Hello again.
This week I’d like to take a moment to share a thought on the Holiday sales craze.
A client of mine asked that we get out a Black Friday newsletter and maybe just throw in some mentions of old stock at discounted prices to get a few customers to come in the showroom. However, they never got back to me on the details. So no newsletter went out. But, I suggested not being concerned about it, and instead think outside the box for a minute…
Now let’s reflect on what Black Friday is. It’s a term coined for when big box retailers’ balance sheets start showing a profit (black ink instead of red). Although, this Wikipedia article gives reference to it starting in Philadelphia and related to traffic.
Point here is, if you’re reading this, you’re not a big box retailer, and the above doesn’t hold true for you. So why do what everyone else is doing?
I suggest a newsletter to your email list that simply says; “Reminder: We’ll give you the best deal possible all year long”. Because that’s the truth. I know you work with each and everyone of your clients to come to the best win/win situation, whether that’s based on price or convenience. (it’s not too late, send it now)
And a small note on Small Business Saturday; It’s an American Express created campaign for the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Maybe if there were a small biz tax break it might be worth celebrating or advertising for. Instead you can’t participate if you’re not in the AmEx network.
Now on to This Week in Local SEO:
Call Tracking, Amazon Local Services, & Local Link Building
Blumenthal (and CallRail) on Call Tracking
Mike Blumenthal (a leading mind in local search) shared an interview with Mark Sullivan, Director of Analytics, from CallRail.
This post is the most comprehensive collection of call tracking do’s and don’ts.
Whether you’ve used call tracking in the past or thinking of it in the future, it’s a must read. I’ll admit, it is long though.
Action: If you’ve setup call tracking before, or used a marketing agency that has set one up for you before, do a search for your business name and exclude your primary number.
ex: “Business Name” AND -“(XXX) XXX-XXXX”
Look through the search results for mentions of your business with a different number. If you find any, that’s called “inconsistent NAP” and you’re losing valuable search traffic. That’s the downside of poorly implemented call tracking phone numbers.
Amazon Local Services
Jason Del Ray, tech journalist with Re/code (formerly AllThingsD), captured some very interesting news from the giant Amazon – Amazon Local Services.
You, or someone you know, shops A LOT on Amazon.com. Wouldn’t it be great if your business was advertised next to something that needed installed? That’s what this does.
Or, people can directly shop for a service provider on Amazon. Either way, Amazon is going to show your rating on Yelp.
These are the professions eligible to sign up:
- Appliance Technician
- Auto Mechanic
- Bicycle Mechanic
- Car Electronics Technician
- Computer Technician
- Dry-cleaner
- Electrician
- General Contractor
- Handyman
- Home Media Specialist
- HVAC Specialist
- Jeweler
- Landscaper
- Mobile Device Technician
- Musical Instrument Specialist
- Photographer
- Plumber
- Sports Instructor
- Tailor
Action: Apply. While the current beta version is only available in select cities, it will surely grow and be available near you some time in the future.
Additional Action: Check out your business on Yelp. Fix anything that needs fixed. If you see anything wrong and don’t know how to fix it, here’s their support page with a phone number. Or you can contact me for assistance.
Guide to Local Link Building Campaigns
This last one isn’t exactly from “this week” but it was discussed this week in the local search community thanks to Darren Shaw from Whitespark.
It may be a little too SEO advanced for most, but if you’re savvy enough to want to dive in, it’s an excellent resource for actionable ideas of getting your business ranked higher.
Action: This action tip applies to ALL though. Do you donate to a charity or participate in any local events? If so, find their website and whether they mention contributors. If so, contact their webmaster and ask that your URL to your website be included in the mention of your business.
That’s it for this week. As always, shoot me an email and tell me what you need help with.
A Note to Parents from Lego
This parting thought is especially for the women creators reading this. A viral image spreading the web is a small note found in a Lego set from the 70s reminding parents not to stereotype that boys like spaceships and girls like dolls.
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