Category: Google

Google’s Continued Investment in Local

Posted on by Mindstream Media Group

2020 has been quite the year. Not only has it reminded us of the importance of accurate information in local listings, but it has also shown us how valuable local businesses are to Google. As such, Google has been busy releasing a number of updates to help businesses deal with COVID-19 and aims to continue updates throughout Q4 to help local businesses improve communication and engagement with consumers.

Local Business Messages Expansion

Since the beginning of the year, people have initiated more than twice as many messages to businesses right from Business Profiles on Search and Maps. In that timeframe, Google has continued to invest in upgrades in Google Maps and local search capabilities, recently releasing its expanded messaging feature, allowing verified businesses to message with customers directly from the Google Maps app. Once messaging is turned on, a business can start replying to customers on Google Maps from the business messages section in the Updates tab. Additionally, customers can also initiate a message from any Posts a business creates. Google is also now teasing, “soon you’ll also be able to see your messages right from Google Search (via the Customers menu on your Business Profile) and message customers directly from your computer.”

Source:  Google

Updated Performance Insights

This month, Google is expected to release more robust performance metrics giving businesses deeper insight into how customers discovered the Business Profile, starting with a more detailed list of the search queries used to find the business. Beginning in 2021, more updates will be released to the performance page showing whether customers found the business via Search or Maps, as well as their device usage.

Source:  Google

Google’s Community Feed

The Community Feed is a new “social feature” of Google Maps. Found under the Explore tab of Google Maps, this feature offers more opportunities for local business exposure and could eventually become an effective promotional tool.

The new Community Feed presents different types of content (lists) tied to a user’s location showcasing places and activities, which appear to be compiled by Google Local Guides, and resemble Instagram feeds. Examples are “Parks & Gardens in Paris” and “Best Dog Parks from Sacramento to San Francisco.” There is also a “Trending Weekly: [city]” list.

Source:  Google

The Community Feed is also creating more exposure for Google Posts. In early testing, Google found that users are seeing Posts from businesses two times more than before the feed existed. While individual businesses cannot be followed, users can save places and those Posts will appear under the Update tab on Google Maps.

Looking Forward

There is no doubt that Google will continue this trend into 2021 and will most likely work even harder to safeguard its relationships with local businesses. As we look forward to 2021, many industry experts speculate Google will make a greater effort to provide leadership in uncertain times by becoming a stronger partner to businesses, educators and healthcare providers while extending its reach and providing some measure of certainty, while trying to be a more purposeful brand.

One thing is certain, consumers are seeking local information. A robust GMB profile is not only a great way to connect with them, but certain features even impact rankings in Google search results. At Mindstream Media Group, we have the solutions and insight to fast-forward your business by designing and executing sophisticated media strategies. Connect with us to learn more about the role your local business data plays as part of a holistic media plan.

Google Seeks to Improve Local Search UX with AI

Posted on by Mindstream Media Group

In mid-October, Google held a livestream event, Search On, where they announced new AI-powered features aimed at improving user experience. These new features make search more sophisticated in an effort to help users better navigate the physical world around them. One of the biggest announcements from Search On was that Google is now using their natural language understanding algorithm, BERT, on almost every search query in English. This will help the algorithm better understand user intent and therefore serve more relevant search results.

In addition to BERT, there were three other features that stuck out to local search professionals: ‘Busyness,’ AR in Google Maps and Google Duplex.

‘Busyness’ Accuracy Update

With COVID-19 drastically affecting local businesses, Google has opted to discard pre-COVID popular time data when showing a business’ ‘Busyness’ on their Google listing. Google is now using “more recent data from the previous four to six weeks to quickly adapt to changing patterns for popular times.” Google is still using real-time mobile user data to populate “Live Busyness.”

AR Use Case for Google Maps with Live View

Last year, Google rolled out augmented reality walking directions on Google Maps. Named Live View, this feature overlays navigation on top of Google Street View data so users can navigate to their destination in a real-world view.

Source:  Google

During Search On, Google spoke about a variety of use cases for AR technology with one of them relating to Google Maps. The idea is to use AR in Google Maps with Live View to show users a location’s Google My Business listing when the user points their camera at the physical location. This is an idea that Google has been working on for nearly a decade and one that requires highly accurate location data. With AR, Google hopes to make this idea come to life.

Google Duplex Updates Local Business Data

Google Duplex is a virtual assistant originally designed to help users make appointments or reservations at local businesses. Last year Google began using this feature to directly reach out to business owners to confirm local business information they have on file for their business. Google announced this at Search On and said that Duplex has been instrumental in “over 3 million updates to businesses like pharmacies, restaurants and grocery stores that have been seen over 20 billion times in Maps and Search.”

Between 50-60 percent of Google My Business profiles in the U.S. are owner verified. However, even listings that are claimed are sometimes not updated with accurate business information. Google Duplex is helping to close that gap by utilizing their technology to verify data with business owners.

 

Need help managing your brand’s local business information? Mindstream Media Group can help. We have the solutions national or franchise brands with hundreds or even thousands of points of distribution need to manage their local presence. Contact us today to learn how we can help your locations be found easily when consumers are seeking information to make buying decisions.

2020 Local Ranking Factors Survey

Posted on by Malcolm Groves

Originally developed by David Mihm 12 years ago, the annual Local Search Ranking Factors survey has been used by brands as a guide to understand the most important factors influencing local search results in order to prioritize marketing efforts. This year’s survey, conducted by Whitespark’s Darren Shaw, polled about 50 local SEO experts to collect their opinions on which activities and factors impact local business rankings. The study hopes to help marketers understand what could be changed on their current listing and gives insight into what has helped others increase page rank and conversions. This year, the survey explored seven themes:

  • Google My Business
  • Citations/Listings
  • On-page Factors
  • Links
  • Reviews
  • Behavioral Signals
  • Personalization

Changes in Local Ranking Variables

Source:  Whitespark, 2020 Local Search Ranking Factor Survey

According to the study, there has been a noticeable shift in influences on the Local Pack and Local Finder variables.

Local Pack Results

Source: Whitespark

Local Finder Results

Source:  Whitespark

Google My Business and reviews are local ranking variables that have increased the most in recent years, while local links, citations and on-page signals are on the decline.

Source:  Whitespark, 2020 Local Search Ranking Factor Survey

When comparing the local organic results found lower on the search results page to the Local Map Pack and Local Finder, reviews and GMB seem to have less impact on local organic rankings. The top factors in local organic ranking are links and on-page factors.

Local Organic Results

Source:  Whitespark

Top Local Organic Factors

The impact of local SEO variables was also considered in the study. At the top of the local organic SEO ranking factors, was authority of inbound links. The top five local organic factors were:

  • Quality/Authority of Inbound Links to Domain
  • Volume of Quality Content on Entire Website
  • Keywords in Anchor Text of Inbound Links to Domain
  • Topical (Product/Service) Keyword Relevance Across Entire Website
  • Geographic (City/Neighborhood) Keyword Relevance of Domain Content

Source:  Whitespark, 2020 Local Search Ranking Factor Survey

Top Map Pack and Local Finder Ranking Factors

While the primary GMB business category was the top factor, close behind was adding keywords into the GMB business title, even though Google has stated placing keywords in the business title is prohibited. Additionally, keywords in native Google reviews appear to be a greater ranking factor than review scores, quantity of reviews and completeness of GMB listings.

Source:  Whitespark, 2020 Local Search Ranking Factor Survey

When taking a detailed look at the GMB Local Pack variables, the top five factors are:

  • Primary GMB Category
  • Keywords in GMB Business Title
  • Proximity of Address to the Point of Search
  • Physical Address in City of Search
  • Additional GMB Categories

Google My Business Conversion Factors

One of the last questions within the survey was, “Which individual factors do you think have the biggest impact on conversions from GMB?”

Based on the survey’s findings, the top five GMB conversion factors were:

  • High Numerical Google Ratings
  • Positive Sentiment in Review Text
  • Quantity of Native Google Reviews
  • Proximity of Address to the Point of Search
  • GMB Messaging Feature is Enabled

Source:  Whitespark, 2020 Local Search Ranking Factor Survey

As seen in the survey results, higher ratings, positive reviews and the quantity of reviews are all top factors in GMB conversions. These findings may add some confusion to the mindset of marketers that are attempting to understand these factors. So, does this mean that conversion factors are more important than ranking factors?

