Newsletters – Page 3

Why You Aren't Ranking in Search Results for That One Service

Last Updated: March 20, 2018

You feel like you have a kick-ass website with tons of great content. You’ve been promoting your business on local directories, too. You’re getting plenty of calls and leads for some of your services, yet there’s a noticeable lack of leads for one service in particular. For example, you own a landscaping company and you’re getting lots of calls for lawn mowing but no calls for tree removal–even though you’d much prefer to book tree removal jobs.
Needless to say, this is most likely caused by the fact that you’re not ranking in search results for tree removal. But why aren’t you ranking for that service? And, more importantly, how can you fix it?
There are two possible explanations for why you aren’t ranking for a given service:

You don’t have a dedicated page on your website for this particular service; or
You aren’t using the right keywords

Keep reading to hear more about these ranking issues and how to fix them!

Do You Have a Webpage Specifically for This Service?

The most common reason you aren’t appearing in search results for “X” service is simple: You don’t have a page for it on your website.
Google will only rank you for services you explicitly advertise or offer—meaning, it will only rank you for services you have dedicated content for. This is simply because Google isn’t a fortuneteller. It won’t know you offer a specific service unless you emphasize it on your site. Therefore, the ideal solution is to go through your website and make sure there’s a page for every service you offer.

Google Can’t Predict Which Services You Offer

Sometimes we think Google is smarter than it really is. Sure, when it comes to keywords, Google is good at detecting natural language and synonyms–but only when there are slight variations between words and phrases. That’s why each page can–and should–have a variety of closely related keywords.
For example, let’s say your landscaping company offers tree removal services. Google won’t automatically place you in results for tree removal searches unless you have a specific page titled, “Tree Removal.” Why? Because, linguistically, “tree removal” is different enough from “landscaping” or “lawn care” that Google won’t automatically put them together. So, if you want to get leads and book jobs for tree removal services, then you need to make sure there is content on your website dedicated to talking about this service. This is the only way your business will rank on Google for tree removal.
Appliance repair services are another great example of Google’s limitations. You can’t assume Google will rank you in searches for “refrigerator repair,” “dryer repair,” or “dishwasher repair” just because your website mentions “appliance repair” a bunch. Rather, you must write content aimed at each service specifically, including keywords closely related to these specific units.
How to fix it:
So, what’s the takeaway here? Go through your website and make sure you have a separate page for every single service you want calls for. (Or, at the very least, make sure you have a substantial amount of content dedicated to each service so Google can detect those keywords.)

Are You Using the Most Appropriate Keywords?

The other issue we see often is that you’re not using the most fitting or popular keywords for your services. This happens most commonly when there’s a certain regional slang or phrase at play.
Here’s a prime, real-life example we saw with one of our clients recently:
We were working with a towing company and testing out different keywords for their services. We were having difficulty getting this company to rank for “tow truck” in their geographic area, so our client asked us to include “wrecker” as a keyword for that service. They were right!
As it turns out, “wrecker” is a popular term for a tow truck in this client’s locale. Although Google’s natural language index didn’t consider it a synonym for “tow truck,” enough people were searching for the word “wrecker” in the context of tow trucks that this keyword wound up driving a lot of traffic for our client’s service.
How to fix it:
The takeaway here is to think about the words and phrases your local customers use most often. At the end of the day, you know your customers best! Then, make sure these overlooked keywords are included in your copy so you can capture as many keyword variations as possible.
Of course, Prospect Genius is always here to help, too! We can give you a free consultation over the phone and look into what services you rank for as compared to what services you want to rank for. Give us a call or fill out the form below!

How to Stop Amazon Echo From Leaving Your Business in the Dust

Last Updated: March 1, 2018

Did you get an Amazon Echo or Google Home as a gift during the holidays? Statistically speaking, you or someone you know probably has one of these smart speakers.
A January 2018 report from NPR and Edison Research shows 39 million Americans now own smart speaker devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home. This equates to about 1 in 6 Americans and is a 128% increase from January 2017. Furthermore, according to sales numbers, there are actually about 45 million smart speakers installed in the U.S.—which make sense, considering 20% of Echo users and 13% of Google Home users own multiple devices.

Why You Need to Care About Smart Speakers

Why should you care about these sales numbers? It’s simple: These numbers prove that a major, undeniable change is underway. This change will certainly impact your business, whether you’re ready for it or not.
You probably haven’t given much thought, if any, to the idea that Amazon Echo and Google Home could affect your business in any way. At first glance, it seems absurd.
However, as smart speakers and voice assistance continue to gain prominence, they’re going to have a tremendous influence on how people engage with technology, the internet, and search engines.
These are things you absolutely must care about and pay attention to if you have any hope of thriving in 2018 and beyond. Keep reading to find out why!

