How social networks usurp Google’s local search dominance
Google may dominate most results, but not local search. Contributor Wesley Young looks at how Facebook and other social networks take a significant share of local search away from Google.
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Wesley Young's latest articles
How to survive Google’s new local search world
Google has made some significant changes in the area of local search. Contributor Wesley Young gives an overview of the important changes and shares tips on how to keep your local business visible in the search results.
Why we need to fight fake reviews
As a business owner, are you tempted to slip in a few positive reviews since you think everyone is doing it? Resist, says contributor Wesley Young.
6 smart e-commerce lessons to boost local business
With more and more people window shopping on a small screen, contributor Wesley Young shares six ways to use online tactics to drive customers to an offline store.
Customer loyalty: A key ingredient for successful local search results
Loyal customers are both your cheerleaders and bodyguards. Contributor Wesley Young shares six ways to boost local search results using customer loyalty.
How much will privacy regulation disrupt the local search market in 2018?
Columnist Wesley Young covers a growing storm of events that are likely to culminate in substantial regulatory change and analyzes the impact that can have on the local search industry.
Top 10 local search insights of 2017
From location data to SEO, columnist Wesley Young of the Local Search Association provides his top 10 list of local search lessons learned in 2017.
SEO ranking factors for 4 business verticals and what they mean for local businesses
As organic search becomes ever more targeted, SEO is evolving in ways that require more customization. Wesley Young explores a recent study on ranking factors and provides 7 practical takeaways to boost search rank.
6 ways IoT will make local search for SMBs scalable
Don't turn your attention away from the Internet of Things just yet. Contributor Wesley Young contends that the data provided by connected devices could help smaller players better compete with the big guys.
6 tips for using location information to boost conversion
Columnist Wesley Young looks at how far consumers are willing to travel to shop at local stores and how to use your store’s location to boost conversion of your marketing campaigns.
9 SEO tips for better Google Image search results
Before you start exploring voice search, make sure you've optimized your site images as fully as possible, suggests columnist Wesley Young. Find out why and how to take advantage of this often-neglected type of search.
7 changes by Facebook that make it a real local search player
Columnist Wesley Young looks at recent improvements Facebook has made -- and functionality being tested -- that may position the social media giant to compete with Google in the area of local search.
5 reasons why websites still matter to local search in 2017
More and more small local businesses are using social media profile pages, rather than websites, as the main face of their operation. Columnist Wesley Young explains why this isn't the good idea that it may seem to be.
4 ways brands are losing store traffic — and how to use location marketing strategies to reverse course
Many national franchise stores are failing to appear in Google Maps search results. Columnist Wesley Young's observations may help these brands improve their visibility.
Top 10 insights on local marketing at LSA17
Wesley Young shares expert insights about location marketing and local search from the Local Search Association's 2017 Annual Conference.
5 ways you can improve your new business’s visibility on Google Maps
Columnist Wesley Young compares the online presence of several new businesses to find out what makes one stand out and consistently outperform the others in Google Map search results.
SMBs are overwhelmed with digital marketing choices. How to stand out and win their business.
LSA survey reveals important standards SMBs want from a provider that will help marketers stand out from the competition and reduce churn. Columnist Wesley Young elaborates.
The fake information epidemic and how it will hurt local search in 2017
Fake content and information will be a growing problem in 2017. Columnist Wesley Young takes a look at this trending issue and discusses ways that false information is being used and how local businesses and marketers can protect against it.
Top 10 local search insights of 2016
Columnist Wesley Young of the Local Search Association looks back at 2016 to find the top 10 insights that local search marketers should remember in planning for the year ahead.
Why is free money that can be used on local search marketing being left on the table?
Up to $35 billion of co-op funds go unused every year. Wesley Young of the LSA takes a look at trends in the use of co-op funds, challenges and threats arising from digital media and opportunities to make co-op work for you.
Does finding that micro-moment feel like chasing fireflies? Here are 9 data points that will help you catch them.
Consumers are searching, doing and buying on their mobile devices, yet the challenge to reach them seems greater than ever. Columnist Wesley Young of the Local Search Association takes a look at 9 stats that suggest ways to improve your capture rate.
8 tips to make sure your Google profile images boost your local search results
Your local business profile image has a significant impact on the impression prospective customers have of your business. Columnist Wesley Young of the Local Search Association covers ways to make sure that impression is a positive one.
