Expert Answers to Small Business Digital Marketing Questions • Tidings

Should we build a Google Site, or will it compete with our existing website?

Google Sites are really are meant to be primary websites, so they probably aren't something most businesses should consider.

David Mihm Answered July 5th, 2018

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How do I rank in local searches without a physical location?

Google's answer would be to buy Ads -- and increasingly that's my answer as well. But in terms of organic techniques, there are a couple of tactics that might work.

David Mihm Answered July 5th, 2018

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What’s the best way to track local SEO rankings?

I'd argue that your energy (or budget) is better-spent on a lot of other tactics than rank-tracking in local, given the importance of location and personalization.

David Mihm Answered July 5th, 2018

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Are links the most important ranking factor in Local SEO?

Links still do contribute to local rankings -- but they're far from the be-all end-all they are in traditional organic search.

David Mihm Answered July 5th, 2018

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Does Google track actual store visits to rank local searches?

I've suggested at least since 2017 that Google's been shifting its algorithm to focus on more democratic, transactional signals of popularity, like clicks to call, clicks for driving directions, and store visit information to rank local businesses.

David Mihm Answered July 5th, 2018

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How do I make the most of customer email addresses?

Gather feedback, re-engage your customers with transactional emails, share knowledge with newsletters to build loyalty and word-of-mouth. And beyond direct communications, email addresses can be used for retargeting and lookalike audiences on both Facebook and Google ad networks.

David Mihm Answered April 26th, 2018

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What’s the #1 Local SEO ranking factor?

There's no easy answer to this question, as it varies by industry, the age of your business, and a number of other criteria. But for new businesses, even if all you care about is rankings, reviews are quickly becoming the dominant ranking factor in local search.

David Mihm Answered April 26th, 2018

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How do I audit my website’s SEO?

Do a “site:yourdomain.com” search on Google.com.

David Mihm Answered April 26th, 2018

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What Schema.org markup should a local business use?

The LocalBusiness schema is the most important one. Beyond that, look at place review schema to mark up your testimonials.

David Mihm Answered April 26th, 2018

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How can a small business prepare for Mobilegeddon?

Mobilegeddon is actually overblown, as so much of what is happening in local search these days is happening on the Google SERP, not on your website.

David Mihm Answered April 26th, 2018

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How important is SEO to a local business?

It's important, but it's not the silver bullet it was a decade ago. SEO falls somewhere in the middle of the Local Marketing Stack.

David Mihm Answered April 26th, 2018

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What’s the MOST important digital marketing trend affecting small businesses right now?

At least for locally-focused businesses based in the U.S., the extent to which Google is becoming pay-to-play for discovery searches.

David Mihm Answered April 26th, 2018

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Why is WordPress the best content management system for SEO?

It gives you the flexibility to move partners very easily. It is the gold standard. So if a partner doesn’t seem to be doing well, its easier for you to find someone else, vs a more proprietary system. Also as you want to do more advanced work, you’ll find that several plugins exist which can …