The Connection Between Smart Speakers and Voice Search

First, let’s take a look at how smart speakers and voice search relate to the larger online world.
As more and more people use their smart speakers to get basic information (“Hey, Alexa. What’s the weather forecast for today?”), the act of voice search is becoming more familiar, even habitual, for many users.
This has major implications for how we’ll interact with our technology in the very near future. In fact, as TechCrunch notes, our comfort with smart speakers is already starting to affect how we use other devices, too:

The adoption of the device for in-home voice assistance had a trickle-down effect as well, as 44 percent found they started using the voice assistance on their phone more since getting a smart speaker.

In other words, due to the popularity of smart speakers, voice assistance and voice search on smartphones are seeing an increase in usage, as well.
And, as we’ve covered in previous blog posts, the rise in voice searches has led to significant changes in search engine algorithms.

READ: “Do You Know What Siri and Voice Searches Mean for Your Website?”

How Voice Search Directly Affects Your Business

So, to recap: Smart speakers like Amazon Echo clearly contribute to the growth of voice search. In turn, the growth of voice search leads to changes in how search engines work… But how does any of this relate to your business?
It boils down to the impact voice search has had on search engines. People use their normal speech patterns when they ask questions to their smart speakers and phones. Of course, their natural speech is much different from robotically typed search terms. Therefore, Google and other search engines have adjusted their algorithms to better detect natural language. This way, they can deliver more relevant and accurate results to voice search users.

READ: “How Voice Search Is Changing the Way You Need to Write”

As a result, all website content must follow suit. Your site must be optimized for voice search by containing more natural language (while still hitting important keywords, of course). If your website doesn’t satisfy this need for natural language, then Google will be less likely to pick it up during routine searches. It’s as simple as that.

Get Ahead of This Sweeping Change Now!

Smart speakers are only the latest advancement in the larger trend of voice search and voice assistance. If you don’t embrace the impending voice search revolution and adapt accordingly, you’ll be left behind in the dust.
Don’t let your website become an artifact of the past. Update and improve your content now before it’s too late!

How You Can Save Money by Referring a Friend

Last Updated: February 1, 2018

Honestly, who doesn’t love a good discount? We sure do!
If you, too, are a fan of saving some dough, then you’ll be happy to hear about our client referral program: When you’re a Prospect Genius client and you refer a friend to us, you can actually receive a generous credit on your bill. Talk about a win-win, right?
Keep reading to see how the referral discount could work for you!

How Our Referral Program Works

Do you have a friend who owns a small, local business and could use some help with online promotion? Maybe they need a new website, or maybe they want to put themselves out there on social media for the first time.
We offer a wide variety of online marketing services that we can customize to meet virtually any local company’s needs. So, if you introduce them to us, chances are we’ll be able to create an optimal solution to help amplify their web visibility. Then, if we’re a good match for your friend and they sign up for one of our services, you’ll get a $50 credit on your next bill.

How to Get Your Discount

Here’s what the client referral process looks like:

First, to be eligible for the discount, your friend must make a minimum purchase of $200.
Once your friend’s initial payment processes successfully, you will see the one-time $50 credit on your next bill.
You will receive one credit for each referral you send to us.
However, there’s no limit to how many referrals you can receive credit for!

So, for example, you would be eligible for your referral discount if your friend purchased any of the following services from us:

CoreSite
Directory Dominator
SocialStart
2+ pages of website content
Custom logo design
Remarketing campaign
A few hours of custom website work

And the possibilities don’t stop there! Any of our smaller products and services can be bundled together to meet the $200 minimum, as well.
One thing you can always trust, though, is that our online marketing team will never pressure you or your friend to make an unnecessary purchase. If it won’t help you achieve your business goals, we won’t sell it to you. Period.

Help Us Spread Success!

Referring a friend to PG is a true win-win: Your friend gets some much-needed help promoting their business online, while you save a nice little chunk of change on your next bill.
So, if you’ve enjoyed your time partnering with PG and we’ve helped you successfully grow your online presence, tell your friends! At the end of the day, we want to see as many local businesses thriving as possible. There’s room for everyone at the table!

Top 3 Online Marketing Changes You Need to Know in 2018

Last Updated: January 4, 2018

New year, new internet?
Well, the internet’s changes may not be quite that dramatic. However, as we always say at the beginning of a new year, it’s smart to look ahead and see what you need to watch out for. The surest way to succeed is to prepare, after all.
From far-reaching Google updates to online behavioral trends, 2018 will see some major shifts that business owners will want to be aware of. While Prospect Genius doesn’t have a crystal ball and can’t make any guarantees, we’re pretty confident in our predictions for online marketing changes you can expect in the coming months.
So, ready to dive in? Read on for our list of the top three online marketing changes coming in 2018!

