Monthly Industry Roundup: May 2017

Location3 News: It’s been an active month with multiple presentations and interviews highlighting the month of April. Location3 Head of Local Search Nick Neels has been especially busy as a featured contributor to Moz’s annual Local Search Ranking Factors study. He also teamed with Location3 Director of Marketing Josh Allen to present “Converting More Customers: How to Effectively Scale Digital Marketing for Multi-Location Brands”, a webinar hosted by the American Marketing Association and ReadyTalk.

Location3 President and CSO Alex Porter has followed up on Neels’ local search focus with a couple of different published interviews. Check out his thoughts on voice search and why local brands need an SEO upgrade.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SEO?

Google Using Gboard Test to Personalize Search Results

Google is testing its artificial intelligence algorithms through its keyboard app, Gboard. As Gboard suggests searches, the app will remember individual user’s choices. It will then compile all user preferences and combine that data into one universal update. Once updated, each user will have more personalized results based on past search selections. The test in only on Android phones, so if you are an Android user, you can expect several updates to the Gboard app in the coming months.

15% of Google Searches Are New

In 2007, Google stated that 20 to 25 percent of searches it handled were new. Last week, Google reported that 15 percent of searches are new. While that percentage has decreased, keep in mind that Google handles trillions of searches every year. This reaffirmation of brand new searches highlights the difficulty of search marketing, but also the massive opportunity to meet consumer needs.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN LOCAL?

Moz Releases 2017 Local Search Ranking Factors

The annual Local Search Ranking Factors report is highly anticipated by local search nerds every year. This year, local search guru, Darrin Shaw, took the reigns from David Mihm – compiling data and analysis from the top minds in the industry. Here are a few tidbits from the report:

Link Signals (29%) and On-Page signals (27%) were the most common factors for Localized Organic Ranking, according to survey respondents.

My Business Signals (19%) and Link Signals (17%) were the most common factors for Local Pack/Finder Ranking, according to survey respondents.

For more analysis on what this report means for your business, Location3’s Digital Shoptalk went more in-depth in the video above.

The Future of Local Search

This comprehensive post from Brian Smith and Search Engine Land takes a big-picture look at the local search landscape. Smith makes note of personalization, digital assistants, augmented reality, and voice search as the most impactful short-term and long-term factors in the local arena.

 WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DISPLAY?

Facebook Launches Virtual Chat Rooms

Facebook is offering its services to the VR world with Spaces, a virtual chat room that gives users the ability to customize their environment, interact with media, and even design their own avatar. Users can join parties, which allow them to interact in groups of eight or fewer. The full Spaces experience is costly though as it requires an Oculus Rift VR headset as well as hand controls and various features that cost as much as $900 when all said and done.

Header Bidding Changing Display World

Header bidding, an emerging programmatic advertising model, could be threatening Google’s display ad monopoly. The simultaneous bidding process associated with header bidding is seen as an improvement from the waterfall auction that has become the industry standard. With endorsements from Facebook, Amazon, and Google, header bidding is altering who gets access to premium ad inventory and for how much. For a more detailed analysis, check out Kody Pedersen’s blog post.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PPC?

Brand Protection Leads 2017 Growth Hacks

As part of her eight-part series on SEM growth hacks, Lori Weiman focuses on how to protect your branded terms from competitors looking to drive up your CPC. Her suggestions include:

• Enhance your list of branded keywords
• Team up with partners and affiliates
• Knock out competitors with search engine complaints
• Piggyback on others’ brands

Weiman notes that protection does not mean defense and protecting your brand should be a primary focus of your attack strategy.

Have any questions or thoughts about these updates? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @Location3.