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Genius Success Story: Robust Recovery Thanks to Seasoned SEO

Last Updated: October 19, 2021

In our weekly “Genius Success Stories” series, we showcase clients that have used our program to positively impact their small businesses. Check back each week to see a new success story!

Ready for another installment of optimism in the time of COVID?

Discount Appliances Repair – HVAC is a small business in Arlington, VA, that saw a significant drop-off in jobs and new leads this spring due to the pandemic. Spring is usually a busy season for them, as you can see from the 2019 data below:

However, when the pandemic locked down businesses and residents alike in March and April, the appliance repair company’s numbers took a hit. In the chart above, you can see how few leads they got in April and May 2020 compared to the previous year.

Thankfully, though, Discount Appliances Repair – HVAC was able to bounce right back as soon as pandemic restrictions were lifted. In fact, they’ve consistently been receiving over 50 leads per month since the summer!

We credit their rapid comeback to the vitality of their pre-COVID web presence. Not only have they had an ongoing SEO campaign with Prospect Genius since 2014, but they’ve also amassed stellar customer reviews on their Google Maps listing.

These two components—a seasoned SEO campaign and a high business rating on Google Maps—reinforced the company’s foundation and prevented a prolonged downturn in the wake of the pandemic.

Think of it this way: Their dynamic web presence acted like a robust immune system. Even though they were temporarily hurt by the coronavirus, they were able to recover quickly and come back stronger than ever!

Genius Success Story: Customer Trust Nurtures a COVID Comeback

Last Updated: October 19, 2021

In our weekly “Genius Success Stories” series, we showcase clients that have used our program to positively impact their small businesses. Check back each week to see a new success story!

We’re here with another COVID survival story for you this week.

Centered Stillness Acupuncture and Massage Therapy, a massage therapist in Albany, NY, was hit hard by the pandemic back in the spring. Social-distancing mandates, combined with the general public’s reluctance to be in close personal contact with others, meant the massage therapist saw a major drop in business. Take a look:

However, as Albany’s local economy began to reopen over the next few months, Centered Stillness was able to climb its way back.

We credit this comeback to a few factors:

1. The massage therapist has an appealing Google Maps listing, flush with information about the business.

2. They have a 4.9 star rating on Google.

3. They implemented specific COVID-19 safety measures, and their website communicates those details clearly so customers can feel safe visiting their wellness center.

Look at their current numbers:

As you can see by the increase in leads, Centered Stillness earned the confidence of customers with the combination of glowing reviews and a detailed safety strategy. If you take one lesson from this success story, it’s that customers these days want to do business with places they feel they can trust. So, do everything you can to demonstrate your safety precautions, cleanliness, and sense of compassion in this time of fear and uncertainty. Your customers will show their loyalty in return!

Genius Success Story: Recovering From a COVID Hit Thanks to Customer Reviews

Last Updated: October 19, 2021

In our weekly “Genius Success Stories” series, we showcase clients that have used our program to positively impact their small businesses. Check back each week to see a new success story!

Thanks for tuning in! Our story this week is about how one small business took a massive hit due to the COVID-19 shutdown and found a way to climb back. We think you’ll connect with it.

Tyson Whiteside Audio Video, LLC, is a Portland-based AV specialist who, like many of us, hit a rough patch this spring when the pandemic brought life as we knew it to a standstill. Their usual, steady stream of new customers dried up due to the one-two punch of a pandemic-induced shutdown and their lack of customer reviews on Google.

See, it was one thing to have the rug pulled out from under them when the local economy froze and strict social-distancing orders were in place. After all, it made sense that there would be much fewer customers calling for nonessential services at that time. But what little business *was* there, Tyson Whiteside Audio Video’s competitors were cleaning it up because they ranked higher on Google results and had more impressive customer reviews.

However, once the quarantine orders in Portland were relaxed, the AV company was able to add some reviews to their Google listing and their circumstances dramatically improved. Not only did their local ranking climb higher, but they actually started getting even *more* leads than before!

The numbers write the story themselves:

So, what’s your takeaway?

While you can’t predict or control a global pandemic, there are certain elements of your business you *can* control. Your customer rating is one of them. When you consistently provide your customers with exceptional service AND regularly encourage them to leave reviews on Google (and elsewhere), you’ll future-proof your business and have a stronger shield to protect you from unforgiving economic winds.

Tyson Whiteside Audio Video took a hit, but they fortified their Google listing with customer reviews—and now they’re stronger than ever.

If you’re still struggling to get your phone to ring, don’t lose hope! With the right moves, you can have a comeback story of your own. Call us if you need help!

Genius Success Story: Google Maps Is Indispensable

Last Updated: October 19, 2021

In our weekly “Genius Success Stories” series, we showcase clients that have used our program to positively impact their small businesses. Check back each week to see a new success story!

At this point, it’s cliché to open up with, “Now, more than ever…” or to even mention “these uncertain times.” Everyone gets it. We’ve all been existing in 2020.

So, we’ll just say this: Owning a small business right now is a harrowing battle.

BUT — 

Despite everything that’s been going down, we’ve seen several clients fight and scrabble and find success—thanks in large part to smart digital marketing strategies. And we think these stories offer valuable, actionable lessons for other small businesses that might be going through a tough time.

This week, we’re showcasing Knapp’s Service & Appliance Repair. The story of this small business demonstrates how a long-term SEO strategy focused on Google Maps can be your suit of armor against a pandemic, an economic downturn, and even Google’s continued money-grabbing, pay-to-play schemes.

To find out more about Knapp’s Service & Appliance Repair’s road map to success, keep reading!

Doubling Leads During a Pandemic

Based in Portland, OR, Knapp’s Service & Appliance Repair has been a Prospect Genius client since 2016. 

With our program, they got a responsive, content-filled website, an optimized Google Maps listing, and an aggressive local SEO strategy. Their incoming leads from local customers climbed steadily, and by 2019, they were receiving several hundred leads per month. 

In the spring and summer of 2020, many small business owners worried, understandably, that their prospects would dry up as the economy largely shut down. However, for Knapp’s Service & Appliance Repair, the opposite happened. 

The company’s incoming leads soared even higher. In August of last year, they received a total of 325 leads. In August 2020, that number nearly doubled to 631!

 

Not only was the appliance repair company able to keep leads coming in via their web presence, but they were able to do so even after Google rolled out its Local Service Ads product.

This product is yet another pay-to-play measure from Google that puts sponsored ads from paying businesses at the very top of the search results page—even above the Google Maps box. 

For example, take a look at these two search results below.

Search results for “appliance repair portland or”:

 

Search results for “dishwasher repair portland or”:

As you can see, the Local Service Ads capture a user’s attention right away. Consequently, these ads funnel a lot of clicks away from results further down the page.

Thankfully, though, Knapp’s Service & Appliance Repair is ranked in the top three on Google Maps, directly below the Local Service Ads. This high visibility is how the company was still able to bring in 631 leads this August, even with Google’s Local Service Ads as a significant obstacle (in addition to a global pandemic and economic shutdown, of course). 

Conclusion: Google Maps Marketing Is Mandatory

The company’s sustained success during this moment is a testament to the importance of an optimized Google Maps listing and a long-term investment in local SEO. 

So, do what Knapp’s Service & Appliance Repair did: Commit to building a holistic online presence on a local scale. Fortify your Google Maps listing. Collect as many positive customer ratings as you can. As this appliance repair company will tell you, doing the work pays off. 

By putting resources into Google Maps marketing now, you’ll have a defensive shield against life’s unfortunate, unforeseeable events in the future. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that preparedness is priceless.

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