'Net Features : local business advertising

Google Search Improves the View for Local Businesses

Michael Garrity — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:00:00 GMT

As the pace of the Web gets even faster and more users start to access the Internet while they're on-the-go, it's important that they have as much necessary information readily available as possible. Some recent improvements to Google search aim to aid those busy users conducting searches for local businesses.

The basis of these changes is a desire to "make it a lot easier and faster to answer" questions about local restaurants, hotels, businesses, landmarks, museums and more.

Google understands how people search and has clearly noted that most users will either search for a specific location in order to find out more about it or take the more general approach in order to compare potential establishments in a loosely-defined location. In an effort to make these common searches more meaningful for consumers and businesses alike, Google has enhanced the look of its SERPs for local businesses and/or industries.

Now, a search for a local business will bring up more than just the old standby results page that sends users to the business' website, because now there is a new panel to the right of the results. The familiar map showing the location of the business still exists, but now there is addtional information to supplement the search. The most immediately noticable difference is a series of pictures below the map.

These pictures will virtually transport searchers right to the restaurant using Google Maps' "street view" feature. And not only do users get the opportunity to view the exterior of the building to see the area, but they will also be able to get an inside view of the establishment, which is especially helpful for users looking for a certain atmosphere in a bar or restaurant.

In addition, there is a link to the business' Google Places page, but users practically don't even need to go there (unless they're highly interested in reading reviews) because below the map and pictures is a new "Details" section, which doles out helpful information like price range, hours of operation, nearest transit and more. It even offers links to "more reviews" from other websites.

When users search for a type of business in an area, as opposed to a specific business, Google has made it considerably easier to compare their options with a simple scan of the SERP. Simply hovering over the ">>" symbol to the right of each option listed will bring up the same level of detail found when conducting business-specific searches.

While these changes are very useful for customers, they could be even better for businesses. Before, there had to be a heavy focus on SEO in order to stand out among the competition on Google's SERPs, but as the search giant becomes increasingly local business-friendly, it will become easier to appeal to potential customers with a strong Places profile.

Of course, this doesn't count out the need for strong SEO practices (after all, you still have to earn your way onto Google's SERPs to begin with), but it does give businesses an opportunity to differentiate themselves from their local competition in a manner more suited to the way that consumers search. Obviously, the information readily available to searchers will depend on how much the businesses put online, so it is crucial that you optimize your Places profile and provide as much important information as you can to help you stand out and promote your unique message to potential customers.

New Local.com Business Solutions an Exact Match

Michael Garrity — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Local businesses take note! A BIA/Kelsey report states that around 17 percent of all Internet searches are "local in nature" and consist of consumers who are ready to make a purchase or are looking for local businesses. Some projections have that number growing as high as 20 percent by the year 2015.

Looking to capitalize on this growing section of Internet consumers and help aid local businesses in reaching out to them, Local.com has officially announced Exact Match, a series of local business solutions for small and medium-sized businesses using the 'Net.

Exact Match solutions are designed to aid local businesses move past their traditional business profiles by expanding their presence online, which will enable them to target and reach ready-to-buy consumers looking for local businesses, products or services on the Web.

"Industry estimates put businesses in America spending approximately $136 billion annually on local or regionally targeted advertising," says Local.com Vice President of Product Development Mark Wallin. "Exact Match gives local businesses the ability to boost their online presence, build their brand locally and drive new customers to their stores by utilizing the power of our suite of local online advertising products."

The Exact Match solutions consist of four main products:

- Local: This product is built to help local businesses connect organically with consumers using opitmized keywords and a geo-targeted website. It also provides content creation for their specific local markets. Local.com guarentees prominent, first-page rankings on a major search engine, such as Google, Yahoo! or Bing.

- Mobile: Exact Match Mobile gives Local.com customers a mobile version of their Exact Match Local website that features driving directions, one-click contact information, social sharing features, QR code capabilities and much more.

- Social: Local.com sees the potential in the growing field of social media, and chooses to meet it head-on with Exact Match Social. This product gives businesses a presence on Facebook and Twitter that links users directly to their Exact Match Local and Mobile sites so that customers can find local businesses with social media.

- Display: The final product in the Exact Match line was established to help increase brand awareness through display advertising on Local.com's flagship property, which reaches almost 17 million consumers every month who are searching for local products and services. Local.com provides local businesses with premium, above-the-fold, category and geo-targeted placement that helps them reach out to consumers who really want to buy stuff.

"We continue to use our experience in the local market to develop valuable ad products for local businesses in order to help them reach ready-to-buy consumers when they are making spending decisions within a targeted category and geographic area," says Wallin.

Yelp Makes Changes, Reacts to Complaints From Businesses

Linc Wonham — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:00:00 GMT

In response to increasing criticism from small businesses dissatisfied with Yelp’s review practices — including a class action lawsuit and widespread “conspiracy theories” — the community ratings and review site has made some changes.

Moving toward a more transparent platform after accusations of “extorting” ad revenue from businesses in exchange for positive reviews — or the absence of negative reviews — Yelp rolled out the new policies on Tuesday. Readers can now follow a link to find reviews that were filtered out through Yelp’s automated system, and they will no longer see the “Favorite Review” feature that was part of Yelp’s advertising package for the past four years.

“I hope that these changes will debunk some of the myths and conspiracy theories out there about Yelp and its advertising and whether those are linked,” said the company’s co-founder and CEO, Jeremy Stoppelman.

The lawsuit, filed by an Illinois bakery and a California veterinary clinic, has been at the the heart of the controversy but many other businesses were reportedly accusing Yelp of posting biased reviews based on which companies were buying advertising from sometimes threatening-sounding salespeople. Yelp has denied any wrongdoing, and Stoppelman has said the complaints are indicative of the challenges faced in reviewing and rating local companies that are in fierce competition with one another.

Starting today, people can see the reviews that have been filtered from the site and make their own judgments about any biases toward advertisers. The advertisers, meanwhile, will no longer have control over which reviews appear first on their pages. If the accusations are true, we can also assume that Yelp’s sales staff will be proceeding with a softer touch than what’s been reported in recent months.

Video Advertising Affiliate Program

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:56:00 GMT

Video advertising service Jivox announced an online video advertising affiliate program. I've seen thousands of affiliate programs for publishers interested in reselling advertising, but this may be the first I've seen for video advertising.

The program provides three tiers of participation for online publishers and marketing agencies. Publisher partners will receive a co-branded version of the Jivox video ad service to market the services to their advertisers, agency partners will receive a "master" account to offer the same services to their clients and referral partners (much like a traditional affiliate program) will refer advertisers directly to the Jivox site.

"The Jivox affiliate program allows all our partners to participate in the fast-growing online video advertising category by providing three levels of integration into our online video platform," said Jim Gustke, vice president of marketing and product management at Jivox. "The Jivox online video service is a modular platform that includes ad creation, online hosting and targeting, and access to the online publisher network, which allows our partners to offer all or some of its components. No matter how our partners choose to integrate, by signing up as a Jivox online affiliate, they can give their customers access to highly effective, locally targeted video advertising."

Related information and stories on Jivox: