Friday, June 7, 2019
How to Claim & Verify Your Google My Business Account 2019 [Bite-Sized Internet Marketing Tutorial]
Originally post at https://youtu.be/ceJmJaYcIrY
on the The Greensboro SEO Pro YouTube Channel
by North Carolina's Top SEO Consultant
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The SEO Image Optimization Guide to End All Image Optimization Guides
See The SEO Image Optimization Guide to End All Image Optimization Guides in its original habitat on Greensboro's Home for SEO Information or read the entire post below
Image optimization is a crucial part of any SEO plan. Optimizing images is a fundamental piece of the on-page SEO puzzle. Search engines look for keywords and other ranking signals here. Of course, images play a crucial role in overall website design and development. For SEO, you need to include all pieces of the puzzle. In this SEO Image Optimization Guide to End All Image Optimization Guides, we'll cover:
- How Images Affect SEO
- Why Images Affect SEO
- How to Optimize Image Alt Text
- How to Optimize Other Attributes
- How to Use Keywords in Images
- How to Add Geotags to Images
- How to Check Attributes in Code
Optimize Images for Speed (for SEO)
It's a pretty well-known fact: Website speed affects search rankings both directly and indirectly. On almost every site we audit, we find images that are needlessly hurting page performance. Optimizing images for the Web isn't hard. It's just not necessarily taught. Once you know how, it takes 2 minutes or less. Here's how we optimize images for speed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilgv-JNdIuM There are really just two steps.- Size Images Appropriately - Based on Display Size
- Optimize Images - Use Lossless (or Lossy) Compression
SEO Image Optimization
Like most legitimate SEO strategies, image optimization has a fundamental basis. Media enhances web pages. Therefore: Your images affect your SEO, whether you optimize them or not. Google and other search engines interpret user engagement as an indication of page value. If users love your pages, search engines are likely to as well. Using images that enhance user experience is always a good idea. It only makes sense that images would affect SEO. For humans, it's usually about emotion. But for Googlebot, it's about data. After all, web crawlers don't have the ability to measure how media actually makes users feel. So they take what they can get. Which means you should give them what you can. Consistent with all good SEO, the most obvious choice is keywords.Keyword Stuffing
Take every opportunity you can to incorporate keywords into your images. Most half-decent SEOs understand the importance of alt text. Too few understand the other opportunities media presets. Here's how we execute SEO image optimization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-DUJRwG2eE We typically optimize like so:- Image File Name - "Almost Spammy" Over-Descriptive, KW-Heavy Phrase
- Image Alt Text - "Screen Reader Friendly" Top Tier Keyword Phrase
- Image Title Attribute - "Salesy" Supporting Keyword Phase
Image Metadata
Modern cameras tag digital photos with all sorts of information. This is known as EXIF data. Examples include:- date & location
- camera type
- camera settings
On-Page Execution
WordPress makes it seem easy to optimize image alt tags. And it can be. That's because WordPress allows you to set image attributes when you upload them. You can also edit these attributes in the media gallery or when adding an image to a page. However, not all themes carry this data over to your final page. This includes our favorite WordPress theme, Divi. Whatever your website framework, double check your website's code for your image attributes. Here's how we optimize images in Divi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR5VBYawjRc It's not always an easy process. We like how Divi does it because it allows us to do some ninja stuff.We like ninja stuff. 🤷♂️😁🐱👤 That's why we optimize images to the full extent of their capacity. If you want to win in SEO, you need to do what your competition is doing, better than they are. Then, you need to do what your competition isn't doing. When it comes to images: Your competition probably isn't doing the first step. We invite you to see what happens if you do all of them. Certainly, image optimization isn't an end-all-be-all SEO strategy. In fact, it's really an SEO fundamental. Despite that, it's often missed completely—even by professional SEO companies. That means there could be surprising gains to be had by "filling in the gaps" that unoptimized images create. We see it all the time. It might not be glamorous, but image optimization is effective. Have questions or comments? Please drop them below. We know how difficult SEO can be to grasp. We are also constantly refining our training. Your feedback is welcome and appreciated! Or, if you'd like a customized analysis of your digital footprint, apply for a free SEO audit. Finally, we know we left some image optimization tips on the table. Before long, we'll be sure to come back to this post. Please bookmark, subscribe, share with a colleague, or whatever would help you stay up to date. SEO changes everyday. We'll always be here to help you adapt.
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Monday, March 11, 2019
Factual Manual Citations Walkthrough: How to Claim, Edit, Correct Errors, Remove Duplicates, & Everything Else You Need to Know in 2019
(You can find the most up-to-date Factual Optimization Guide on our marketing blog.)
Factual is one of the top 10 most important citation sources for Local SEO.
Unlike most "tier 1" citation sources, they aren't actually a business data aggregator or directory.
Instead, they create products based on "point of interest" data.
- Whitespark puts them number six on their list of citation sources for the US.
- They are one of Moz Local's Direct Network partners.
- We put them at number four on our list of best local citations sources.
Problem is, it might not be all that easy.
Submitting Manual Corrections to Factual No Longer Possible
As of August 2018, Factual only allows their partners to submit changes to their database.Despite the obvious limitations, this may not be a bad thing.
It has always been difficult to correct business listings on Factual. Their approval process took a stated 6-8 weeks. They provided no confirmation of listing acceptance or any feedback whatsoever. We routinely had to submit changes 2-3 times before they were accepted.
As such, we were never surprised if it took 6 months to get rid of all duplicates on Factual.
Apparently, they've never really been built for it.
From their listing updates FAQ:
Despite building databases on point of interest data, they don't have a business directory model.Why did Factual stop accepting updates directly?
Factual is not a database aggregator or a listings management company, and does not provide services or support for SMBs, that Trusted Data Contributors (TDCs) can provide. Factual aggregates POI location data to build a global POI dataset, which is used to create products for Products, Analytics and Marketers. For more information on Factual’s business, please visit www.factual.com
They provide "big data" solutions for marketers, analysts, and software partners.
Perhaps it was charitable for them to accept manual submissions in the first place.
Whatever the case, the new model is better.
Factual Trusted Data Contributors
Now, Factual only accepts updates from a small group of partners.Several are digital marketing agencies. Others are citations automation services. Yet others play elsewhere in the locations data space.
As mentioned above, this is quite different from years past.
Again, from the FAQs:
Factual used to let me write in to request an add or update of my business listing directly. Is this no longer an option? Why?
As of August 2018, Factual is not accepting direct additions or edits to business listings in our database. In order to protect all parties from fraud and also from honest mistakes, any submission that Factual receives from a business owner or manager would require verification. Factual is unable to validate any forms of verification, and for this reason, we cannot make direct additions/edits to business listings.
As an alternative, we encourage business owners to work with our Trusted Data Contributors, who are able to verify business information. As trusted partners, TDCs will submit all business listing information to Factual and any other location data providers, and help ensure that all information is accurate.Factual's current list of TDCs:
- Advice Local
- Brandify
- DAC Group
- EZlocal
- GoDaddy
- IgniteTech
- Local Market Launch
- Localistico
- Location3
- Michaels Wilder
- Milestone Internet Marketing
- MomentFeed
- Moz
- Navads
- Partoo
- PositionTech
- Rio SEO
- SinglePlatform
- SIM Partners
- SweetIQ
- Uberall
- Vendasta
- Yext
- Soon: Greensboro SEO Pro
Still though, you may be wondering...
Do You Need to Edit Your Factual Listing?
Incorrect data on Factual is bad for local SEO.You need to correct duplicates on Factual, if you have any. Truly, you should correct any incorrect business data on one of our top 60 citations sources—especially NAP data.
However, we find that Factual has one of the most accurate databases of any tier one provider.
Therefore, Factual may already have the correct information on file for you.
So the first step is still the same:
Find any and all Factual listings for your business.
Search for your business here.
Factual has one of the best on-site search functions of any citation source. Least common name denominator may be enough. But we advise taking full advantage of their filtering options to find all potential variations. Do everything in your power to find any duplicate or incorrect information on Factual.
Hopefully, you're listed and error-free.
But if you do find errors, get them fixed!
We are currently exploring strategies to correct Factual data without paying a TDC. We believe it is possible. And we'll be sure to update this post with our findings.
However, Factual is too important for you to to wait. Until we find a consistent solution or become a Factual partner, we recommend a Moz Local subscription to correct Factual errors. Pricing is extremely reasonable and it is designed so that you only need to pay for one year if you use it properly.
Errors and duplicates on Factual may be less common, but aren't necessarily uncommon.
If you don't find yourself on Factual at all, you really have two options.
You can either use a TDC or ignore Factual.
We recommend against ignoring Factual but some startups may be able to get away with it.
If your business is new or has never had any alternate NAP information, you're unlikely to have any errors on Factual. If you've confirmed this truth for your business, you may be able to get away with ignoring Factual for now. Over time, your business is likely to get listed anyway.
Keep in mind though, that SEO is often a battle of "thoroughness."
By ignoring Factual, you leave openings for your competition. Fully-optimized Factual profiles provide a power citation, "dofollow" backlink, and social platform sync. If you want to get to the top of Google in your industry, optimize your Factual listing!
Friday, March 8, 2019
Top 60 Citation Sources for Local SEO (Business Directories That Matter)
(See our updated listed of the Best Citations Sources on our consulting blog.)
The best citation sources are easy to figure out.
The second and third tier business directories are the ones that make local SEO hard.
Prioritizing which citations to correct can seem like a monumental task. If you're in an industry with many niche directories, the headache can quickly turn into a migraine. Some citation cleanups may touch 250+ sources. Our base offering targets 100 total.
We try to add 40 industry/local sources to the 60 below.
The Top 60 Citation Sources for Local SEO
"Tier 1"1. Google My Business
2. Facebook
3. Apple Maps
4. Factual | How to Claim & Optimize Factual
5. Express Update | How to Claim & Optimize Express Update
6. Neustar Localeze
7. Bing Places
8. Acxiom | How to Claim & Optimize Acxiom
9. Yelp!
10. Yahoo! Local
11. D & B
12. Manta
13. YellowPages.com
14. Better Business Bureau
15. Foursquare
"Tier 2"
16. Citysearch
17. Superpages
18. MapQuest
19. Hotfrog
20. Chamber of Commerce
21. EZlocal
22. Insider Pages
23. Brownbook
24. MerchantCircle
25. Local.com
26. dexknows
27. Cyclex
28. Yellowbook
29. Kudzu
30. Thumbtack
31. 2FindLocal
32. Tupalo
33. Best of the Web
34. Tuugo
35. Yasabe
"Tier 3"
36. CitySquares
37. eLocal
38. Alexa
39. Lacartes
40. golocal24/7
41. b2byellowpages
42. Whitepages
43. HERE
44. favecentral
45. YellowBot
46. ForLocations
47. American Towns
48. SaleSpider
49. City Data
50. OpenDi
51. n49.com
52. 10best.com
53. Hubbiz
54. Angieslist.com
55. Infobel.com
56. Biz Votes
57. The Business Journals
58. ThreeBestRated
59. myhuckleberry.com
60. showmelocal.com
How We Maintain Our Top 60
We work on citations campaigns the first two weeks of every month.So we update our list every month. The local directory ecosystem is constantly in flux.
For example, Kudzu closed at the beginning of 2019 while we had them ranked 29th on our list.
We expect this trend to continue. Many directory sites are dying. Others are merging.
Our prediction:
Google puts 95% of general directories out of business over the next ten years. The only thing we see that could delay this is the Yext-Alexa partnership. Yext is awful. If Alexa Voice systems see a large adoption rate, proliferation of error-prone directory data may continue for a few more decades.
Whatever the case, our list is largely subjective.
Compared to Whitespark's lists, we emphasize engagement a bit more. They are NAP focused. That makes good sense. We're talking local SEO citations, after all. It's about getting your name, address, and phone number consistent across the Web.
