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August 2016Brandify Summit
Phil Rozek@philrozek
Rank Like a Big Company.Impress Like a Local Company.
Big brands’ big weakness: online reviews
Current trends favor the top-reviewed businesses.
Most big brands are lousy at encouraging good reviews.
Over time, highly-rated local competitors may steal some market share (although you’ll probably still outrank them).
Or your company can rack up reviews as the best SMBs do.
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Shift: more choices, changing preferences
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Shift: more choices, changing preferences
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Shift: more decisions in SERPs / off-site
Shift: more decisions in SERPs / off-site
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Shift: more decisions in SERPs / off-site
Shift: more reviews in Google
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Shift: more reviews in Google
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Shift: more reviews in Google
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
It’s still the Wild West:
• Relaxed review filter• No oversight• Google+ not needed• Yet more prominent
than ever…
Shift: more reviews in Google
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Shift: more reviews everywhere
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Shift: more reviews everywhere
Shift: more review sites than ever before
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
There are over 400 review sites now*
(*Yes, I counted. Type “Definitive List of Local Review Sites”into Google.)
Must-read: BrightLocal’s study on reviews
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Who wins?
Big brands, on the one side:
Solid rankings• Name-recognition• Media attention• Link juice
Customer base
Human resources
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
SMBs, on the other side:
They’re closer to their customers better and can get more of them to speak up online.
Smart SMBs can rack up reviews big-time.
Recent trends benefit SMBs when consumers have a choice.
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
How can a big brand impress more effectively?
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Well, how do the best SMBs impress?
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
1. They know what the reward is: get business because of reviews
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
2. They care about the review sites that customers care about
2. They care about the review sites that customers care about
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
3. They identify their biggest fans and ask them to speak up
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
4. When it’s time, they focus on the review
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
5. They provide clear instructions
6. They make it sound like a personal favor
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
7. They know specific people in the company create 1-star or 5-star experiences
Tom the technician
Mary the manager
Sam the server
Bob the broker
Etc.
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
8. They act like they’ll see the customer again
Scalable ways to get impressive reviews?
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Get picked because of your reviews
Best way to leverage local rankings.
Crucial whenever there is a choice.
How? Showcase reviews everywhere
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
1. Get picked because of your reviews
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Use Brandify’s Review Builder to curate reviews on your location pages.
1. Get picked because of your reviews
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
1. Get picked because of your reviews
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
2. Focus on the sites your customers care about
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
This is where that “Review Us” page helps a lot.
Have one for each location (maybe start w/ just a few).
3. Identify your biggest fans and get them to speak up
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
3. Identify your biggest fans and get them to speak up
BBBCitySearchFacebook (!)FoursquareInsiderPagesOpenTableSuperPagesWeddingBeeYellowBotYellowPagesZillow
Or send them to your “Review Us” page.
4. Focus on the review (for now)
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
5. Provide clear instructions
5. Provide clear instructions
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Use pronouns:“We” and “You.”
No passive voice.
Try to sound smaller than you really are.
6. Make it sound like a personal favor
7. Ask reviewers to mention specific people
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
8. Act like you’ll see your customers again
They’re more likely to review you – and come back – if they think you’ll read their feedback.
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
By the way, reviews might help rankings….
Higher click-through
“Local content” for site
Barnacle SEO
Word-of-mouth / PR
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Takeaways & points to meditate on
1. People & search engines ever-increasingly value reviews.
2. More is happening before visitors reach companies’ sites.
3 “Local” is no longer just about getting your site into SERPs. Now it’s crucial to get your reputation in there, too.
4. Review strategies that help SMBs can help big brands, too.
5. What works better for local SEO: centralized “marketing machine,” or location-level “boots on the ground?
6. How might reviews get monetized or go “pay-to-play”?
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Thank You@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
60+ Questions to Troubleshoot and Fix Your Local Reviews Strategy – me
Effective “Review Us” Pages for Local Businesses: a Fistful of Examples – me
Which Local Review Sites Are on Your Side? – me
Ultimate List of Review Widgets and Badges for Your Local Business Website –
Local Consumer Review Survey 2015 – BrightLocal
Whitespark’s Review Handout Generator – Whitespark
User Behavior and Local Search – Darren Shaw
Barnacle SEO: Local Search Engine Optimization for The Sam’s Club Crowd – Will Scott
Grade.us (for building an off-site “Review Us” page)
GetFiveStars (for review outreach by email)
Resources and further reading
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mliu92/20994389558/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zunami/3319244684/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phooleo/4703219191/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/runran/3015588455/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/emilymills/15066204105/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/4476796877/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisfithall/16839991675/
http://www.funnysigns.net/weirdest-strip-mall-in-america/
Image credits
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016