PILMMA 2019 - Chase Awesome Not Algorithms
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My Sept 2019 presentation to the Personal Injury Lawyers Marketing & Management Association in Las Vegas, NV
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PILMMA 2019 - Chase Awesome Not Algorithms
- 2. @CarrieHill ● In SEO since 2006 ● Co-Founded IgnitorDigital.com w/ Mary Bowling in 2013. We specialize in Local SEO & Local Brand/Presence Audits for Small & Medium Businesses ● Faculty/Instructor at Search Engine News ● Presented at over 30 conferences in last 12 years about topics from Affiliate PPC/Content to Technical SEO & SEmantic Markup (and all stops in between) ● Faculty, Webmaster, In-House Marketer & Event Planner for Local University About Me!
- 3. @CarrieHill
- 4. @CarrieHill
- 5. @CarrieHill
- 7. @CarrieHill Google Doubles Down on Local 2015 - Present
- 10. @CarrieHill Brand Reputation Kicks In E - A - T “For websites to get the highest possible rating, Google is looking at reputation as well.” 2015 Google Quality Rater Guidelines
- 12. @CarrieHill Google Local Ads Expansion 2015 - 2019
- 13. @CarrieHill Model the Real World Real Things (People) In REAL Places Doing REAL Business
- 18. @CarrieHill #1 Relevance Does the business provide the products, services or attributes the searcher is asking for?
- 19. @CarrieHill How Does Google Know? What you & others say
- 20. @CarrieHill #2 Prominence Is the business well-known and well-regarded within its local market area and its industry?
- 21. @CarrieHill How Does Google Know? What others say & where it’s said
- 23. @CarrieHill #3 Proximity Is the business close enough to the searcher to be considered a good answer for their search query? "Car Accident Attorney"
- 25. @CarrieHill Near me In Harrisonburg Open nowBest Cheapest Query Relevance Prominence Competition
- 28. @CarrieHill 90% of US Search traffic Google ~59% YouTube ~ 4% G Images ~27%
- 31. @CarrieHill Local Biz KPIs Form fills FB Messaging Clicks to call Driving directions
- 34. @CarrieHill Google Knowledge Graph Local Search Comes into Focus - 2012 2324
- 35. @CarrieHill Things Not Strings Entities & Relationships Wilma Flintstone lives in Bedrock
- 36. @CarrieHill Website = KG of the Brand Joe's Law Office Legal Services
- 41. @CarrieHill “We are moving from a company that helps you find answers to a company that helps you get things done…” Google CEO 2019
- 42. @CarrieHill Prove value Extract Answers & Actions Extract GMB Profits Extract profit
- 49. @CarrieHill “The internet is a cesspool where false information thrives… Brands are how you sort out the cesspool.” Google CEO 2008
- 50. @CarrieHill What’s Your Brand’s Story on Google?
- 51. @CarrieHill Google Brand Page What answers are in your SERPs?
- 53. @CarrieHill •What Google knows about you •What’s important to searchers •How people regard you •Missed opportunities •Competitor comparisons
- 54. @CarrieHill Control What You Can Own Info Reviews Listings/News
- 55. @CarrieHill Review Your Organic “Ads” Customer focus Phone number Service area Call to action
- 59. @CarrieHill Listings w/o Stars Encourage more reviews Add photos & details to listing
- 60. @CarrieHill Stars on Own URLs in SERPs Proper Schema No review-gating Easier with a platform
- 61. @CarrieHill
- 66. @CarrieHill Ask & Answer for Your Brand You are the brand authority
- 68. @CarrieHill Monitor Q & A Many sales opportunities
- 69. @CarrieHill GMB Profile Messaging Image: BrotherUK Turn on & off as needed
- 72. @CarrieHill Give Google More Info Google gives searchers more answers Google My Business Website
- 73. @CarrieHill Report Bad Actors Keyword Spam in Names Virtual Locations
- 76. @CarrieHill “The key for us is to remember, SEO was never really about the search engines. It's always been about optimizing the business.” Will Scott BRAND
- 78. @CarrieHill TL:DR ❏ Complete EVERY SECTION of your GMB Profile ❏ Images ❏ Services ❏ Products ❏ Posts ❏ Q&A ❏ GMB Messaging ❏ Write great optimized content on your website ❏ Create an map for your Entities & Relationships ❏ Write evergreen content about those entities & relationships & keep it up to date ❏ Get reviews - 1st & 3rd party ❏ Embrace & Market your Brand ❏ Make your brand search results powerful ❏ Support your community & niche ❏ Optimize content for features snippets ❏ Make sure every organic ad in branded search has a CTA ❏ Measure your KPIs ❏ Report GMB Spammers that compete with you!