Yet the platforms with engagement live. The other ones die.
So our list factors in our suspicions about the future.
We build integrated campaigns focused on sustainable, long-term growth.
Finding Your Industry & Local 40
NAP consistency and syndication is one thing.But that's not the only SEO benefit of optimizing directory listings.
Well done citations campaigns also:
- Generate Industry Backlinks
- Generate Local Backlinks
- Send "Trust Signals" to Google
- Create Brand Engagement
- Support Cross-Platform Campaigns
- Generate Leads Directly
Local and industry sources often provide powerful SEO opportunities. Beyond that, they can also generate exposure in the real world and other places online.
Some examples:
Hotels and Restaurants: There are 25+ crucial travel sites like Travelocity & Expedia. What's more, local publishers and influencers can have a major impact on SEO and branding.
Rehab Centers & Addiction Counsellors: Healthcare providers are subject to the rules of the NPI provider database. There are also 50+ niche directories of varying quality.
Internet Marketing Companies: Web designers, SEOs, advertising agencies, and other digital marketers are subject to an obscene number of directories. That's no surprise; it's what we do.
Any and every industry has a few important niche directories. Most locations do as well. Competitive industries and heavily populated areas generally have more opportunities. If you've changed NAP info, local citations inconsistency can sabotage your Google Maps campaigns.
Citation cleanups in such industries get quite hairy.
Fact:
You can't always fix every bad citation online.
That's why it's useful to have a few tricks up your sleeve.
Ninja Sources
We might get deeper into this eventually.Only time will tell.
For now, just a few hints:
- Press & Media
- Google Properties
- Social & Free Sites
- Structured Data
- NAP Spam
The worst citations profiles often need these tricks to overcome years of bad info. Adding them to otherwise healthy citations profiles can lead to total Google Maps domination. Whatever your situation, think critically and look to the future.
If you need help, an SEO expert is probably your best bet. Automated solutions like Yext will only dig you deeper into a hole. Most SEO agencies and consultants will point you to such solutions.
We are the only SEO company we know of that does what we do. That's mostly because we put humility over pride and have a 30-year plan.
Local citations may not be crucial for that long. Still, we'll be sure to do them the best as long as they are.
That's good SEO.
We might say the best SEO.
That's Greensboro SEO Pro.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
How to Claim & Optimize Acxiom Business Directory Listings for Local SEO
(This Acxiom Optimization Guide brought to you courtesy of your local SEO leaders. )
Acxiom is one of the top 10 most important citation sources for Local SEO.
Technically, it's a data aggregator.
- Whitespark puts them number 5 on their list of citation sources for the US.
- They are one of Moz Local's Direct Network partners.
- We put them at number eight on our list of best local citations sources.
Before you can do that though, you have to find them.
How to Find ALL Acxiom Listings
There is only one way to find Acxiom listings.Search for your business here.
Acxiom's search function looks extremely basic but it works fairly well. You can search by phone number. Or you can filter by state and search by name. In our experience, least common name denominator finds all related listings. However, we still suggest searching all name variations (just to be safe).
We highly recommend that you use both name and phone number searches to find all listings for your business.
Listings do not have live URLs. Therefore, Google "site:" search is not an effective way to find business listings on Acxiom. It also makes recording all listings a little bit trickier. Just like everything else, we use Monday.com to record our findings. We list the types of errors and which searches found them.
If you're doing your local citations yourself, it might be easiest to go straight from finding to claiming.
Unfortunately, Acxiom makes it harder than almost any other citation source.
Manually Claim Acxiom Listings
Taking ownership of your business listings offers several advantages.But it can be a tedious process.
Generally, Google gives the most credit to directories with the strictest procedures. This is exactly why Acxiom is such an important citation source. For most local businesses, Acxiom is the most involved directory to submit to. It's even worse if you have duplicates.
This may make automated solutions like Yext seem attractive.
However:
We have seen Yext fail to suppress duplicates on multiple occasions, Acxiom included.
Given Acxiom's spot as one of the top local business data aggregators, it's crucial that your presence there is 100% accurate. So take control of all profiles.
If you don't have any yet, create one.
Create New Listing on Acxiom
Acxiom is really in a league of its own.Creating listings here is harder than anywhere else—aside from the NPI directory and a few other niche-specific citation sources.
That's because you have to submit business documentation.
First, you have to create an account. You can only create one account per IP address. It's clear they don't want any outside companies to manage listings on their platform. Again, this is why Google values them so much.
From their instructions page:
"Step 1: Create Your AccountConfirm that your business does not exist in the Acxiom database.
- Click on the Create Account button on home page.
- Complete all sections on the Account Creation page.
- The password must be at least 10 characters long, contain at least one capital letter, one lower case letter, one number, and one non-alphanumeric character. No repeating characters. EX: Winter123!
- Then Click to accept the terms and conditions.
- Click Create to submit your request.
- Your account screen will pop up and you can search for your listing then claim it, or add a new listing."
Then you can proceed to create it.
The process is involved.
"Step 3: Add Your Business ListingYou're done. What's more, you can rest assured that nothing is going to undermine this info. You have created an immovable listing on an extremely reputable directory. Google now trusts your business more than all of your competitors who may have incorrect information on this directory.
- Log in to your account or create a new account.
- Search for your listing, to make sure it is not in the database.
- Click "Add Your Business" on the Search Results page.
- Complete the requested information and click "Add Listing".
- On the Document Upload screen upload one of the following proof of ownership documents:
Accepted documentation:Please note: The business name and address on your document must match the information on your registration. We do not accept documents from internet websites, W-9 forms, copies of business cards, or Word documents as proof of ownership.
- Federal Tax License letter containing the id number, name, address and/or phone number of business
- State, County, or City Business License or Sales Tax License
- Doing Business As License (if applicable)
- Fictitious Name Registration (if applicable)
- Click "Upload" to send your request. Requests without proof documentation cannot be approved.
- Once your request is approved, you will receive a confirmation email and you can then edit/modify your listing.