Rankings Vs. Conversions

When Darren Shaw was asked for his key takeaways from this study, he stated, “A #1 ranking isn’t going to drive any leads to your business if your profile doesn’t have any information on it. A complete GMB listing ranking in the #5 spot with products, photos, descriptions, special offers and tons of positive reviews will always beat an empty GMB listing ranking first.”

The findings within this survey suggest that while rankings are important to visibility, Google My Business conversions are more important to potential sales conversions. Higher conversion rates can equate to generating sales and that is not necessarily true of ranking higher on search result pages. Therefore, marketers should continue to fill their GMB profiles with consistent and accurate information to increase customer engagement on search result pages.

There are so many factors influencing how well a business ranks in local search results, it can be difficult for brands to manage their local listings efficiently, especially for hundreds or thousands of locations. Mindstream Media Group offers a full suite of location services solutions including listings management, store locators, data management and location pages. Contact us to learn more about how we can help your brand connect with local consumers searching for the information they need to make buying decisions.

[Video]: Influencing the Customer Journey

Posted on by Mindstream Media Group

In this episode of Fast-Forward the Conversation, Director of Digital Investment Chris Hunt explores how we move from theory to application in leveraging paid media to influence the customer journey for our clients.

Fast-Forward the Conversation

We believe the daily pressure on CMOs to move their business forward is real, intense and not going away. Join our media practitioners, as we discuss the HOW behind making meaningful progress, on well-defined targets.

 

Catch the Highlights

  • The customer journey is at the forefront of conversations with every single client we work with, especially given the unique time we’re in. In theory, the journey is laid out in a clear linear fashion, but in reality, it’s much more complicated.
  • Times have changed. Just a few short years ago we used data like Experian Mosaic® segments to help bucket audience attributes and transported them to various digital platforms and identified traditional parallels as well.
  • We now know the journey is more like a zig-zagging path of multiple touchpoints, moving through all sorts of media depending on where consumers are, what they’re doing and what device(s) they have in front of them.
  • The consumer journey is dynamic. It’s constantly changing. People change. Brands must dynamically be part of that journey. As players in the media game, we’re finding ways to intercept shoppers in the middle of their journey to influence their purchasing decisions.

 The Customer Journey for a Non-Profit Client

  • We partnered with a global non-profit operating in parts of the world struggling with poverty and injustice. They were striving to have a positive impact on children’s lives and in doing so were also influencing the entire community.
  • Non-profits pose a special challenge given that marketing budgets come almost exclusively from donations made by the very people they’re marketing to. This creates a chicken and egg scenario. We need to show the target audience the difference the organization is making in the world, but a budget is required to do so.
  • Creative assets play a significant role in influencing decisions, but the trick is reaching potential donors in the “moment to buy.” In donating, that cycle is much more involved.
  • Real-time data captured by Facebook and Google as consumers moved through the buying journey was used to identify parallels between the current marketing segment of Christian mothers and others. These inputs helped us expand the target audience and shape the points of the customer journey.
  • Insight from the client is invaluable. Through the course of conversation, the client mentioned a desire to target high-wealth individuals at the end of the year, as a tax break incentive. We created a path and inserted the creative at the proper point in the journey to encourage donations from this audience segment.

The Customer Journey for a Mortgage Lender Client

  • The mortgage business is one of the most competitive industries in the country and quite expensive in terms of the competition for lead volume. Our client was successfully reaching their audience through TV and radio, but they were capping out and looking for a way to scale further.
  • We crafted a digital strategy to reach a younger demographic, primarily online to drive incremental lift.
  • The effort paid off. Results coming from that audience were approximately 25 percent greater in terms of house-closing value. Credit scores of borrowers showed that qualitatively, it was a more profitable audience, albeit smaller scale, but incremental to leads delivered via their other tactics.

The Impact of COVID on the Customer Journey

  • Although unfortunate because of the huge, tragic ramifications of the pandemic, it has created an incredible opportunity to analyze data and act on it dynamically and in real-time.
  • The landscape has changed drastically. Consumer behavior is now more addressable than it has ever been. Brands can now engage with consumers that may not have even considered them before.

See the next episode, QSR in a Dynamic Marketplace.

[Video]: Utilizing Data to Gain Efficiencies and Uncover Opportunities

Posted on by Mindstream Media Group

We believe the daily pressure on CMOs to move their business forward is real, intense and not going away. Join our media practitioners as we discuss the HOW behind supporting client growth through media strategy.

