Do you feel like you and your team know the value of reviews, but have some discomfort around asking for reviews? Our very own Chris Pitts has some helpful tips to make getting reviews easier and less stressful.
BrightLocal just released a new study on where people click on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) for service area businesses and it’s chock full of good insights. Don’t have time to read the full study? No worries. We put together a list of key takeaways and actionable steps you should take to ensure your business gets all the clicks you deserve.
Note: This study compared click rates when Local Service Ads (LSAs) were and were not present, and evaluated SERPs for plumbers, locksmiths, house painters, garage door pros, and towing companies in San Francisco.
With 50.8% of people clicking on organic search results when LSAs are absent and 43.9% still clicking on organic search results when LSAs are present, it’s time to stop saying SEO is dead and that the only way to win is to pay the reaper. Organic is still the popular girl at school.
Organic position #1 is the top most clicked SERP result overall, but as long as you’re on the first page, you shouldn’t worry. Only 3.60% of people said that position on page determined where they clicked on organic search results when LSAs were present vs. 8% when LSAs were absent.
Why should you care?
You need to be where people are looking, and people are looking (and clicking) in organic search results. An optimized, attractive, informative, and user-friendly website will help your business rank on the first page of organic SERPs. And given the importance of review ratings (which we’ll talk about in just a minute), you may want to consider adding review Schema markup to your site for a little extra click incentive.
According to the study, the number one reason people clicked on an organic search result was because it was a list of businesses (aka a directory). Interestingly enough, Yelp claimed the #1 organic spot in all 5 service business categories.
Why should you care?
If people are clicking on directories, they need to find your business on those platforms. And as much as we all hate Yelp, we shouldn’t ignore it because it’s getting a lot of clicks. As part of your SEO strategy, you should make sure your listings on directory sites are accurate. You may not have time to get incredibly detailed on every major directory, but at the very least, you should have your Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP), and hours.
It’s interesting to note, however, that 6% of people clicked on an organic result because it wasn’t a directory (3.18% when LSAs were present). So once again, having an optimized website matters.
We all know that reviews matter, but this study confirmed that the review rating and number of reviews that a business had largely determined whether or not it got the click in the local pack (51%) and in LSAs (also 51%). The local pack is the list of businesses that shows up just below the map, and spots 1 and 2 are the most clicked SERP results after organic position #1.
Why should you care?
Potential customers are judging you in the SERPs and deciding whether or not to even consider your business based on what others are saying about you. No matter what type of business you have, you need to be regularly getting more reviews and better reviews.
A lot of business owners know they need more reviews but they’re either uncomfortable asking or inconsistent. Asking for reviews needs to be a regular part of your service process, but if you need some help, shoot us an email at reviewhelp@sparkmarketer.com. We have some tools that make the “ask” easy and effective.
Note: Make sure you’re still getting reviews on your Google My Business, even if you’re enrolled in Local Service Ads. Reviews from GMB count towards your LSA rating, but LSA reviews don’t count towards your GMB rating.
When LSAs are present, LSAs and PPC top ads are collectively claiming 24.9% of clicks in SERPs. When LSAs are absent, PPC top ads are still getting 14.1% of clicks. While the #1 reason for clicks on LSAs is review rating, the #1 reason for clicks on PPC top ads is position on page. On mobile, numbers are presumed to be even higher, because people are even less willing to scroll down on a smaller screen.
Local search expert, Tom Waddington, points out that with the rise of voice search, “in four of the five categories in this study, the results from Google Assistant would be 100% paid.”
Why should you care?
Even if you have a fully optimized website, if you’re not using PPC or LSAs to grow your business, you’re going to miss out on some customers. If you haven’t already, it’s time to consider adding PPC to your strategy and integrating LSAs if they’re available in your area and vertical. You don’t have to blow your entire marketing budget on ads, but strategically integrating Google Ads campaigns and Local Service Ads can help you cover all the bases and grow your business faster.
Make sure you’re creating clear, attractive ads that people actually want to click. 40% of people click on an ad because of its content. Use the limited space you have wisely and think about what entices you to click. If your ad is unattractive, unprofessional, and doesn’t have a very clear call-to-action (including your phone number), it’s just taking up space.
The #1 top PPC ad is still getting more clicks than all of the LSAs and about 100x the clicks of bottom of the page PPC ads, so that’s really the spot you want if you’re using PPC as part of your strategy. Don’t waste your time on ads at the bottom of SERPs. No one’s scrolling that far down to see your ad, except maybe you. If you’d like to talk with a Google Ads expert about your business, reach out to Christian at christian@sparkmarketer.com.
Pretty interesting stuff, huh? We’re hoping BrightLocal will do a similar study on mobile, because we have a feeling the findings would be quite different. Stay tuned!
It’s no secret, Spark Marketer is made up of a bunch of nerds — so, naturally, we love reading. But life-changing, enjoyable books aren’t limited to the business section.