- The listing will be viewable on the website in two to four weeks."
Still, you could make the case that this is overkill.
Skipping Acxiom
If your local business is new, you may be able to skip Acxiom.We have successfully gotten businesses to the number one spot in search engines without creating an Acxiom listing. (Example: Greensboro SEO Pro) However, this only works for businesses with completely fresh citations profiles.
If you have ANY incorrect NAP data online, you NEED to go through the Acxiom claims process.
The same could be said if you're in a competitive industry like law, healthcare, or real estate.
But startups in less competitive industries and locations may get by without it.
Full disclosure:
We recommend against skipping Acxiom, period. It is an extremely powerful citation source. But we know that by telling you you don't have to do it, you're less likely to do so. Because we always prioritize Acxiom, your laziness let's us keep the advantage.
It's up to you what you choose to do.
In short:
Skip creating an Acxiom listing at your own peril.
How to Claim Existing Acxiom Listings
Claiming your business on Acxiom is almost as big a pain.Again, create an account.
Then go through the claims process:
"Step 4: Claim Your Existing Business ListingIt's not quite as difficult as creating a fresh listing. But it does take time and patience. Just get it done. It's 30 minutes and a slight headache that will have a direct impact on your bottomline long-term.
- Type in the primary phone number for your business or the business name and location to view a page with matching listings.
- Click "Claim Listing" for the business(s) you want to claim.
- Review the listing information on next page and click on "Claim Listing" to process. A confirmation notification will be sent to the email address on your account.
- Before you can edit listing information, you must verify your business.
- Call the Verification line at 866.750.5438, from the business listings phone number. Leave a message with your business name, your name, username, and phone number. A confirmation will be sent to the e-mail address on the account once the listing has been verified.
- If you are unable to call from the business phone number on the listing please e-mail mblm@acxiom.com with your listing information and attach a document showing proof of business. This document can be a utility bill or phone bill showing the business name and address as it appears on the listing. A confirmation will be sent to the e-mail address on the account once the listing is verified."
You can edit your listing once the verification process has run its course.
Acxiom only holds basic info, so that shouldn't take too long.
Congratulations. Your NAP is now correct on Acxiom and (maybe) their 300-odd distribution partners.
If you have duplicates, it isn't much different.
How to Handle Duplicates
Acxiom is one of the most important directories to keep duplicate-free.Many other sites use them to update their own databases. Duplicates on Acxiom often result in duplicates on +50 locations online. And remember, any duplicates created due to Acxiom are all but guaranteed to have bad info.
Luckily, Acxiom may be less prone to duplicates than any other citation source online.
This is another reason Google gives them such credit.
We have never found duplicates on Acxiom with the same information. But we have found as many as six duplicates on rare occasions.
If you've moved or changed names, Acxiom might have picked it up. They tend to find official business names and locations. If your business uses a different name than on your tax info, you probably have an extra Acxiom profile to delete. They also pull data from phone records. So businesses that have used multiple phone numbers are also likely to find duplicates.
You can claim extra listings just the same way. Add them to the same account. Then delete them.
This is also the only way to change business name and phone numbers in Acxiom:
"Step 5: Edit Your Business ListingIf you're working on your local SEO, do this as soon as possible.
- Log in to your account.
- Select the listing and click "Edit Listing" to make any changes.
- Click "Save."
- Please note: The business name and phone number cannot be changed. Select the listing and click on "Delete Selected" to delete the listing. Then add a new listing with the correct business name and/or phone number. Removing the incorrect listing ensures the listing will not populate our database again on the next update from your local telephone carrier. Our automated processing uses logic matching business name and phone numbers to ensure that only one representation of a business is populated to our external file we send to clients.
- It takes a minimum of 30 days to see your changes on the Business Listing Manager web site. Changes to the directories depend on the frequency with which each directory updates their information from Acxiom. Because Acxiom provides business record data to many Internet sites and publishers, the company cannot control how the publisher displays a listing or how often the publisher updates their data."
Acxiom takes a few weeks to update. Their partners may take 2-3 months to correct their info.
That makes correcting this directory a top priority for any local SEO campaign.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
How to Claim & Optimize Express Update (Infogroup) Business Listings for Local SEO
(You can find the full Express Update SEO Optimization Guide on our marketing company website.)
Express Update (a.k.a. Infogroup) is one of the top 5 most important directories for Local SEO.
Technically, it's a data aggregator.
- Whitespark puts them number 4 on their list of citation sources for the US.
- They are one of Moz Local's Direct Network partners.
- We also put them at number five on our list of local citations sources.
Before you can do that though, you have to find them.
How to Find ALL Express Update/Infogroup Listings
Express Update's built-in search function works well.One box takes any NAP info.
Search all aspects of your NAP individually.
Least common name denominator seems to be acceptable for name variations. However, it does not guarantee all listings will be found. Using address and phone search, we have found duplicates that did not show up when searching exact name. Therefore, you cannot get away with name search alone.
Likewise, address and/or phone number search alone may not be enough. Infogroup listings without phone numbers are common (Example). Infogroup listings without addresses are less common, but do exist (Example).
Google "site:" search is not an effective way to find Express Update listings. At the time of this post, Google shows less than 1000 indexed URLs on ExpressUpdate.com.
So again:
Search all aspects of your NAP individually on ExpressUpdate.
Record all unique listings that correspond to your business.
Once you've found all of your listings, it's time to claim. If you've found none, it's time to create.
Manually Claim Listings
Taking ownership of your business listings offers several advantages.But it can be a tedious process.
Generally, top-tier platforms like Express Update are the most annoying. This is especially true if you've changed names, numbers, and/or locations often. Depending on your goals, automated solutions like Yext may be tempting.
However:
We have seen Yext fail to suppress duplicates on multiple occasions.
Given Infogroup's spot as one of the top local business data aggregators, it's crucial that your presence there is 100% accurate. So take control of all profiles.
This may be easier if you don't have any yet.