1. Google Launches Its Own Lead Generator for Local Services

Google has launched its own version of pay-per-lead directories like HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, and Angie’s List. It’s called Local Services.
When a service provider signs up for Local Services, their listing is displayed at the top of search results pages. A user clicks on the service provider’s name, and they see a profile page complete with contact details, customer reviews, and other pertinent details. Then, when a user decides to call or message the service provider, the service provider is charged for the lead. If you’ve ever used a platform like Thumbtack or HomeAdvisor, then you can probably visualize how Local Services works.
But how do budgeting and ranking work on Local Services? According to Ginny Marvin’s article on Search Engine Land:

Advertisers set a weekly budget determined by the number of leads they want to receive. Google won’t say specifically what factors go into the rankings in the ad unit, but [Product Director for Small and Medium Business Ads Kim Spalding] said there’s a focus on quality (ratings and reviews), the ability to connect right away, location and a number of other factors.

Currently, there are 17 confirmed cities with access to Local Services. Google announced plans to expand that number to 30 by 2018. The current 17 cities are:

Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Detroit
Los Angeles
Miami
New York
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Riverside, CA
Sacramento
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Seattle
Washington, D.C.

And the service categories that have access to Local Services right now are:

Locksmiths
Plumbers
Electricians
HVAC
Garage door services
Handyman services
House cleaning services

Why you need to know about Local Services:

If you’re in any one of these service categories, your competitors might take advantage of Local Services and get more visibility on Google’s search results pages. Moreover, pay-per-lead services like Thumbtack and HomeAdvisor are about to take a huge hit as Local Services siphons off their user bases. Therefore, if you rely heavily on one of these services for the majority of your leads, you’ll need to diversify your marketing approach. Focusing on Facebook and SEO will be crucial.

2. Google’s Mobile-First Index Means Mobile Optimization Is a MUST

True, we’ve been saying “mobile optimization is a must” for years now. However, that’s because it’s been true for years, and the urgency just got a lot more real.
You see, Google has been slowly working on what it calls a “mobile-first index,” wherein Google ranks webpages based on the mobile version of their content, even when searches are performed on desktops. As Barry Schwartz, a renowned web consultant, explains, this is due to the majority of searches happening on mobile devices these days:

As more and more searches happen on mobile, Google wants its index and results to represent the majority of their users — who are mobile searchers.

Furthermore, Google won’t add pages to the index until its mobile and desktop versions are a 100% match in terms of content, links, schema, etc.

Why you need to know about Google’s mobile-first index:

This all means you not only need a mobile version of your website, but you need one that doesn’t lose any of your site’s content or usability. While the roll-out of the mobile-first index is expected to go “very slowly,” you’re better off optimizing your mobile site sooner than later. After all, Google is known to implement sweeping updates seemingly overnight, so Google’s idea of “very slowly” could mean anything. Your best bet is to make your mobile site a major focal point in 2018.

3. Live Chat and IM Will Be Everywhere (Thanks to Millennials)

You might have already noticed platforms like Facebook and Google My Business placing a larger emphasis on instant messaging. For example, Facebook’s business pages allow “Send Message” as a call-to-action option. In fact, it will even add a badge to your page if you have a fast response rate to messages. You can expect instant messaging and live chats to gain even more prominence in the coming year.
Why? Because this is how millennials prefer to communicate, and millennials are gaining more and more purchasing power. You may still think of millennials as a bunch of young, broke college kids, but the truth is, the oldest of them are actually in their early 30s now. This means they’re established in their careers and starting to own homes.
As they gain more influence as consumers, businesses must adapt to their preferred methods of communication. And, considering they grew up with the immediacy and convenience of email, AOL Instant Messenger, and texting, these are the types of communication methods they prefer.

RELATED: “Why You Must Market to Millennials (And How to Do It)”

Why you need to know about live chat and instant messaging:

Millennials are currently the largest living generation. You can’t neglect or ignore them. Therefore, make it a priority this year to reassess the media you’re using for communication. Have some sort of instant alternative to the phone available for convenience. Whether it’s an active Facebook page that you use for direct messaging or a live chat plug-in on your own website, it will greatly improve your appeal to millennials. Plus—let’s be frank here—millennials aren’t the only ones who appreciate convenience!
Interested in adding a live chat tool on your website? Let us know! Lots of small business owners and service providers enjoy how easy these tools are to use. Prospect Genius can install and implement a live chat plug-in on your site for only a small setup fee (with zero charges after setup).
Our clients may also like to know we’re currently developing texting capabilities via CallTrax™ lines. Stay tuned!
So, be on the lookout for these major online marketing changes coming your way in 2018! If you have any questions or concerns whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy New Year!

