Monthly Industry Roundup: November 2018

Location3 Earns Clutch 2018 Global Leader Award

Clutch, a B2B market research firm, recently released an annual report on the top performers in advertising and marketing, and Location3 is thrilled to be recognized as a Global Leader based on digital marketing expertise and exceptional customer service.

As a ratings and reviews platform, Clutch ranks and evaluates technology service providers and solutions to help business buyers identify a company that meets their needs. Their directory includes companies spanning multiple categories, including SEO services, paid search, content marketing, and digital marketing. With Clutch’s continued partnership, we’ve maintained a strong reputation for our versatile services locally and abroad, and continue to build strong and transparent partnerships with our clients.

“At Location3, developing and executing high-performing digital strategies for our client partners has always been our primary goal,” said Senior Director of Marketing Josh Allen. “We take great pride in the work we do as a team and the technology we’ve built in-house, and to be recognized for these achievements by our clients and a world-class organization like Clutch asserts that Location3 continues to be an innovative digital partner and industry leader.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN FRANCHISE DIGITAL MARKETING?

Centralizing Your Franchise Marketing in 2019

In a post for the International Franchising Association, Location3 Sr. Director of Marketing Josh Allen notes that about five years ago, franchisors and their marketing teams were hiring a disjointed army of service-specific agencies and vendors for a variety of marketing needs – ultimately hoping that each partner would contribute their service expertise as part of a broader franchise marketing plan.

This approach, however, only created more confusion among franchisors and franchisees alike. As 2019 approaches, Allen argues that a centralized approach to franchise marketing gives brands a clearer, more direct path to success. Here’s an excerpt from the post:

What Should Be Managed at an Enterprise Level?

Franchisor marketing teams must take control of how their brand is represented online, while still providing management and support of key channels that impact franchisees on a local level. Some key considerations:

• Own your website, and own your data. There are countless SaaS providers and subscription-based platforms that allow you to “host” your website, landing pages, local data and more on their platforms. This means that they own your data, handcuffing you to their system. Your brand should own and control all of your online accounts, your website and all of the data associated with each.

For further analysis, including how franchisees can increase local customers, read the full post here.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN LOCAL LISTINGS MANAGEMENT?

How to Use Google Posts to Protect Customers in Dangerous Weather

If your business often finds itself in the path of inclement weather, you probably have a plan to protect your store and your employees, but did you know you also can use your Google My Business listing to keep your customers safe as well? Creating a Google Event Post can help warn your customers of changing store hours, stock, and other crucial information.

Prompt Customers to Call in Inclement Weather

As Hurricane Florence approached North Carolina in September, a national chain of hardware supply stores was preparing for an influx of customer activity along the southeast coast. Customers were sure to have plenty of questions, but the stores wanted to prompt them to call before they ventured out into the harsh weather conditions.

Google Event Posts was a perfect way to get their attention. The Post position is near the top of the listing along with a clear headline and clickthrough button, which prompted all potential customers to call first before making any decisions. The post launched September 13^th and ran until September 20^th to ensure visibility just before Hurricane Florence hit, allowing stores time to regroup in the aftermath.

Read the full post to see how the Event Post increased overall engagement.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PAID SEARCH?

How SEO and PPC Keyword Research Work Together

Some SEO professionals are discouraged by clients that run PPC campaigns, says Dan Taylor via Search Engine Journal, but that shouldn’t be the case. Both sides use the same tools and the same results to guide their decisions, and that should be enough to forge an alliance that can benefit all. So how can the two sides work together when it comes to keyword research?

1. Search Intent vs. Search Volume: Using search volume to identify big terms is important, but greater focus should be put on intent. Ask yourself what’s more useful: targeting a 50,000 search volume keyword for discovery, or targeting a 10,000 search volume keyword for intent to buy.
2. Competition in PPC can highlight SEO competition: If you find low-competition keywords in PPC research, it could be a highly sought after target for the SEO team. This relationship works both ways with SEO teams relieving costly PPC efforts with a long-term strategy.

For further analysis, the entire post can be read here.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CONTENT?

Strategic Moves to Combat Google’s Self-Hosted Solutions

Google has steadily shifted from a search engine that directs users to other websites into a one-stop shop for all of your query needs. From answer boxes to featured snippets and knowledge panels, Google is focused on making sure you stay on their site. So how can brands take back the content that they created? Here are a few tips that search expert Rand Fishkin shared at a recent presentation at Brighton SEO:

• Emphasizing tools, interactive features, data-driven stories, and content experiences that drive clicks rather than providing quick answers
• Doubling down on branded demand creation so that consumers are incentivized to search for you directly (rather than for broad keywords that you may or may not rank for)
• Creating content for the platforms Google prioritizes (e.g., YouTube, G News, Google Maps)
• Building brand profiles on the sites that rank well in your space and/or forging content partnerships with influential publishers that dominate the SERP for your top keywords

For more analysis, read “How to Survive the Ongoing Confusion with SEO” by Jodi Harris via Content Marketing Institute.