Create New Listings on Express Update
Listing new businesses on Infogroup's directory is simple.As you search for existing listings, you'll notice a call to at action at the bottom of search results pages:
"To see more results, add more information in the search box.(If your business is new, you can click directly on the link above to go to the submission screen.)
Don't see your business? Add it now."
The submission form only has a few boxes to fill out. Do yourself a favor and choose "Owner" as your business affiliation—whatever the truth may be. Express Update is prejudice against everyone other than small business owners.
This will start the listing approval process. You will receive an email once approved. From there, you will still need to phone verify your listing and create an account. Compared to the other top-tier local citation sources, this process is quick and painless.
Claiming existing listings is about the same.
How to Claim Listings on the Infogroup Directory
Don't forget to find all of your listings.Once you have, Express Update offers two ways to claim them.
They don't hide the "Claim Now" buttons. You'll see them clearly once you find you listings.
Go to your Express Update listing:
- Click "Yes, Claim This Business." You'll be brought to a verification prompt.
- Click "Yes, Call Me Now." The screen will refresh to display a 4-digit code.
- You will immediately receive an automated phone call. Enter the code when asked.
- The page will refresh again. You'll be prompted to make an account. Do so.
- Edit your business details by clickings its name in the upper left of your account.
In that case, expect this message:
"Contact us to claim this business.Their email address is contentfeedback@infogroup.com.
Please call (800) 794-1404 between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm EST or Email Us."
Once more:
They are most responsive to business owners.
How to Handle Duplicates
Express Update is one of the most important directories to keep duplicate-free.Many other sites use them to update their own databases. If you have duplicates on Express Update, you're almost guaranteed to have the same duplicates across 30 or more other platforms.
To make matters worse:
One or two Express Update duplicates can result in several incorrect profiles on platforms like Merchant Circle (that especially struggle with duplicate business info).
If you find Express Update duplicates, remove them as soon as possible. Do not go through the claims process with them. Instead, send an email to contentfeedback@infogroup.com from the same email on your account. They usually respond within a couple business days.
Once they confirm removal of duplicate profiles, it may take up to 90 days for them to be removed. Add another 90 days to that for their directory partners to update based on your changes. With timelines like that, hopefully you can see how important it is to correct your Infogroup listings as soon as possible.
If you allow duplicates to persist on Express Update, you're likely to see those inaccuracies reflected across hundreds of places on the web.
Do that and you may never make the first page of local results.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
What Is An SEO Expert?
(Originally posted as What is an "SEO Expert," Really? from our humble SEO company blog.)
A search engine optimization expert is a somewhat ironic title.
SEO is an enormous topic. No one man or woman could ever know everything about search marketing. It touches too many other digital marketing disciplines.
In my view, a true "SEO expert" would also need to be a:
- Full-Stack Web Developer
- Branding Specialist
- Content Marketing Strategist
- Social Media Strategist
- Public Relations Expert
- Sales Consultant
- Google AdWords Expert
To hire these skills in separate people, you'd need a minimum of $400-500K in total salary.
It's no wonder low-level SEO consultants start at $75/hr. On the higher end, you'll see over $350/hr. Some of the best SEOs may even go for a percentage of revenues.
If I like your business model enough, I might even trade SEO for a piece of it.
Why?
Simple:
Well done SEO is the foundation for 7 and 8 figure businesses across many industries. Given the proper budget and support, it's the easiest marketing medium on the planet to guarantee ROI.
But the question remains:
Is it even possible to be an SEO expert?
The total subject matter is HUGE!
But there's just one big problem.
Nowadays, it's easy to call yourself an expert—even if you've just started.
In fact, that's exactly what I did.
Holding Local Titles
Now I'm a bigger know-it-all than most.If not for that, things really could have gone off the rail.
It was really easy for me to get to the top of google for search terms like:
I did it in 2 months, when I was just transitioning from SEO copywriting to local SEO consulting.
I completed my SEO campaign thinking I'd have at least six months to make my site pretty and learn more about the consulting model.
That's not how it happened. I got to the first page of search engines much quicker than I anticipated. What's more, I quickly ranked number one for almost all of my Greensboro keywords.
I got a flood of clients.
I never got around to tightening up my site. Instead, I learned everything I could and put it into practice for them.
Even as my team has grown, we have spent about .00001% of our man hours on GreensboroSEOPro.com.
Of course:
My exposure in Charlotte, Raleigh, and the rest of NC has fallen over the last few years. Yet, I've increased my grip on Greensboro SEO. Search optimization is a bit harder than when I started. Fortunately, most of the changes work in my favor.
Our recent redesign marks the beginning of a renewed campaign to conquer the whole of North Carolina's digital marketing landscape.
I know I am the best SEO in North Carolina.
A True SEO Expert Though?
I'm three and a half years better than when I first claimed to be an "SEO expert."Since then, I've grown in both competence and confidence.
Simultaneously, I've become less arrogant.
I'm still a know it all. And I know A TON about SEO.
But the more I learn:
The more I learn that I have more to learn.
Again, SEO is a massive topic. It's easily the most complex type of digital marketing. It's no surprise that it's the most powerful and sustainable. But that means it's hard.
Plus, Google never stop evolving. The world's number one search engine has to keep pace with the Internet. And SEOs have to keep pace with them.
My "to read" list grows about twice as fast as I can keep up.
- I've watched over 1,000 hours of Internet marketing training video.
- I've spent at least twice that many hours reading on SEO.
- I've spent over $10,000 on training programs and masterminds.
And I'm a professional know it all! Ask anyone who knows me.
So no, I'm not quite sure I consider myself an "SEO expert." I'm not quite sure I consider anyone on planet Earth is a complete SEO expert.
Generally, the most well-known SEOs specialize. That could be in local SEO, video SEO, eCommerce SEO, or similar.
I see positives and negatives to specializing in digital marketing.
And again, I don't consider myself an expert. I just play one on Google. 😉
Ultimately, I aspire for others to declare my expertise.
