Accelerate Your Organic Traffic

The success of your business hinges on its online presence. A well-crafted website is a cornerstone, but it’s just the beginning. To truly thrive in the online marketplace, you need to drive organic traffic to your website. One powerful tool at your disposal is Google My Business (GMB). This free platform can significantly boost your online visibility and draw potential customers to your website. Let’s explore how you can leverage Google My Business to maximize your organic website traffic.

What Is Google My Business?

Google My Business is a free online tool provided by Google, designed to help businesses manage their online presence across Google Search and Google Maps. When users search for products, services, or businesses, GMB listings often appear in the local “3-pack” results, providing essential information at a glance, such as your address, phone number, business hours, and customer reviews.

Create a Detailed GMB Profile

To start driving organic traffic, you must create a comprehensive GMB profile. Ensure that all your business information is accurate, including your website URL. Your website is your digital storefront, and GMB helps direct potential customers to it. Verify your business location, add high-quality photos, and craft a compelling business description that showcases your uniqueness.

Encourage Customer Reviews

Customer reviews are a powerful trust signal for potential customers. Positive reviews not only improve your online reputation but also encourage more people to click through to your website. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and always respond to reviews, whether they’re positive or negative, to show your commitment to customer satisfaction.

Publish Posts and Updates

GMB allows you to publish posts and updates, similar to social media. Use this feature to share news, promotions, events, and valuable content from your website. Regularly publishing updates keeps your GMB listing fresh and engaging, encouraging users to explore your website for more information.

Utilize Google Insights

Google My Business provides valuable insights into how users interact with your listing. Pay attention to these insights to understand what works and what doesn’t. Adjust your strategy accordingly, focusing on the content and features that drive the most organic traffic to your website.

Optimize for Local SEO

Local search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for attracting organic traffic relevant to your business. Ensure that your website is optimized for local keywords, and use them strategically in your GMB listing. By aligning your website and GMB profile, you’ll increase your chances of ranking higher in local search results.

Monitor and Update Regularly

Maintaining your GMB profile is an ongoing process. Regularly monitor your listing for accuracy, update your business information as needed, and continue engaging with customers through reviews and posts. Consistency is key to sustaining and growing your organic traffic over time.

Google My Business is a potent tool for driving organic traffic to your website. By creating a detailed profile, encouraging customer reviews, publishing engaging content, utilizing insights, optimizing for local SEO, and staying vigilant in your efforts, you can harness the full potential of GMB to boost your online visibility and attract more visitors to your website. In today’s digital landscape, a well-optimized GMB listing is an essential component of any successful online marketing strategy.

Screenshot of a Richmond, VA Google map image showing that Harbor Freight Tools has an offer available

Map Success

In today’s crowded market, businesses constantly seek innovative ways to stand out in the crowd and attract more customers. One powerful tool that has emerged to help businesses achieve this goal is Google Maps. With over 1 billion monthly active users, Google Maps has become a go-to resource for people seeking local businesses and services. To harness the full potential of this platform, savvy businesses are turning to featured ads and offers. In this blog post, we’ll explore how using offers and deals can help your business appear as a featured ad on Google Maps, driving more foot traffic and online engagement.

The Power of Google Maps for Businesses

Google Maps for businesses has become an essential tool for consumers looking for local products and services. Whether someone is searching for a nearby restaurant, a hardware store, or a beauty salon, Google Maps provides a wealth of information, including user reviews, photos, and contact details.

Being featured on Google Maps offers several advantages:

  • Increased Visibility: A featured ad prominently displays your business on the map, making it more likely for users to discover you.
  • Trust and Credibility: Positive reviews and ratings on Google Maps build trust with potential customers.
  • Driving Foot Traffic: For brick-and-mortar stores, being on Google Maps can lead to increased foot traffic and in-store sales.

Now, let’s explore how offers and deals can help you leverage these advantages to the fullest.

Leveraging Offers and Deals

Google Maps allows businesses to create and promote offers and deals to attract potential customers. Here’s how you can make the most of this feature:

  • Create Irresistible Offers: Start by crafting enticing offers that stand out. Consider discounts, BOGO (Buy One, Get One) deals, or special promotions. The goal is to give users a compelling reason to choose your business over competitors.
  • Use Eye-Catching Imagery: A picture is worth a thousand words. Upload high-quality images that showcase your products or services alongside your offer. Visuals grab attention and make your listing more appealing.
  • Highlight Limited Time Offers: Urgency can be a powerful motivator. Set an expiration date for your offers to create a sense of urgency, encouraging users to take action quickly.
  • Encourage Engagement: Engage with customers who have redeemed your offers by asking them to leave reviews on Google Maps. Positive reviews can boost your credibility and attract more customers.
  • Track and Optimize: Google provides analytics tools to track the performance of your offers. Use these insights to refine your strategies and understand what works best for your target audience.
  • Combine Offers with Google Ads: Consider running Google Ads campaigns that include your offers. This can further enhance your visibility on Google Maps and across the Google ecosystem.
  • Respond to Customer Queries and Reviews: Engage with customers by responding to their questions and reviews promptly. Good customer service can leave a lasting positive impression.
  • Consistency Is Key: Keep your business information up-to-date. This includes your address, phone number, business hours, and website. Consistency in your online presence is crucial for user trust.

Measuring Success

To determine the effectiveness of your featured ads and offers on Google Maps, pay attention to key metrics like:

  • Click-Through Rate (CTR): How many users clicked on your ad?
  • Conversion Rate: How many users redeemed your offers?
  • Customer Reviews: Are they positive and increasing?
  • Foot Traffic: Did you notice an uptick in visits to your physical location?

By regularly monitoring these metrics and adjusting your strategies accordingly, you can optimize your Google Maps presence and continue to attract new customers.

