Local SEO experts took to the virtual stage to welcome attendees of LocalU Advanced earlier this month. Find the best takeaways for local marketers.
In the last month, online marketers all over the world attended the latest LocalU virtual conference organized in conjunction with Local University.
The symposium’s topics were jam-packed with local marketing advice from top experts on everything from dealing with fake reviews to SEO forecasting and much more.
The audience engaged in lively discussions on Twitter throughout the entire program and highlighted the most useful speakers’ and practical suggestions.
Here are the most important takeaways from each speaker, as well as their session:
1. “Write for Your Customers First,” and then for Google (Charli Hunt, proofContent), and
“If you create content for the Google algorithm (and not first for users), you will be removed from your position on the first page.”
Include local identifiers based on what people are seeking. It could be a city, county, neighborhood, or city; it could be anything.
Create dedicated pages for your clients’ most frequently asked questions.This eliminates the necessity of answering these questions repeatedly.
Identify your unique selling points (USPs). If you’re not sure what they are, talk with your customers to determine what they are.
2. Disputing one illegitimate review is equivalent to disputing eleven positive reviews (Curtis Boyd).The Transparency Company
It is beneficial to challenge false reviews. False reviews can be detrimental to ratings and have been shown to reduce revenue.
Eliminating legitimately negative reviews is not the intention. Reviews that are earned are great; paid reviews are not. Refusing to acknowledge real customers isn’t acceptable or genuine. This isn’t what this is about.
Your boss shouldn’t be asking you to write a review for the business unless it’s already posted on Glassdoor. Business owners, suppliers’ employees, current employees, false customers, and review clusters from third parties are the most common sources of fake reviews.
Rather than using a desktop, use the mobile app to dispute fake reviews.The data that proves the reviews are not genuine has an average of 380 times more chance of being removed.
If you’ve been stung by negative reviews, it’s best to consult with a Google Product Expert using the GBP Help Forum.
3. Get Smarter with the Practical Google Data Studio Uses: Amanda Jordan, RicketyRoo
“Use Data Studio to find keywords, categorise them, and come up with new ways to utilise the information they provide.”
There are numerous free connectors that work with GDS to allow you to connect your data. These include Google Analytics, BigQuery, Google Sheets, Search Console, and many more.
In addition, there are free tool connectors that work with GDS that include Ahrefs, ContentKing, and DeepCrawl SEMRush, among others.
Utilize the data controls available within Data Studio. They let you alter data according to date, type of visitor device, visitor type, and many more.
4. Be strategic in your spam-fighting efforts. — Sterling Sky’s Joy Hawkins
The proportion of fake listings varies according to the industry. Garage door repair, junk cars, and personal injury were the top three sectors with fake listings.
“87.6 percent of the garage door repair listings were spam.” This is devastating for companies. This is the reason why fighting spam can benefit legitimate brands.
Spam-fighting isn’t an option for long-term success, but it is something you can try. Spam will always return, just as Google does not always follow their policies.
If you see duplicate listings, you shouldn’t remove one. Merging listings can aid in their ranking.
If you’re working in an area that is prone to moderate levels of spam listings, it’s worthwhile to make a report.
5. We only buy from people we trust, like, and trust (Matthew Hunt). Automation Wolf
Use LinkedIn as a trusted resource instead of someone who is not familiar with you. The foundation of relationships is built through the comments, not the posts.
It takes seven hours and 11 different interactions in four different locations to gain the trust of users so that you can provide opportunities to collaborate with them and then offer them products and services.
Make use of LinkedIn to create short-form content that people can find. Following that, you can create longer-form content with interaction (such as a course or webinar).After that, build an atmosphere of trust to ensure that people will keep returning to your site.
You should have a persona that is not just a business page. Create a captivating headline that explains who you are and the things you do.
The formula that works best for personal headlines is: role + expertise = value.
