My SMX Local University Advanced presentation and PubCon presentation outlining the challenges of implementing local search strategies at a national corporate level, and the lessons I have learned.

1. Local Gone
National
Getting Buy-In Across
the Organization
Matt Marko
Marketing Process Manager
Progressive Insurance
matthew_marko@progressive.com
@BackyardMktg
Raleigh, NC

2. #1 #1
#4 #1 #1
1 st to:
sell insurance direct online
Our
sales: 45% 55%
offer comparison rates Direct via Local
offer drive-in claims service
Agents
offer Name Your Price insurance
offer usage-based insurance
Auto Policies in Force; 2011 PGR Annual Report

3. 35,000+ agency locations
make Progressive the most
local insurance carrier

4. Alas…
Photo © Flickr user quinn.anya at flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/2907545664

5. We don’t own our agencies:
Average agency carries 8 carrier brands

6. The ownership challenge:
“You can't create Places listings for
stores which you do not own, but which
stock your products.”
The data challenge: The SMB challenge:
First, do no harm; What sounds easy, is hard.
NAP consistency. 35% have claimed G+ listings.

7. GETTING BUY IN
• Senior Management
• Sales Force
• Insurance Agencies
Photo © http://mrrommie.wordpress.com/tag/cialdini/

8. Getting Buy In
MANAGEMENT
• How to best help agents?
• How to best help Progressive?
Paid search economics
are unfavorable for
SMBs in our category
http://www.wordstream.com/articles/most-expensive-keywords

9. `
Local organic search
opportunity exists, but
often competitive with
deep-pocketed
competition
? Agents (and Progressive)
largely unaware of oppty

10. *Only in retrospect!
Photo © Flickr user johnscotthaydon at flickr.com/photos/johnhaydon/5042881685

11. Proof-of-concept listing management pilot demonstrated results.
Google search: "car insurance [city], [state]"
Pre-test 120 days Post-test
51%
29%
15%
8%
% agencies with top 3 % agencies with top 7
ranking ranking

12. BUT…what’s a G+ listing impression or action worth?
We built a simple model to estimate completed
insurance quotes per hundred impressions.
This put the local opportunity in context.
Photo © Flickr user kayaker1204 at flickr.com/photos/kayaker1204/4319542459

13. Getting Buy In
SALES FORCE
200+ geographically
dispersed reps
Every month
a new ask
4 page-long job
objectives
Jack of all trades,
master of none.
BUT ALSO…
Photo © Flickr user andres.thor at flickr.com/photos/andresthor/3963368371 looking for easy wins

14. Impact speaks for itself…
20%
of searches are local here 50%
of searches
are local here

15. Solution: Make it easy to sell
CONTEXT: show how local
search fits into a sales call
ADVOCATES:
Nurture them
TIME-SAVING TOOLS:
“Scouting Reports”
“OK. Let’s start by bringing up Google…”
Screenshot © Xtranormal user girlsandhog at xtranormal.com/watch/11262851/local-search-video

16. Get help from the pros
Blumenthal Bowling McGee Reese
“Local Search Dream Team“ © Bryan Phelps
www.seo.com/blog/local-search-dream-team-tips-tools-and-predictions

17. Make training bite-size, tactical & engaging

18. Getting Buy In
INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS

19. “I don’t have
time for this…I’m
too busy running
my business.”
- 80% of SMBs, everywhere, always

20. DIY is a poor model
for most SMBs
This is an actual agency web site, screenshot taken Sept 2012.

21. …ah, much better!
This is an actual agency web site, screenshot taken Sept 2012.

22. Solution: make things as “DIFM” as possible
Listing Management Monitoring & Measuring
Accuracy
Citations
Performance
Metrics

23. DIFM program addresses our challenges
The ownership challenge:
The data challenge: “You can't create Places listings
“Only business owners or
First, do no harm; NAP for stores which you do not own,
authorized representatives may
consistency. but which stock yourlistings...”
verify their business products.”
The SMB challenge:
What sounds easy, is hard. 35% have claimed G+ listings.

24. Web site integration
Reviews
Reputation monitoring
We still train on some things. Breaking through is difficult.
Photo © Flickr user Government Press Office (GPO) at flickr.com/photos/government_press_office/6943609933

25. Trust?
(Mulder was right.)

26. The antidote:
peer testimonials
ListAgent works!

27. Also: actual data, presented simply.
Google search: "car insurance [city], [state]"
Pre-test 120 days Post-test
51%
29%
15%
8%
% agencies with top 3 % agencies with top 7
ranking ranking

28. Trade press is also a
great way to build trust

29. SMBs *struggle* with content
PHOTOS?
CATEGORIES?
REVIEWS?

30. Co-branded content is a
win-win-win

31. The brand power of $500 million
66% of our agencies’ G+ impressions are
driven by Progressive keyword searches!
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/geico-spends-nearly-1-bln-in-insurance-ad-war-2012-06-25

32. Conclusions:
MGMT
1. Show the “obvious”
opportunity
2. Test & prove
• Bring the numbers
• Translate analytics to
what matters
Photo © Flickr user euthman at flickr.com/photos/euthman/2100168086

33. Conclusions:
Sales Force
1. Make it easy;
provide sales tools
2. Nurture advocates
3. Bring in outside
experts to help
4. Make training bite
size, tactical &
engaging

34. Conclusions:
SMBs
1. Make as DIFM as
possible
2. Educate for the DIY
3. Build trust with
testimonials, data,
trade press
4. (Branded) Content

35. Matt Marko
@BackyardMktg
Matthew_Marko@Progressive.com
Thank
You