For example:
Here are a few SEOs I really respect:
- Rand Fishkin - Moz | Twitter | Moz Profile
- Brian Dean - Backlinko | Twitter | YouTube
- Joost de Valk - Yoast SEO | About Page | Twitter
- Barry Schawtz - Rusty Brick | About Page | Twitter
- Mike Blumenthal - Blumenthals Blog | GatherUp | Twitter
- Mike Ramsey - Nifty Marketing | About Page | Twitter
- David Mihm - ThriveHive | Twitter
- Neil Patel - NeilPatel.com | Quicksprout | YouTube
I want to avoid this at all costs.
This is one of the main reasons I rewrote our mission statement.
From The Greensboro SEO Manifesto:
4. We Learn Everyday. — "Humility Over Pride."
SEO moves too fast to follow digital marketing dogma.
That's part of why I struggle to call myself an SEO expert today. Tomorrow, I might have to relearn everything. I like that aspect.
It makes SEO hard. I like hard (because I usually rise to the top in difficult environments).
But it's also why:
A Proven SEO Expert is Better Than...
Everyone else?Yeah, just about.
Maybe this is where my arrogance does show. I may not be sure I'm an SEO expert, but I am sure that SEO is better than every single other digital marketing discipline.
- SEO provides the best return on investment.
- SEO supports good business practices.
- SEO helps with your sales process.
- SEO has the strongest long-term outlook.
And let's be honest.
The ability to show up the exact moment someone is searching for your product or service is pretty cool (read:lucrative). It's much more effective than trying to sell someone something when they are waiting in line at the grocery store or on the toilet creeping on their ex.
Yeah,
I'm looking at you Facebook ad companies.
😒👀👎
For the vast majority of local businesses, SEO is the best marketing investment they could make.
It almost always has the best ROI over 6 month to 2 year periods. It blows everything out of the park on even longer timelines. For those who have the budget to go all in, those timelines can be compressed as well. Done right, SEO also increases the effectiveness of your other sales and marketing efforts.
For an example:
Just watch how Greensboro SEO Pro grows over the next year.
My personal daily content challenge alone will surely 10x our search traffic. If I'm able to focus on this site, it could be 100x. We shall see.
Whatever the case, we're taking the next steps.
Greensboro SEO Pro: From Expert to Agency
I'll say it again:I know I'm the best SEO in North Carolina.
Now, I'm going to try to build the best SEO company around that. I've spent enough time learning. I've spent enough time doing.
Now, it's time to start training, managing, promoting, etc. Ya know, build a business. We may move through the progression from SEO expert, to consultant, to agency.
With a name like Greensboro SEO Pro, we have but one option:
We will start by furthering our hold on our hometown.
By the end of 2019 we'll be on the first page of Google for:
- "Greensboro Web Design"
- "Greensboro Social Media Marketing"
- "Greensboro Content Marketing"
Over time, I am going to build a massive marketing machine.
2019 will be an important year for it, as 2018 has been.
If you're looking for a digital marketing expert to partner with for the next thirty-plus years, I might be your guy. Because I have such a long-term view, fit is especially important to me. That's one reason I require a client application and give out free audits.
GSP is the first step in a much larger vision.
That vision goes something like:
Greensboro SEO Expert >> Local Marketing Agency >> National Business Consultancy >> International Business Investor
That's overly simplified, of course.
To this day:
I've had at least 20x more clients outside of Greensboro than in it.
To a degree, I'm sure that will continue. But I live in Greensboro. I plan to become known all over it. You'll be able to catch the GSP team across various Greensboro events in 2019. I expect free will be the default.
Interested in a taste of what we do?
Stay tuned.
Before long, our brand will be as strong as our clients'. Newsletters, interactive social media, and—of course—dominant SEO.
It starts now.
Stay tuned to track our progress. Get in touch or comment below to find out more. If you're interested in what we can do for your business, our free seo audit is a great place to start. And if you know anyone in need of bonafide SEO expert, please like and share this post with them.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Comparing SEO Companies - SEO Agencies vs. Experts vs. Consultants
(Read the original version of this post directly from Greensboro's best marketing company.)
Most business owners know they need SEO.
Top of Google often leads to top of your market.
Figuring who to trust though, gets murky.
There is SO much information on the web about SEO. It's arguably the most complex Internet marketing medium and topic.
After all, it touches so many others.
That is part of what makes it so powerful. It's also why SEO problems are so intimidating for the average business to tackle. Unfortunately, this contributes to procrastination, or worse—money wasted on simpler, less effective campaigns.
When applicable, SEO is usually the most effective marketing strategy available today.
Escape is futile. Search engine optimization is your best chance for a recession-proof business, in 2019, 2020, and beyond.
It's only fair that there's a lot that goes into becoming a professional SEO expert.
So What Is "Professional SEO," Really?
Technically:Anyone who gets paid to "do SEO" could call themselves a professional SEO.
(In this industry, we have a funny habit of calling other SEO professionals by shorthand—"an SEO or multiple SEOs.")
However, you might have been burned by an SEO company before.
We see it happen a number of ways:
- Some SEOs use short-sighted tactics that incur Google penalties.
- Many cheap SEOs acquire monthly contracts and perform almost no work.
- Some SEOs take clients that should spend their money elsewhere first.
- Other SEOs build systems to remove optimizations if retainers are ended.
- A few SEOs use bait and switch tactics to manipulate decision makers.
- A surprising number of SEOs simply aren't very good at SEO.
Early on, "SEO doesn't work" was such a difficult objection for me to overcome.
I'd get argumentative and defensive.
That was born partly out of nervousness. This was my first foray into the professional world and it showed.
But it was also born out of incredulity. Many of those who told me "SEO woudn't work" were in an industry that received hundreds or even thousands of local searches per month. Getting on the first page of Google had the potential to transform their businesses.
To make things more frustrating, they often expressed envy for the area's top brands. Without fail, those brands had made a clear investment into SEO.
I don't blame them though.
I blame my own sales inexperience.
I didn't understand how easy it is to call yourself a professional, expert, or consultant. That's funny, considering how I turned myself into an "SEO expert" overnight.
