Local Service Ad Options from Google

/0 Comments/in /by
Google Local Services ads help businesses connect with people in a local service area. Ads show up for customers in your service area, and you only pay if a customer calls or messages you directly through the ad. This is a much more cost effective option for small businesses than traditional Google ads.

To set up a local service ad, you start with your business name, service type, and location. Google will verify your business and then you can take the next step.

Once you’re set up, you use a dashboard to update information and manage your ads. You can set the budget and pause ads as needed.

Home based businesses like plumbers and painters can get a Google Guaranteed badge that tells customers Google has verified the business and backs the services. Professional services, businesses like lawyers and event planners, can get a Google Screened badge that tells clients Google has verified your background and backs your expertise.

Once your Local Services ad is live, your business will show up with a call or message button – you choose which one – so customers can connect with you.

Get started by determining your eligibility with Google.

How Often to Post on Social Media

/0 Comments/in , /by

Here’s the #1 question I answer: “How often should I post to social media?” There’s no one right answer, but I can offer insight.

First, you need to consider your goals and audience. Post zero times to places where you audience isn’t or that don’t support your goal. Quality content always beats quantity. If you don’t have anything great to post, don’t post.

Now that we have that out of the way, here are the current guidelines for the most commonly used platforms:

  • On Instagram, post between 3-7 times per week
  • On Facebook, post between 2-5 times a week
  • On Twitter, post between 1-5 times a day
  • On LinkedIn, post between 1-5 times a week

Every social media account is unique, so looking at your metrics is absolutely key to getting the right frequency.

Frequency on Instagram

It is generally recommended to post to your Instagram feed 2-3 times per week, and no more than once per day.

Key Instagram statistics:

  • The average user spends 30 minutes a day on Instagram
  • 81% of people use Instagram to research products and services
  • 63% of American users check Instagram at least once a day

Posting on Facebook

It is generally recommended to post once a day, no more than daily. Some studies have even found less engagement if you’re posting more than that.

Key Facebook statistics:

  • Facebook is the world’s third most-visited website
  • More than half of American users check Facebook several times per day
  • The average user spends 34 minutes per day on Facebook
  • 80% of people access the platform using mobile only

Tweeting Guidelines

It is generally recommended to post no more than 3-5 times per day. People on Twitter are looking for news and events.

Twitter statistics:

  • 42% of American users check Twitter at least once a day
  • Users spend about about 15 minutes per visit

Using LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, post once a day and generally on business days.

LinkedIn facts:

  • Companies that post weekly on LinkedIn see a 2x higher engagement rate
  • 12% of American users check LinkedIn several times a day

5 Tips to Boost Your Brand SEO

/0 Comments/in , /by

The rules of SEO are always changing. What worked a couple years ago may not work today. To take your brand SEO to the next level, follow these tips.

Design for Mobile

In most industries, most searches are now done on mobile devices. Responding to this, Google switched to mobile-first indexing in 2020. Now the mobile version of your website, not the desktop version, is indexed and used to determine search rank.

To optimize for mobile indexing, evaluate your mobile site for things like loading times and navigation. Also make sure the structural elements of your mobile site are identical to those of your desktop site.

Use Keywords Wisely

Just using a keyword isn’t always helpful. Repeating keywords too often will cause Google’s algorithm to penalize you for “keyword stuffing,” so you want to use keywords carefully.

Use keywords where they fit naturally. Content should flow for the reader and not appear stilted to use the right keywords.

Where you put keywords matters, too. Keywords in meta titles, descriptions and image tags as well as page titles, and subheadings carry more weight than keywords in the body text.

Think Q&A

More searches are questions. So, Google now offers Q&A type search results. When you type a question into a Google search, you sometimes see a box with a snippet of text answering the question. This is the answer box, and it’s becoming increasingly important.

Google’s algorithm populates answer boxes with text that directly answers a specific question. Write out the question you want to target in your content, and then provide an answer in a way that’s concise and accurate.

Keep Brand Content Fresh

Search engines still like “new” content. So, focus on making your old content new again.

Look for relevant content published in the last few years. Add new links, remove old ones, update any outdated information, and publish. This gets valuable content in front of new readers and gives it an SEO boost.

Provide Content for People

Search engines are machines, but they try to be like people. The goal is to rank highly those websites that serve user needs and interests. Google’s algorithm is designed to prioritize pages with the best user experience. If you can focus on this first, many aspects of SEO for your brand will fall into place as a result.