Unfortunately, there isn’t a guidebook for Google. No volume exists that lists the secret characteristics of a perfectly optimized site or how many links a company has to have to rank #1. But a great Search Engine Optimization team can still provide results without an official Google tell-all. Part of that is by watching their own work succeed or remain stagnate.
At Mavidea, we watch and react to changes we see on Google, Bing, and other search engines. Recently one of the most important factors we’ve noticed for local business is “social signals”. That’s SEO speak for a company’s overall presence on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest… And now with the incorporation of Google Places with Google+, we expect local search to be even more affected by local companies’ presence in social media.
As the balance shifts in the search results toward social signals, there are three things you can do right now to set up your company to be a front-runner. First, if you’re not on social media – get there! A presence on Facebook alone is a great way to share your company history, message, and brand. Second, check out offers. Now with Facebook, Google+, and Yelp you can provide offers or coupons that encourage your potential customers to come in or contact you. You can even use check-in discounts. When people arrive at your company location, they can “check-in” online through geo-location and get a discount to appear on their phone. Finally, and most importantly, encourage your current customers to leave reviews for you. Reviews are the lynch pin for your social media presence to really take off.
We’re constantly responding to Google algorithm updates and researching what is affecting search engine results the most. As things move more and more to social media and social media becomes more integrated with everything we do, it’s important to make sure local companies are represented and marketing there. Just being present is vital.
-BethAnne Roberts