‘Omnichannel’ may never catch on, but it’s the next big thing for local
Wesley Young of the Local Search Association provides 5 tips to create a seamless search-to-purchase experience for your local business.
Case study: 33% of local search business is from non-locals (and 7 tips for capturing that traffic)
Non-locals make up a significant percentage of local search business. Columnist Wesley Young looks at the importance of this audience and provides seven marketing tips to help you maximize its potential.
The voice search explosion and how it will change local search
Voice search usage is seeing unprecedented growth, with personal assistant devices leading the way. Columnist Wesley Young explores why this new medium is taking off, how it differs from keyword searches, and the challenges for local businesses to compete on yet another platform.
10 tips for building a local brand that will boost your local search ranking
Branding is often viewed as the domain of large national businesses. Yet small businesses will benefit from branding strategically on a local level. Columnist Wesley Young takes a look at ways to boost your profile and your page rank with local branding strategies.
The complicated local path to purchase: 7 marketing tasks to do yourself and 7 to outsource
Consumers weave their way through more media and platforms than ever before to find local information, making marketing to them more complicated. Columnist Wesley Young recommends which marketing tasks can be DIY and which should be outsourced by local businesses.
“Search disruption is coming!” and 9 other expert insights From LSA16
The Local Search Association recently held its 2016 Annual Conference, LSA16, and Wesley Young shares 10 insights from experts and SMBs that will impact your marketing strategy.
The Need For Speed: 7 Observations On The Impact Of Page Speed To The Future Of Local Mobile Search
Having a mobile website may soon not be enough to get users to patronize your local business if it doesn’t deliver a fast and positive user experience. Wesley Young takes a look at the latest data and developments with regard to mobile websites.
7 Ways Small Businesses Can Leverage Third-Party Apps for Local Search & Marketing
Apps consume the majority of mobile media time, but local business apps struggle to compete for attention. Columnist Wesley Young looks at how SMBs can instead use space on the most popular apps to get in front of customers.
10 Ways To Simplify Your Local Marketing Strategy In 2016
Looking back at lessons learned last year and expected trends for this year, columnist Wesley Young cuts through the clutter and suggests ways to make your marketing strategy simpler, clearer and easier to execute.
Stop Using Desktop Conversions For Mobile Search: 6 Strategies To Help Drive Mobile Calls
Using strategies and metrics such as PPC and CTR that are meant to drive clicks instead of calls can hurt your ad performance. Columnist Wesley Young takes a look at targeted strategies that optimize ads to drive mobile phone calls.
6 Things To Know Before Using Facebook For Local Search, And 6 Reasons FB Search Can Dominate
Now that Facebook's Universal Search includes public posts, columnist Wesley Young takes a look at the pros and cons of using Facebook for Local Search.
5 Observations From Local Search & Marketing Practices That Reveal Opportunities For Improvement
Businesses in the Home and Auto Services category have unique characteristics that define certain local search and marketing practices. Columnist Wesley Young examines these practices and identifies opportunities for improvement for those businesses with similar profiles.
14 Billion Reasons You Must Look At These 5 Underutilized Local Marketing Strategies
These overlooked search and marketing practices save you time, require minimal investment, or even pay for themselves. Columnist Wesley Young shows you how to get the best bang for your marketing buck with these underused tactics.
The Rise of Video: 8 Tips to Boost Your Site’s SEO With Video
Columnist Wesley Young takes a look at the Local Search Association's latest research on how consumers respond to video ads -- and how local businesses can take advantage of this effective marketing tool.
5 Ways To Use What Consumers Want To Boost Local SEO Strategy
Local businesses have unique competitive advantages over larger brands, and columnist Wesley Young analyzes a study by Yodle to find ways to leverage them into an effective search strategy.
The Best Performing Search Media For Your Business’ Marketing Strategy
Columnist and Local Search Association VP Wesley Young shares data that takes a look at 50 business categories and how they perform in a variety of marketing media including search engines, directories, review sites and social media.
Search: The Best Way To Win An SMB’s Heart
Columnist Wesley Young notes that, according to recent survey by the Local Search Association, search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the greatest areas of concern for small and medium-sized businesses.
Top 10 Insights On Local Search & Marketing From The Experts At LSA 15
Columnist Wesley Young recaps some of the biggest takeaways from the 2015 Local Search Association Conference.