Yelp’s updated ‘Request a Quote’ and new ‘Nearby Jobs’ provide lead-gen for SMBs
No longer merely a 'review site,' Yelp repositioning as a 'one-stop local platform' to communicate and transact with local businesses.
Yelp
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How to optimize your Google local Knowledge Panel
Turn your local business profiles in the search results into portals that can deliver customers right from your listings.
Majority of chains call local-digital marketing an ‘untapped opportunity’
But 77% of multi-location brands complain executing locally at scale is very challenging.
Google adds ‘last updated’ hours notification to GMB profiles
The move, maybe temporary, is designed to give consumers confidence the information displayed on business profiles is accurate.
Shopify tradeoffs: What to consider before selecting your next e-commerce platform
Shopify makes it easy to start selling, but there are limits to its SEO and customization capabilities.
COVID-19 is the asteroid that struck American small business
Billions will be lost to digital marketing if SMBs close their doors.
Google offering ‘upgraded’ GMB profile with Google Guaranteed badge for $50 per month
Google tested the idea of subscription-based services for GMB in April 2019.
With new ‘pilot program,’ Google again testing ads on local business profiles
The ads can't be removed or influenced by the business owner.
TripAdvisor, Yelp and others highlight venue safety, an emerging consumer decision factor
Cautious consumers want more information about COVID-19 precautions.
Nextdoor rolls out free Business Posts, best practices advice
Nextdoor is slowly building out a suite of paid and free promotional tools for national-local brands and SMBs.
Yelp offers upgraded COVID reopening tools for local businesses, restaurants
The company is also modifying Waitlist to help restaurants to better manage capacity during mandatory social distancing.
New Google My Business features aim to help SMBs pivot and survive COVID-19
The new tools and capabilities mirror the expanding role of GMB as a gateway to both offline and online services.
Let’s hope COVID-19 isn’t a ‘mass extinction event’ for small businesses
SMBs spend billions annually on digital advertising and marketing services.
More missing Google My Business reviews appearing as publication speed picks up
Google is now posting user reviews and photos in all countries and the vast majority of business categories.
Shopify launches post-COVID POS, Yelp rolls out omnichannel tools for SMBs
The companies are part of a shift toward deeper integration between online and offline operations.
GMB usage declines, but poised to become more powerful post-coronavirus
Google, and the pandemic, have made GMB into the most important local marketing tool for SMBs and multi-location brands.
Destructive impact of coronavirus on SMBs greater than an ‘economic hurricane’
Yelp analysis finds the devastation is 4X the magnitude of the biggest economic shocks of the past decade.
Fake reviews problem is much worse than people know
Like a virus it infects all the major review sites, especially Google and Amazon.
What location data can tell us about the COVID-19 pandemic
Tools used for ad analytics can provide enormous social insights and even speed recovery, but they require clear safeguards.
Should you continue to solicit reviews during the outbreak? Local SEOs disagree
There are a mix of considerations, on a spectrum from idealistic to pragmatic.
Yelp announces fundraising partnership with GoFundMe to support local businesses
Donate buttons will appear on profiles in selected categories by default.
Corona to COVID: How Google’s ‘corona’ results page has evolved
In less than a month, the SERP has shifted from brand results to one focused on the coronavirus outbreak.
Google temporarily disables local reviews
The company has hit pause on review creation or responding for now.
Yelp sees huge decline in restaurant demand, offers $25MM relief package
Yelp is seeking to become a hub for "virtual local businesses" during the coronavirus outbreak.
Nextdoor rolls out Groups and Help Map in response to coronavirus outbreak
The crisis may become a breakout moment for Nextdoor.
COVID-19 checklist for businesses: How to manage your online presence and keep customers updated in a time of crisis
Use your local business profiles, website and Schema markup to provide the latest information to those searching for your business.
SMX Overtime: Creating great content, FAQs and how to navigate approval limitations
Digital marketing strategist Ashley Segura answers questions from SMX West about how retailers and brands should be thinking about content and more.
Data suggests there’s still no corporate or brand bias in Google results
Google results may be occasionally terrible but data is not indicating results are biased or being unfairly manipulated.
The rise of customer review amplifiers
We live in a feedback economy so if resources and budget are limited, prioritize managing reviews on Google and Facebook.
Yelp to Congress: Don’t investigate Google without looking at search
The reviews site wants to stop Google's "self-preferencing" in the local SERP.
In feature battle with Google, Yelp improves restaurant waitlist functionality
Yelp is trying to stay one step ahead of Google with tools that benefit both consumers and business owners.
Yelp launches ‘Showcase Ads’ and store visits attribution
The new products are intended for national and multi-location brands.
Happy 15th birthday to Google Maps, the company’s second most important product
Google updates the app that embodies its commitment to local search.
Justice Department homing in on Google Ad Manager in antitrust probe
The feds are interviewing publishers and ad-tech rivals about whether Google has too much control "over the monetization of digital content."
Tripadvisor’s new ‘Review Hub’ lets restaurateurs manage reviews from multiple sources in one place
The subscription-based product can also be used to identify review trends across sites.
Apple’s big maps makeover now available across U.S., Europe coming soon
Apple Maps needs a 'breakout' feature. Could that be privacy?
With Jumpshot shuttered, where will SEOs get their ‘zero-click’ fix now?
Move is ominous for all companies "aggregating and anonymizing" user behavioral data for third party sale.
Your reputation depends on a solid (and legal) online review strategy
As consumers rely more heavily on online reviews, having a strong review management strategy in place can help your online reputation stand out.
Get ready for an even stronger Google in 2020
Brands need to monitor and respond to reviews to improve their online experience because customers will vote with their search behavior.