Here are some of our all-time favorite books and top book recommendations (fiction and non-fiction). Check ‘em out! (Get it? Because at the library, you can check out books…)
Determining whether not to it makes sense for your business to offer health care to your employees is a big decision, and by no means a one-size-fits-all decision. Obviously no blog post can make the choice for you, but here are some of the perks of offering health care benefits in the workplace:
So should you offer health care to your team? That’s a decision only you can make, but we hope we’ve given you something to think about during the consideration phase.
As a small business owner, any tools that can make your life easier, streamline communication, or save you time are pure gold. Thankfully, developers are always working on new apps to address some of your biggest challenges. Here are some of the apps we recommend to business owners and what they can do for you:
Google My Business — With the Google My Business app, you can manage your GMB information, respond to customer reviews, share photos, and get insights into how you’re performing online, all from your phone or tablet.
Evernote — You don’t always have a notebook in hand when brilliance strikes, but you probably have your phone nearby. With the Evernote app, you can easily jot down ideas; organize notes; create to-do lists; save business cards; and scan, store, and organize important contracts and documents. And since it’s all right there on your phone, you can reference it anytime.
Google Drive — Like Evernote, the Google Drive app allows you to create documents, store them, and share with others for collaboration. Want team feedback on a new direct mail flyer? Want your team to be able to easily pull up contracts, Google sheets, or other important documents? Google Drive makes it possible.
Slack — Slack is a great tool for real-time communication with your team, no matter where you are. Within Slack, you can easily direct message anyone on your team, but you also have the ability to create channels, like a general channel where you can post important information that’s relevant to the whole team, or project/topic specific channels. You can also pin documents within channels (Google Drive integrates with Slack, as does Asana, Salesforce, Dropbox, and others), and the search function makes it easy to look up previous conversations using a keyword. Another great thing about Slack is that you can select when you want to be notified: when conversation happens in any channel, when someone messages you directly, or only when you’re mentioned in conversation with an @.
Voxer Walkie Talkie Messenger— Voxer is a messaging app that allows you to have real-time private and group chats in a walk talkie style. Unlike walkie talkies, with Voxer, you can choose to listen and respond immediately or wait until a better time. You can also have your voice messages transcribed to text so you can read them, and easily share your location, photos, videos, and dropbox files with others.
Messenger/Facebook/Instagram/Twitter — Your customers want to be able to reach you through their preferred method and at their preferred time, and many are now using social media to do so. Customers also want quick responses, which is why we recommend getting Messenger app, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the apps of any other social media platforms you have a business profile on. With the apps, you can make sure no messages, comments, or tweets that need to be responded to go unanswered.
Yelp for Business Owners— Whether you love or hate Yelp, many customers and potential customers still use the app to learn more about you, review your business, and get in touch with you. With the Yelp app, you can easily manage your profile, track activity, add photos, respond to reviews, and answer customer messages and questions quickly, right from your phone.
Facebook Ads Manager — Running ads on Facebook? The Facebook Ads Manager app allows you to easily check in on ad performance, create new campaigns, and stay up-to-date on important info and updates. With Facebook ads, time is money, so being able to check performance and learn about potential problems or concerns quickly and easily is important.
AdWords Express — Running ads through Google AdWords express? With the AdWords Express app, you can quickly create and edit ads, set ad goals, and track ad performance right from your phone.
Square Point of Sale (POS) — The Square app makes it easy for you to accept payment for a job, regardless of whether your customer is paying with a debit card, a credit card, Apple Pay, or a chip card. All major credit cards are accepted (2.75% per swipe) and money is deposited fast. Within the app, you can set up products, services, photos, and prices, and at the POS, your customer simply signs directly on your phone or tablet. All you need is the Square reader and the app and you can kiss checks goodbye.
QuickBooks Accounting — Let’s face it, as a business owner, you have to know your numbers. Looking for an app that allows you to create and send invoices, capture photos of receipts, manage cash flow and expenses, and quickly view your P&Ls? The QuickBooks app is it.
Your Business Banking App — Most banks these days have apps that allow you to transfer money from one account to another, view past transactions, track direct debits and direct deposits, and view bank account totals quickly and easily. Many also allow you to quickly deposit money without ever stepping foot in the bank. Simply snap a photo of the check and hold onto it until it clears. Whichever bank you use for business, get the app on your phone or tablet so you can keep your eye on your money and say in the know.
Closing Commander — For business owners, time is money. But have you thought about all the money you’re losing out on because you don’t have the time to follow up on every open estimate? It may take up to 7 touches for a customer to move forward after receiving an estimate, and that’s a lot of work for an already busy business owner or service team. Enter Closing Commander. This app makes following up and closing sales easy. It’s automated, personalized, and affordable. Some users are seeing more than 34% success rate in closing more of these open estimates. Check it out!
What are some must-have apps you rely on? Let us know in the comments below!