Editor's Notes
- Chasing algorithms is not really a strategy. Being defensive in your marketing puts you one step behind someone at any point in time. Protect your brand from algorithm changes so you don't have to worry about them. Follow guidelines, strengthen visibility, earn community karma
- Chasing algorithms is an exercise in futility.
- Just when you catch up - they're going to yank the carrot away again
- Every top to bottom vertical line on this chart represents an algorithm update in the last 11 years. In the last 5 years, Google has been constantly adjusting their algorithm, sometimes multiple times a day, and they don't broadcast all updates.
- From 2011 to 2015, GMB features pretty much stagnated. Local was the wild wild west - with keyword stuffed business names, fake reviews, fake locations - basically anything to get the ranking was being done, and google wasnt really policing too much of anything. They also werent releasing anything new. I think the focus wasnt much on local at this point.
- But in 2015, Google really started doubling down on local search and Google My Business.
- From 2015 to 2019, Google worked on how it was representing businesses in the SERPs. It was critical for it to figure out how to give searchers the info they most want about a business on small mobile screens.
- There was also a greatly increased focus on reviews. And not just Google reviews, but reviews from across the web.
- In 2015 the influence of a business’s reputation and the sentiment in reviews gained power in the Local algorithm. Google told us this in the Google Quality Rater Guidelines And every update of that document emphasizes reputation more than the one before it.
- From 2015- 2019, a transaction and engagement layer started showing and growing in the Local results, enabling searchers to use the SERPs to interact with businesses.
- And Local ads were greatly expanded in that same time frame. There are now ads seen in every screen that Google shows us and more all the time Now we're seeing Local Search Ads with "Google Guaranteed" or "Google Screened" in the case of lawyers coming our way. (Right now only Estate and immigration attys) Everyone should be, at the very least, bidding on their brand in Google Ads - and I'll show you a few examples why coming up soon
- Google has always wanted to make its map a highly usable representation of the real world. It’s meant to showed real things (people/businesses) in real places, doing REAL business
- But the idea has always been that the LEGITIMATE best businesses of their kind within a market area Should be the ones that rank the best in the search results
- But they’ve had to use a lot of proxies for things over the years, the most well-know of these is probably back when proximity was measured by the distance of the businesses from the main post office in a City .
- This resulted in a badly distorted version of the real world that was made worse by SEOs and spammers taking advantage of loopholes that unduly influenced theLocal algorithm.
- The local algorithm has always been based on relevance, prominence and proximity. It’s the proxies that have improved over the years
- Google determines if a business is relevant for a query by what is said about it online by both the business and others. Google looks at the website, the GMB listing and other listings, reviews, social media and traditional media.
- For prominence, Google asks “Is the business well-known and well-regarded within its local market area and its industry? “ Is it one of the best?
- For this, Google mostly relies on what others say about the business and the authority of where it’s said.
- But you can help out too - Community Karma via news, sponsorships, memberships, etc can always help. Bonus points if you brag about it a bit on your website - and get links from those orgs you sponsor when available. Mentions are great (structured vs unstructured)
- Proximity is what truly defines the local algorithm. Is the business close enough to the searcher (or to the place being searched) to be a good answer for the search query? Google fixed proximity measurements whent hey got rid of the "center of zip code" proxy.
- and the real question here is how close is close enough for this query? It depends!
- It depends on relevance to the query, the prominence of the other businesses that are relevant AND on the density of relevant businesses in the area of search. If the searcher is looking for something nearby, then businesses closer to them have an advantage. But if they are looking for something in a specific area, such as Harrisonburg, then the businesses in that area are the ones considered for ranking. And if the searcher asks for specific attributes, like “best”, cheapest” or “open now”, other businesses may become more relevant even if they are further away from the searcher. Proximity is fluid and changes as the searcher moves around in the world.
- But is Google really hi-jacking your Brand’s traffic?
- Sort of, but we cannot stop what Google’s doing. I’d like you to twist your thinking around and stop regarding Google as your competition as it expands its answers in the SERPs. Instead we must use it to our advantage. Every result is an opportunity. Expand your brand - take advantage of opportunities (BBB - Westword article) - phone number in Google Ad
- This research by Moz and Jumpshot shows that between Google, You Tube and Google Images, Google gets about 90% of the search traffic in the US. If youw ant to compete - you have to play by THEIR rules. Their rules say Brand is king - so find those opportunities.