Many others have done the same. The difference, few others cared about principles as much as I did.
Now, I'm wiser and understand my industry much better.
Spectrum of Internet Marketing Business Models
Marketing will always have a huge market.Every business needs new customers.
In today's business environment:
There are a variety of marketing professionals companies can hire. This includes individuals, networks, agencies, software, and more. Furthermore, different structures exist within these options.
This is just one more thing that leads to business owners hesitating to begin an SEO campaign, despite an obvious need.
Others make a decision, but make the wrong one for their business.
Freelance SEO
At the end of the day, most SEO comes down to labor.That's where the gig economy comes in. Freelancing as an internet marketer is one of the easiest ways to get started working from home.
You can find work:
- writing various content
- developing websites
- managing social media profiles
- performing online outreach
- and much more
Many agencies use freelancers to outsource much of their campaign labor. Some freelancers use other freelancers or software to further outsource their own offerings. Sometimes, this chain can go four or five levels deep.
I have operated at different levels along different chains. So has Greensboro SEO Pro.
Some freelancers specialize in a specific service and drive their value (and hourly rates) upward. Many of these make the equivalent of six or seven-figure salaries working per-project. Thus, "full-time freelancer" can be a lucrative contradiction.
Others move up the ladder with consulting or by building an agency.
SEO Consulting
Consultants can be a great choice for many businesses.And yet again, they can be a complete waste of money.
With a consultant, you essentially pay for high-level talk.
Your ROI is determined by two main factors:
- How good the consultant's recommendations are.
- How well you can implement their recommendations.
Ya know those hungry 20-somethings selling you Facebook ads?
That's where they came from:
The dark reaches of Internet Opportunity Land.
Beware or you might get burned.
If they're good, they could help you cash in on under-priced marketing opportunities. If not, your money will go to waste. Oftentimes, the decisions you make after getting burned are worse than the burn itself. In today's business environment, you can't afford to become passive.
This makes consulting an attractive intermediate step.
Before choosing any marketing consultant, we have two recommendations.
- Make sure you have the man-hours available - Remember, SEO is about hours. You, a secretary, a teenager off the street? Any or all. But someone has to do the work. Consider the freelance roles listed above. Each task has to get done.
- Choose a consultant that also offers fulfillment - Internet marketing moves fast. Your consultant needs to be in the trenches everyday. Choose one that also freelances or runs an agency. Otherwise, you can't trust that their strategies work.
SEO Agencies
The marketing agency model is a difficult one.The main reason:
You need good marketing professionals to run effective marketing campaigns. Good marketing professionals are expensive.
When I first got into SEO...
One of my mentors explained it like this:
An agency could never compete with a one-man show in SEO. The overhead was simply too great. For agencies beholden to private owners and investors, the effect was magnified. He detailed his time spent working in an SEO agency and made quite the compelling case.
I still believe his assessment is probably true for 90% of the SEO industry. A single SEO technician can yield a solid ROI; the majority of cheap SEO companies are a waste of money.
However, I've studied many a marketing company since. A surprising number have earned my respect. As I learn more about traditional media (radio, TV, print, etc.), that respect only grows. Even an average SEO company offers a better value than marketing firms across other verticals. Larger SEO companies also have the distinct advantage of access to more data.
For me, this is exciting.
And I don't plan to build an average SEO company either. There are still holes in the agency model. It sounds rewarding to find ways to fill those. In fact, I think I'm already onto something with the way I set up my squad.
I'm looking forward exploring both the consulting and agency models over the course of 2019.
We will be able to help many more businesses.
What About "SEO Experts"?
The label "SEO expert" is a slightly audacious one.The digital marketing landscape is huge. SEO touches every bit of it.
We show up on the first page of Google across North Carolina.
We compete for search terms like:
- "greensboro seo expert"
- "charlotte search engine consultants"
- "durham seo agency"
- "seo experts raleigh"
For us...
"SEO expert" is a long-tail keyword that helps us build our business. Some of my peers recognize me as an expert in various areas.
However, there are many bigger, badder, and more well-respected names in SEO. Whether it be a particular person—an expert, if you will—or a leading digital marketing company, Greensboro SEO Pro is determined to learn what we can.
Even our manifesto states it:
We learn everyday.
Putting humility over pride means we continue to get better. Eventually, we hope to be recognized among the best digital marketers on the planet.
Becoming more complete SEO experts is where that starts.
Considerations for Your Business
So what does this discussion mean for the average business?From an aspiring SEO expert:
Start vetting SEOs!
The right one could help you explode your business.
"Even an average SEO company offers a better value than marketing firms across other verticals."Your best option may be to find a top-tier SEO expert and hire them full time. This an amazing plan, granted you can find and afford one.
For others, the right freelancer, consultant, or agency may be the best choice.
It comes down to your business, your budget, and your goals. Start an open dialogue with an SEO expert. Better yet, start several dialogues with SEO experts. Choose the one that cares about those three things. Steer clear of those more interested in their own business, its revenue, and its goals.
The best SEO campaigns are bespoke solutions.
Begin the process of finding the right SEO.
Begin the process of taking your business to the next level.
If you're interested in getting the conversation started, submit your information for our free seo audit. Or, comment your thoughts below! Otherwise, please like and share with a business that you think should be at the top of Google.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
The Greensboro SEO Pro Manifesto
(Originally posted on the official blog of North Carolina's top marketing company.)
We aren't the typical digital marketing agency.
We don't try to be.
Greensboro SEO Pro started out as a one man work-from-home thing.
Over the last few years it's become much more. That will continue into the future.
It's a vital piece of a larger vision.
That larger vision requires a few things out of the GSP brand.
We lay those out as a set of principles.
The goal:
To ensure Greensboro SEO Pro has character.
Our Values
This is what is most important to us.1. We Serve Exceptionally. — "Do Great Work."
2. We Keep It Real. — "The Truth Matters to Us."
3. We Grow Together. — "Build Toward the Future."
4. We Learn Everyday. — "Humility Over Pride."
We treat these as our North Star.
