanimportantkeywordis“Phoenixsecuritysystems,”youwillwanttomonitorthis.

Focusingonthesekeytopicareaswillhelpyoueffectivelymonitorwhatisbeingsaidaboutyourcompany.

Using Google Alerts

GoogleAlertsisbyfarthebestfreeonlinemonitoringtoolontheinternet.Thisfreetoolallowsyoutosetupemailnotificationstoalertyouwhensomethingissaidaboutyourcompanyorthecompetitioninvolvingvarioustopicareas.

GoogleAlertsareveryeasytosetup.


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Asyoucanseefromtheaboveimage,yousimplyenteranyofyourtopicsintotheSearchQueryfield.Youthenenteryouremailaddressintheverylastfield.

Betweenthosetwofields,youhaveseveraloptions.Settingthesealldependsonyourpreferences.

Asanexample,you’llprobablywanttosetcompanyandemployeealertsto“AllResults.”However,youmaywanttosetindustrynewsandtrendalertsto“OnlyBestResults.”Takesometimetoreallythingabouthowoftenandwhattypeofalertsyouwanttoreceive.

Other Great Online Monitoring Tools

HereareseveralotheronlinemonitoringtoolsthatyoumaywanttouseinadditiontoGoogleAlerts.

• Ice Rocket–Thisisareal-timesearchenginethatspecificallytracksblogsandsocialnetworkssuchasFacebookandTwitter.

• Technorati–Thiswebsiteindexesmillionsofblogsacrosstheinternet.It’sagreatplacetodigupcompetitiveinformation.


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• BoardTracker –Thisonlinetoolfocusesononlineforumsandmessageboards.Itsearchesmillionsofforumpostsinjustseconds!

TheseareallgreattoolstouseassupplementstoGoogleAlerts.IfyounoticesomeonlinechatteringaboutyourcompanyviaGoogleAlerts,youmaywanttousetheabovesitestoseeifGoogleAlertsmissedanything.


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