- Let's Talk about how to succeed in an algorithm-driven environment
- Here are a few examples of Google providing answers in the search results. When searchers can get information about your business quickly and easily in the results, they often don’t need to go to your website.
- These are the generally accepted low-funnel KPIs for a local business: Online form fills, messages from Facebook, Click to call and asking for driving directions. Mike Blumenthal did a study where he tracked these 4 generally accepted Local KPIs for local businesses.
- and 70% of those measurable actions happened at Google and another 25% happened on the business website. These are the 2 places where you should be directing MOST of your online efforts. For many local business, the rest of it is just noise.
- So our strategy with Local Search right now is to fine tune the Google SERPs for the best performance We want them to show our business in the best light and ensure that the “answers” that Google delivers there are accurate, appealing to searchers and as complete as we can make them.
- IN 2012 Local search started coming into focus. Google’s understanding of local businesses improved greatly as it better saw how entities related to each other.
- By cataloging all the entities and the relationships between them Google better understands the real world and how it works together. In this example of a knowledge graph of the Flintstones, Wilma and Bedrock are entities and the line between them represents the relationship between them. Wilma Flintstone lives in Bedrock
- By thinking about your business website as a knowledge graph of your business, you’ll be able to ensure that it contains all the information that it should: Your people , services, products, locations and so on are entities that should be represented by pages and the relationships between those entities should be clearly shown by links and link text. This helps Google better understand your brand.
- 2018, Google announced that it has added topical layers on its knowledge graph, which brings more of the real world into focus. This topical layer for example, shows the how content related to medical malpractice cases can be related and linked together. Add ANOTHER layer for location on top of that using cities, neighborhoods, regional colloquialisms, etc. From this you can imagine a topical layer for a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas and all of the topics/locations and how they'd be connected together.
- So the knowledge graph laid the foundation for ranking entities rather than just ranking pages or websites. And to rank your business entity, you must optimize your brand.
- In the last 2 years, there have been an average of 2 new or improved GMB features every month.
- So why has Google jumped into local with both feet?
- The current Google CEO told us just a few months ago that it intends to move from answers in the SERPs into actions in the SERPs
- So now Google’s giving answers and enabling engagement and transactions in the SERPs. It’s working to prove it’s value to businesses, but that’s a double-edged sword. When it proves value, it can and will extract more profit from Local Search.
- By inserting itself into transactions, Google makes more money and gets more valuable data.
- Selling more ads is obvious and certain industries are being coerced into buying paid ads in order to gain any meaningful exposure in the results.
- And quite possibly to create a subscription model of some type that will likely be driven by what it can get away with.
- Let's Talk about how to succeed in an algorithm-driven environment
- So start thinking in terms of improving your local brand That’s simply awareness – do people in your market area know about your business, where it is and what it does or sells? and reputation: what do people in your local market area think about your business?
- I mentioned before Google’s emphasis has shifted from ranking pages and websites to ranking entities or brands. And Google loves brands.
- In 2008, the Google CEO said “The internet is a cesspool where false information thrives… Brands are how you sort out the cesspool.” This is because Google can rely on the marketplace to do the incredibly difficult job of vetting brands.
- So what’s your brand’s story on Google? How do others see your brand online? Do you see your business as king when others are seeing a pawn?
- You can get a pretty good sample of the answers and opportunities Google provides for your brand in the SERPs by searching for your brand name and location in Google and examining what’s on the page. In Local search, we’re calling this your brand page
- Be certain to check your brand page on mobile, too. Google is splitting up the information from the knowledge panel - so don't be surprised to see results between GMB Elements. This makes it even more important to control brand real estate
- While this is just a snapshot, it does reveal what: Google knows about your business, what searchers think is important to know about your type of business and a overview of your reputation. By doing this for your competitors, you’ll also see how they are doing and opportunities you may be missing. If you improve what searchers see on this page, you are improving your presence all across Google.
- Control what you can on this page. I generally break down brand pages into the things the business controls, which are in yellow here. reviews and reputation, highlighted in green, which you have the least control of, but can influence and listings and news about your business on other websites. You generally have a lot of control over listings and you can influence the news searchers see about you.