This value system is reflected both internally and externally. Furthermore, we break these down into smaller pieces.
So yes:
Our principles have principles.
What does this mean day to day, year over year?
Let's talk about it.
Serving Exceptionally
"Do Great Work."We Make Our Clients Money. This almost goes without saying. Marketing consultants are meant to increase revenue by building exposure. At Greensboro SEO Pro we integrate marketing and sales strategy together. We prioritize key performance indicators that lead to more revenue, not just make us look good.
We Do The Right Thing. In the modern Internet marketing landscape, merit wins. We aren't afraid to point you in the direction of someone else if their service is a better fit. What's more, we steer our clients clear of risky, short-term tactics. While quick wins are possible, we never jeopardize your long-term potential.
We Honor Our Commitments. Delivering high quality SEO is important to us. So is meeting deadlines. Perhaps most important though, we take pride in making ambitious projections and exceeding them. This is a tall order but we meet the challenge head-on, by making predictions and standing by them.
We Communicate with Grace. We treat our clients with care. In fact, we treat potential clients and non-clients with care as well. Greensboro SEO Pro is a digital communications company. It's our main expertise. It'd be shameful not to consider the words we use carefully. We choose to communicate as neighbors.
Keeping It Real
"The Truth Matters to Us."We Communicate with Accuracy. Internet marketing is full of empty claims. Greensboro SEO Pro isn't. We tell you the truth about your brand, your competition, and the feasibility of your goals. We're also candid about the state of digital marketing, even when it hurts our pitch. We strive to provide correct answers.
We Make the Internet a Better Place. Content creation is one of our greatest strengths. Not only are we adept at in-depth research, we spin up words that take over readers' minds. We refuse to use those powers for evil. Simply put: our sales copy is too good to lie for you. To hire us, you better love your customers.
We Encourage Good Business. An SEO expert is one of the only Internet marketers that would encourage you to take your money and spend it on a BBB or CoC membership. Unfortunately, too few of us do. But real SEO crosses over into the real world. After all, Google, Alexa, and other search platforms do as well.
Growing Together
"Build Toward the Future."We Meet Clients Where They Are. Backed by an integrated approach, SEO has the potential to turn local brands into national ones. The problem for most local businesses: they don't have the budget for such ambitions. We offer flexible campaign types and formats to balance short-term needs and long-term goals.
We Build Long Term Partnerships. Greensboro SEO Pro isn't going anywhere. We'll work to be the best at SEO as long as it bring clients solid returns. That's at least another decade or two. Beyond that, we'll be marketing in virtual reality, augmented reality, outer space, or whatever comes next. This is a life thing.
We Adapt to Industry Changes. Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and other huge tech brands move fast. Digital agencies should aim to move faster. We pride ourselves on agility. We stay up to date. In fact, we try to move early. Greensboro SEO Pro will never get stuck in the mud. Your ROI is too important to us.
Learning Everyday
"Humility Over Pride."We Stay on the Cutting Edge. Search engines work hard to provide great answers. They constantly evolve to that end. Sustainable SEO requires more than staying abreast of industry knowledge. Being a practitioner is also crucial. Simply put: we participate in Google's experiments so that you don't have to.
We Aren't Scared of "I Don't Know." Digital marketing evolves too fast to know everything. In truth, one might say the idea of an "SEO expert" is audacious. Search engine optimization is a huge topic with enormous nuance. We are empowered by "I don't know," not handcuffed. It empowers us to find answers.
We Push Our Industry Forward. Every year, "good digital marketing" lines up with "good business practices" more and more. We use a lens of sustainability to see which strategies make the most sense. In this way, we hope to cut through the misinformation and shady tactics that run rampant in our industry.
We Understand Business. Greensboro SEO Pro is a foundational step for a full-service business consultancy to come. Getting new customers is most businesses' number one problem. But we acknowledge that your business has others. We work to understand your model and contribute to its overall health.
Why Though?
This is more than just a list of glittering generalities.(It took too long to write, anyway.)
Romantic, sure. But 100% real.
You've heard about us:
"Entitled" millennials who want to feel like the work they do serves a greater purpose...
For some reason, serving others seems more gratifying that serving ourselves.
Who knew?
Hi, I'm Zach.Greensboro SEO Pro is my thing.
It started as a way for me to work from home with my young sons. Aside from that benefit, I found it pretty boring. After all, SEO isn't all that interesting. And honestly, there are a lot of tedious tasks. It also uses a tremendous amount of brain power. This makes burnout pretty easy.
I'm against the cliche of living a life you hate—for myself and those who work for me.
So I tie SEO to things that bring fulfillment.
I like to serve people. I like to help people find the right information.
These were no-brainers for me from the beginning.
But over time I've made more connections.
For example, paying the people who work for me is one of my favorite things to do. I didn't expect that.
I can't claim credit for coming up with GSP's principles. Many of these things were shown to by my business itself. I only had to notice them. I also allow myself to be influenced by guys like Gary Vaynerchuk, Vishen Lakhiani, Marcus Lemonis, and others.
These and other sages of success say:
He who helps the most people, earns the most success.
(So how can we help you?)
Now I want a huge marketing machine that can serve millions of people—both our clients and their customers. I don't feel bad about it because I will do great things with it. We make the Internet a better place. We do that by serving excellent businesses with excellence.
Our value system will always provide standards for both how we serve and who we serve.
Our original one went something like this:
- Make the Internet a Better Place.
- Make Our Clients More Money.
- Make SEO Easier to Understand.
- Make SEO Agencies Try Harder.
We will never do that.
Nor will we serve clients who take a similar attitude toward their customers.
I want clients I can be proud of. And I want those who work for GSP to be proud that they do.
In the end:
This "manifesto" is to make sure that Greensboro SEO Pro remains something I can be proud of.
Hopefully, that means you'll be proud to work with us as well.
-Zach Bradshaw
The Greensboro SEO Pro
The Greensboro SEO Pro
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