Fast-Forward the Conversation

In this episode of Fast-Forward the Conversation, Kimberly Lockett, Planning Director, shares a unique perspective on work we’ve done for a franchise client in the home improvement category with influence across 200 markets.

 

Catch the Highlights

  • The client’s current media plan was spread a little thin in terms of broadcast and digital campaigns, with a somewhat laissez-faire approach in terms of management.
  • We started with a media audit to assess what had been done in the past in order to determine where we should aim for the future. We discovered previous efforts had been focused more on brand awareness with broad-scale buys in print and broadcast rather than concisely-targeted buys concentrated on specific zip codes within the client’s service areas.
  • Although television viewership has changed, especially in light of COVID, the client had been running the same schedule for a few years.
  • We scratched their whole daypart mix in favor of a more efficient way to reach the target audience of 25-54-year-olds. Our market research and the ratings showed that both the 25-54 and the 55+ buying demos were watching the same programming. Adjusting the purchase to the slightly older demographic allowed us to lower pricing enough to shift 15-20 percent of the budget into the coveted prime-time slot.
  • The client was also overspending in search. Fully-optimized search campaigns require active management on a weekly or even daily basis, but the client was simply letting the campaign run on its own.
  • Our search and broadcast team members worked in tandem to re-piece the media mix puzzle together without increasing the overall budget.
  • Once broad media was covered efficiently with tremendous reach, we utilized data partners to provide better visibility into the true opportunity areas in the marketplace for a digital plus-up.
  • We started by leveraging Simmons data to better understand the target audience. Learning about the behavior, lifestyle and attitudes that impact the purchasing decisions of the target audience helped us determine where to find and target them.
  • Then, we looked at zip codes within the service area and layered on homes that were 20+ years old, since homeowners typically start thinking about home improvement activities when a home reaches 15-20+ years of age. This helped us identify more narrowly defined areas with the most potential for leads and conversions.
  • Reporting from the client’s previous agency consisted of thousands and thousands of lines of data in Excel with no real insights into what it all means. Our goal for the future is to create more valuable reporting that combines sales data with campaign performance to provide a full picture of what’s happening on a day-to-day basis in order to be able to pivot quickly if a tactic is underperforming.
  • Our dynamic reporting creates a much more intimate relationship with the data, making our client’s life easier by providing an immediate connection to KPIs and business intelligence to enable informed decisions.

See the next episode, Influencing the Customer Journey.

Health and Safety Measures Coming to Google My Business

Posted on by Malcolm Groves

The COVID-19 pandemic has made business difficult for both proprietors and consumers in 2020. Several states are now allowing physical visits again, but consumers are often confused about the safety protocol at their favorite local businesses. Google has developed a new solution aimed at helping patrons understand what to expect.

Attributes

Earlier this month, Google launched a new set of Health and Safety attributes businesses can add to their Google My Business (GMB) profile to help communicate the coronavirus protection measures they have in place. Although these new attributes have not been appearing in Search and Maps yet, it is believed that they will appear soon.

There are currently six options available for food, retail and service businesses: Appointment required, Mask Required, Staff gets temperature checks, Staff wear masks and Temperature check required.

Research data suggests that consumers are more likely to visit stores that communicate these health and safety measures as they prefer to patronize businesses that require masks. In August, GatherUp and Mike Blumenthal researched nearly 40,000 reviews across nine different business types after a business commented in the GMB forum that they had received an unfair negative review related to their efforts to enforce mask compliance. Results showed few anti-mask reviews. In fact, most negative reviews revolved around businesses not requiring masks or the lackluster enforcement of them being worn properly inside stores by both employees and shoppers.

Key Takeaways

Throughout the pandemic, Google has searched for ways to make displaying safety information easier. As consumers begin to venture out into their usual store locations and health facilities, businesses that use the Health and Safety attributes have a new way to communicate requirements. Informing consumers of safety protocols prior to arriving at a business could lead to positive reviews and more frequent visits.

These Health and Safety attributes are the most recent tool GMB has developed to help local businesses stand out from the competition and provide essential information to consumers. As experts in the local space, we’re constantly on the lookout for features like these to help our clients optimize their listing to stay visible in search results. If you’re interested in learning more about the Health and Safety attributes or GMB, reach out to connect with our team.