Facebook Costs Less Than AdWords, But Is It Better?

Last Updated: December 7, 2017

It’s no secret that paid ads are a great way to inject some power into your online marketing efforts. But whether it’s a PPC (pay-per-click) campaign from Google AdWords or a social media campaign from Facebook Ads, you need to be using the platform that best aligns with your business’s needs.
This is where most people get stuck.
If you’re struggling to decide between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads, there are two things you need to know:

Facebook costs less than Google AdWords by a substantial amount.
Facebook and AdWords are built for different kinds of businesses.

So, if you’re on a tight budget, that’s one reason to be in Facebook’s corner. However, just because Facebook costs less, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best fit for your company. The nature of your business will largely determine which advertising platform you use. Facebook is good for some businesses; AdWords is good for others.
Keep reading to see what we mean!

Facebook Is More Budget Friendly

For most business owners interested in paid ads online, their first question is, “How much is this going to cost me?” While the exact cost will obviously depend on the specifics of your campaign, we can tell you Facebook is typically the more cost-effective option.
Managing numerous campaigns for clients, we’ve seen firsthand that Facebook ads are, overall, a better bargain than AdWords. Take Bethany’s Cleaning Service, for example:

In one day, Bethany’s Cleaning Service spent $39.45 on AdWords versus $22.67 on Facebook.
On AdWords, their ad was placed in front of 126 people and was clicked 7 times.
On Facebook, their ad was placed in front of 951 people and clicked 29 times.

Therefore, Facebook cost $0.78 per click, while AdWords cost $5.64 per click. That’s a pretty big difference.

Read the full case study about Bethany’s Cleaning Service to see how Facebook Ads and Google AdWords match up!

So, if you’re worried about spending too much on sponsored ads, then Facebook is the way to go.

Facebook Is Good for Ongoing Service Providers

However, while Facebook costs significantly less, that doesn’t mean it’s beneficial to everyone. On the whole, Facebook ads make more sense for businesses that provide ongoing services for customers. These businesses can be anything from landscapers to beauty spas to weekly garbage collectors. Their common traits are:

Their customers typically do a fair amount of research and get referrals before working with them.
They provide recurring services their customers need on a regular basis (not just one-and-done jobs).

Our client, Advantage Disposal, is a prime example. As a residential trash collection company, they have regular, loyal customers whom they serve every week. Due to the nature of their business, they rely on name recognition, word-of-mouth, and customer satisfaction not only to retain their current customers, but also to gain new ones.

READ: [Case Study] Advantage Disposal

We ran two different Facebook campaigns for them (one short-term, another long-term), and they both flourished. As you can see in our case study, Advantage Disposal’s Facebook ads received a ton of engagement and generated an incredible number of leads with each passing month. Each ad focused on their customer service and personal touch, which led lots of fans to like, share, and comment to show their support. The result is that their ads reached thousands of local users and got them a lot more phone calls.

Google AdWords Is Better for One-Time Jobs

Unlike Facebook Ads, Google AdWords is suited for businesses that specialize in time-sensitive, one-off jobs. People are more likely to search Google for something like “refrigerator repair near me” or “dumpster rental in [town name]” when they’re on a time crunch and just need a one-time service. They aren’t as concerned about building an ongoing, working relationship with the business, nor do they have the luxury of time on their side.
Take a look at how AdWords worked for our client, All Bergen Appliance Service, LLC. As a local appliance repair business, they’re the ideal candidate for an AdWords campaign. In their case study, you’ll see how our pay-per-click campaign increased their monthly leads and doubled their monthly calls.

READ: [Case Study] All Bergen Appliance Service, LLC

Ultimately, we helped All Bergen Appliance Service, LLC, increase incoming calls from prospective customers from 203 in April 2017 (the month prior to the AdWords launch) to 464 in July 2017!

Don’t Go by Price Only

Sure, price is a critical factor when deciding which online ad platform to use. However, don’t let that be your only deciding factor. Although Facebook costs less and is more affordable across the board, it will still be a waste of money if it’s not well suited for your business’s needs. So, make sure you’re listening to more than just the part of your brain that wants to pinch pennies. Listen to your marketing specialists and invest wisely.
Want to discover more info about the differences between these two platforms? Check out our previous post, “How Do You Choose Between Facebook Ads and Google AdWords?”

Prospect Genius