Avvo Webinar: Everything Lawyers Need to Know About Google+

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Greg SterlingAugust 7, 2012

Everything Lawyers Need to Know about Google+ and Local Search

About.me

• Former lawyer, editor, startups, analyst, blogger

• Search, social media, mobile, local, multi-channel shopping, SMB advertising/marketing

• “The Impact of the Internet on Offline Buying”

• Twitter: @gsterling

Once the World Was Simple and Whole

Wait, What’s He Holding?

Local: Print Was It

Print YP was the source of most ad-generated local business leads

About 10 years ago print “references” began declining. In 2008 the Internet officially became the top source of local business information (per comScore)

Now mobile growing very fast Source: YPA, publishers (2011)

Now a Fragmented Market

Print is still used (at least occasionally) by more than 70% of US adult survey respondents. But frequency and whether a primary or secondary resource varies by demographic segments.

Source: Market Authority Q4 2011

500K+ appsThousands local

Lots of Local Directory Lookups

Source: comScore June, 2011

But Search Dwarfs IYP Volumes

Source: comScore July 2012

11.4 billion PC queries; 20%* are local = 2.28 billion local queries (monthly)

Google where most local queries are concentrated on the PC

66.8%

15.6%

13%

US Search Market Share June 2012

*20% figure is Google’s own cautious estimate of % of local queries on PC; in mobile it’s 40% per Google

GoogZilla Casts a Long Shadow over Local Business

US SMBs

Quick Review: SEO-Presence To-Dos

• Website + mobile site (MoFuse, DudaMobile). Make sure physical address on sites (link to other profiles)

• Simple tools to audit local visibility: GetListed, Yext (others)

• Get information into “mother databases” (Localeze, Infogroup, Acxiom). They populate all the many directory sites.

- Claim/enhance Google Places/Google+ Page

- Claim/enhance Yelp profile

- Two most important US IYP sites: YP.com, Supermedia

• Twitter/Facebook (depends; that’s another webinar)

• Information should be consistent across databases/sites

What about Advertising?

Yes is the short answer . . . but more on that later

Top Categories: Ads + CTRs

Source: YP (AT&T) Q2 2012

Google ‘Local’ Era (2004 – 2006)

In 2004 Google debuts “Google Local.” Later that year Company acquires Keyhole, which becomes Google Earth and Where 2 Technologies, which becomes Google Maps. Google Local is later “renamed” Google Maps.

In 2006 company starts showing more local listings in search results:

The Google Places Era (2008 – 2012)

In 9/09 Google introduced “Place Pages,” a full-page version of the Map “Info Window”

The Google Places Era (2008 – 2012)

Google Place Pages were an attempt to organize information about every location in the “real world.”

Google: “If you're a business owner, you can add or update your business details through the Local Business Center” (LBC).

In April 2010, LBC becomes “Google Places”

URLs: https://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter?

www.google.com/placesforbusiness/

The Google Places Era (2008 – 2012)

In May 2012 Google automatically turned all Place Pages into Google+ Local Pages (not to be confused with Google+ Pages for Business)

Why Should We Care about G+?

• Google+ Local page will show up in search results (thin or complete?)

• Google+ Local pages may help with organic rankings (re social/personalized search)

• You probably have a Google+ Local page already

• Not just about “defense,” positive marketing opportunity for firms that actively embrace it

• Good for mobile

Social

Places vs. G+ Local Pages

• Google Places were static business profile pages (“set it and forget it”)

- Though millions claimed they were “lifeless”

- Google+ tries to match and improve upon FB capabilities

• Google Places not in SERPs, Google+ Pages are

• Star reviews on Places replaced by Zagat 30-pt ratings on G+

• Google+ Local pages more social (offer video “Hangouts”)

• Google+ and Google+ Local pages being merged and unified currently. It’s a process Page admin must affirmatively do

Google+ ‘Decision Tree’

Did we have a claimed Google Places page?

Did we previously create a Google+ page?

Yes?No?

What kind? G+ Business page or other?

If a Business page, verify and “merge” into G+ Local page.

Don’t create a Google+ page now

Yes?No?

Claim/create/verify Google+ Local page

Inspect/update/verify Google+ Local page

Other types of G+ pages can’t be merged into Google+ Local pages right now

Any/all activity on Google+ requires Google+ membership as a pre-requisite

‘Converted’ Place Page: Unclaimed

Add or Edit Listing

Service Area

Hours, Payments, Images, Video

Verification by Phone or Postcard

Thin, Unclaimed Page

Good Page = Lots of Content

Reviews, Followers

Reviews Preferred Information Source

Source: Nielsen and NM Incite (2011)

Consumer ratings

Consumer reviews

Company website

Call Center

Email

Video clip

Live chat

Company's Facebook Page

Mobile app

Online ad

Company's Twitter account

63%

62%

50%

47%

45%

34%

30%

15%

9%

8%

7%

Which is the preferred source for product/service information?

Top two reasons consumers write reviews and share experiences online:

1. Give recognition “for a job well done”

2. Protect others

Regular Posts/Updates

Images

Video

Fullscreen Video Playback

Google+ Local Optimized for Mobile

Google+ Local Optimized for Mobile

Mobile Growth in Paid Search Clicks

“Between 15% and 25% of paid search traffic is now coming from mobile devices . . .

In local-heavy categories, such as dining, auto services and entertainment this jumps to 50% or more.”

-- DataPop CEO Jason Lehmbeck

Top Search Categories: Online + Mobile

Source: YP (AT&T) Q2 2012

“Divorce Lawyers”

Not Much Happening

Even the Big Guys: Nothing

Marginally Better

Advertising: Rational, Options

• Ad placements easier to control than organic rankings (short term vs. long term)

• Search: organic + paid reinforce each other

• In mobile, search ads take up most of the screen (organic gets limited visibility vs PC)

• In noisy market visibility more important than ever (ads can help)

• Ads can drive social media followers

• Brand or direct response (search, display, social )

• Now can buy calls (via print, PC and mobile) rather than impressions and/or clicks

• Caveat: money can be easily wasted online if digital campaigns not well designed

Helpful URLs

• Google+ Pages overview: http://support.google.com/plus/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1710600

• FAQ re Google+ Local pages: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/business/oRvAQC_IakA/vsfNhuMzURYJ

• Google video answering questions re Google Places transition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO5wd2fl2Vs&feature=youtu.be

• Another data source Google draws from: http://www.google.com/mapmaker (make sure your listing is correct in here too)

Questions?

greg.sterling@gmail.com@gsterling