- First take a look at your page titles and metadescriptions, which I like to refer to as organic ads. If you’ve done the work to rank well, don’t drop the ball here. I never ceased to be amazed at the volume of crummy old school “ads” out there. Your titles and metadescription should focus on the customer and include your phone number, service area and a CTA
- Google now allows us to choose a cover photo (even though they don’t always get it right. It’s your most seen photo and it should showcase the brand.
- With your other photos on GMB, think about what prospects WANT to see. If you’re a lawyer, they want to see photos that show your expertise and preparedness. If you were a water park, they want to see kids having fun. Google is now choosing photos from GMB uploads to match queries - so the cover photos is not the only photo that matters. Upload lots of photos that are representative of your services and name them correctly
- For listings that appear in the SERPs with stars, Check to see that info is complete and correct, Respond to at least some of the more recent reviews on those sites and you may wish to encourage more reviews in those places Put reviews on your own site, mark them up or use a compatible tool (I recommend GatherUP)
- For listings without stars, Google thinks these sites are important in your industry and/or location. Again, make sure the info is correct and complete If reviews are possible, you may wish to encourage some on these sites.
- If you’ve done a really good job of soliciting and publishing reviews on your own website, it can show up in the “Reviews from the web” section of the knowledge panel. In order to make that happen: Use proper schema No review-gating- Publish all comments Easiest w/ a Google- compliant platform
- So when we're talking about reviews, we have to talk about this guy. Let's be honest, most of you know a competitor that is maybe (likely) doing some shady things - including getting fake reviews While reporting blatant bad actors (like employees leaving reviews) is a good tactic, constantly worrying about what they're doing means you're not working on what YOU should be doing. Monitor, don't obsess.
- Google Posts allow businesses to write directly into their brand search results. Google’s messed around a lot with Posts since it was introduced. Greg Gifford will go into the details of Posts and Q&A tomorrow.
- Google Posts allow businesses to write directly into their brand search results. Google’s messed around a lot with Posts since it was introduced. Greg Gifford will go into the details of Posts and Q&A tomorrow.
- Google Posts allow businesses to write directly into their brand search results. Google’s messed around a lot with Posts since it was introduced. Greg Gifford will go into the details of Posts and Q&A tomorrow.
- Q & A is now a feature on local knowledge panels. Not controlled through GMB platform NEEDS to be monitored - a few 3rd party systems will do it - GatherUp & Whitespark do I believe
- It’s possible to ask and answer questions for your brand.
- irrelevant or questions that make no sense or are derogatory can be flagged for removal.
- I see many, many instances of lost sales opportunities when looking at Q & A Many people think they are texting in real time with the brand and expect a timely answer. Don’t be one of those businesses that effectively refers customers to their competitors just by ignoring them.
- And you can text with them in real time! Enabling text messaging directly from a GMB profile offers you a way to communicate directly with customers. You’d be crazy not to take advantage of this feature whenever you can. And you can easily toggle it on and off via the GMB app. Can also be managed through a review/customer service mgt platform like Podium or GatherUP
- The Services feature lets you add different types of representation and sends more keyword context to Google. What do you do? Where do you do it?
- I enter client's services as products as well - they surface in the knowledge panel for branded queries and are another opportunity
- The more information you provide to Google in ways it can easily understand, the more relevant your business becomes for the products you sell, the services you provide and your attributes. Whether they have a single location or many locations, for a lot of local businesses, Google My Business and the business website provide the best opportunities for growing the KG for your brand.
- There are violators everywhere - and unfortunately - Google isnt perfect. Putting keywords in your business name in GMB works - but is against the TOS - ONLY your business' name should be here - that which is registered w/ the SOS. If you're David resnick- your result is being pushed down by this "Dog Bite Lawyer Yonkers" result - which is lead gen spam - the location is a run down house - there's no website - just a phone number and one review. There is NO WAY this is the best dog bite lawyer in NYC - but they rank first. Report it!
- Google loves brands and it’s gotten to the point where it can get a good understanding of a brand and how it fits into its local marketplace when we give it the information it needs. I see this as Google giving us gifts of opportunity to boost our local brands.
- But in 2019, we are approaching the reality of the best businesses ranking the best on Google
- And as one of my LocalU partners Will Scott says, “The key for us to remember, SEO was never really about search engines. It’s always been about optimizing the business.”
- So your best strategy to win in Local Search is to actually be the best business of its kind in the local market area. Be a local brand that people love and Google can now understand that better every day.
- So your best strategy to win in Local Search is to actually be the best business of its kind in the local market area. Be a local brand that people love and Google can now understand that better every day.