In conclusion, leveraging offers and deals on Google Maps can be a game-changer for your business. It not only enhances your visibility but also entices potential customers to choose your products or services over the competition. Remember that a well-crafted offer, combined with excellent customer service, can leave a lasting impression that keeps customers coming back for more. So, harness the power of Google Maps featured ads and offers to take your business to new heights of success.

image shows a full color Shopify Direct Mail piece touting the benefit of the Shopify platform.

Mail? In this Economy?

At a colleague’s today and this slick Shopify piece was still sitting on the side table post junk-sort. It’s a beautiful direct mail piece – my picture doesn’t do it justice. Most people would consider a $1-2 lead generation piece to an unqualified prospect as exorbitant, but hear me out – the product is $390 per year. They have room to experiment.

Most days there is little to no competition in your prospect’s physical mailbox, even if their inbox is screaming. Shopify has clearly moved to an omnichannel marketing program to continue to enlarge their pool of prospects. Of course you still need an outstanding mail package to stay out of the recycling bin, but now more than ever, direct mail is an outstanding way to qualify prospects and grow your business.

image shows a spool of red thread

Threading the Needle

On July 5th, Meta unveiled Thread, the latest entrant in the crowded social media space and positioned it as a text microblogging platform tied to Instagram. Thanks to the enormous launch pad, Thread was immediately flooded with millions of users.

If you have not already secured your brand or product name you should do so immediately, even if you do not plan to use the service routinely. Set your name up as a placeholder following your brand identity and perhaps a pointer to your most updated social media platform.

Similar to Twitter, a microblogging service allows for brief text and image interactions between followers. The launch of a new, federated network opens up new opportunities for how you position your business on the platform as well as the “voice” you adopt for the platform. With Thread still in its earliest phases it’s the perfect time to experiment and see what engagement you’re able to obtain.

If you’re looking for assistance in positioning your business on Thread please reach out!

a whiskey bottle exploding under the force of impact

Metamorphosis

There’s never a good way to explain a long absence from the internet, but suffice it to say, I’m back with a shiny updated site and a renewed focus on independent consulting.

It’s been far too long since the my last update. I’ve missed connecting with you, sharing valuable information, and keeping you up to date with the latest business news.

I have numerous projects in motion and I hope you’ll stick around to see where I’m headed!

Enriching Your Student

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One of the most frequently asked questions I get from parents is how to use technology to expand their student’s education. With hundreds of options available online, parents have a wealth of choices from websites to apps. Here are three of my favorites!

DuoLingo: We love the ease and simplicity of DuoLingo for language learning. We’re presently using this in Spanish courses but many of our students have chosen to add an additional language they were personally interested in. So far I have students learning Russian, Swedish, German, Spanish and Chinese! Cost: Free/Donation.

Khan Academy: Learn nearly anything via Khan Academy’s ever growing list of curated courses. Khan Academy is especially strong in math and computer science lessons (broken down by grade) and its student reporting and management dashboard helps parents (or educators) suggest additional resources, classes and subjects of interest. Cost: Free/Donation.

Codecademy: Get started learning programming via your browser! Good for middle and high schoolers, this site offers lessons in database management, python, java, html/css and other development languages in high demand. Cost: Free/Donation.

Something Different

changeisgood

It’s been a while, again. Like the proverbial shoemaker’s child, this site gets little time or energy from me these days. Which is too bad because I’m doing some fun and interesting things I really should share. I’m going to try harder, honest.

I’ve been hard at work in other places and spaces. This year I’m teaching computer science again for grades k-8. The program has doubled from last year, and the kids really keep me on my toes. In the picture accompanying this post I’m teaching color block programming with my second graders, who really enjoyed hopping versus typing!

If you’re interested in teaching computer science concepts to children ages 5-9 and would like the lesson plan for this class leave a comment for me!

Snow Day Links

Sliding Around

Some tabs I need to close in browsers make for great reads…I keep meaning to share them and haven’t gotten to them yet! Thankfully today’s snow day gives me a chance to clean up the browser windows and share some of what I’ve been reading lately.

Get kids to eat more vegetables by moving recess. Easier said than done in an age of part time staffing but I agree, it makes a difference. So does serving well prepared veggies, of course!

Letterpress printing at its finest.

R is for Robot is just plain adorable! Adafruit is awesome to offer this as a CC download, too.

These are some stunning photos of owls.

I really liked Alastair Humphreys thoughts on becoming an adventurer – not so different than self employment!

I am thinking a lot about what does and doesn’t constitute “making” these days, so I enjoyed hearing another educator’s take on maker culture. I am still muddling through some thoughts on that which I’ll hopefully get posted by the next snow day!

Gluten & Dairy Free Big Cluster Maple Granola

Gluten Free Big Cluster Maple Granola (adapted from Deb Perelman @ Smitten Kitchen)big-cluster-maple-granola

3 cups (240 grams) gluten free rolled oats
1 cup (50 grams) unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1 cup (100 grams) walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (25 grams) toasted seeds (chia, flax or hemp) ground to flour;
2 tablespoons (30 ml) coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (120 ml; or increase to a cup if a sweeter granola is preferred) maple syrup (the real kind, of course)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg white
1 1/2 cups (215 grams) dried cherries or another dried fruit, diced if large pieces

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients but the egg white and dried fruit in a large bowl, tossing to coat evenly. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Stir into the granola mixture, distributing it throughout. Spread it in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. About halfway through the baking time, use a large spatula to turn over sections of the granola carefully, breaking them up as little as possible. Rotate the pan if granola is baking unevenly. When it is evenly browned and feels dry to the touch, transfer the pan from the oven to the cooling rack. Cool completely. Once it?s completely cool, break up granola into whatever size clusters delight you. Sprinkle in dried fruit while warm.