Each year, Moz surveys top local SEOs to determine the most important local search ranking factors. The survey reflects their experience and opinions about which ranking signals have the greatest influence. This year’s survey showed a number of changes from last year. Specifically, Google My Business (GMB) signals emerged as the most important ranking factor…
Large brands have the marketing dollars to outspend most local competitors, but the process of ad or content creation and distribution takes a long time for these brands. As businesses get bigger and bigger, the inevitable checks and balances that go into place become increasingly more time consuming. Despite the various business advantages brands have…
BrightLocal released its annual Local Consumer Review Survey, which covers a range of issues, including local business review habits, the trust and influence of online reviews, responding to and posting reviews. The study surveyed 1,000 US consumers. Reviews have become increasingly important for consumers and marketers alike, which is reflected in the survey results. Not…
Mobile devices have completely altered consumer purchasing journeys. Consumers are now utilizing mobile for assistance with a variety of activities along these journeys, as shown in a recent survey from GfK. According to the October 2018 survey, the most common mobile shopping activities are comparing prices (36%), gathering product information (30%), checking product reviews (30%),…
The latest edition of the Local Search Ranking Factors is out. This is the 10-year anniversary of the study with the first edition of the Local Search Ranking Factors released by David Mihm back in 2008. After 10 years, it’s interesting to see how the results have changed and how they haven’t. Over the years…
Google My Business (GMB) users may have noticed an odd increase in the count of Direct Searches reported during the months of July and September. Direct Searches is the count of instances where a consumer searched for your business using your business name or address, like “Jenny’s Flowers San Francisco, CA,” as opposed to Discovery…
Early on many traditional retail organizations set up their e-commerce divisions as completely separate from their stores. The perception that online and offline retail are binary or mutually exclusive and in competition has persisted to this day. But consumers are more agnostic and fluid in their behavior, increasingly buying both online and in stores. This…
Although many merchants believe negative sentiment is the leading motivator of online reviews, research says that since 2010, the average review has become 12% more positive. In fact, according to LSA data, consumers are most often motivated to leave reviews because of positive experiences. The data are featured in the report, “The Great Conversational Divide”…
We live in a world where we can easily Google for just about anything. But what if the data you need isn’t in a search engine? Or even in a purchased list? Emerging markets are the future of the global economy… but as an emerging market professional, you know it’s hard to get the hyper-local…
This year, the National Retail Foundation estimated that over 164 million consumers planned to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. The estimate showed 67 million intending to shop on Small Business Saturday, 78% of whom “will do so specifically to support small businesses.” Launched in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday promotes the…
