rank like a big company, impress like a local company

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

Shift: more choices, changing preferences

Shift: more decisions in SERPs / off-site

Shift: more reviews in Google

It’s still the Wild West:

• Relaxed review filter• No oversight• Google+ not needed• Yet more prominent

than ever…

Shift: more reviews everywhere

Shift: more review sites than ever before

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

Who wins?

Big brands, on the one side:

Solid rankings• Name-recognition• Media attention• Link juice

Customer base

Human resources

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.

How can a big brand impress more effectively?

Well, how do the best SMBs impress?

1. They know what the reward is: get business because of reviews

2. They care about the review sites that customers care about

3. They identify their biggest fans and ask them to speak up

4. When it’s time, they focus on the review

5. They provide clear instructions

6. They make it sound like a personal favor

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

8. They act like they’ll see the customer again

Scalable ways to get impressive reviews?

Get picked because of your reviews

Best way to leverage local rankings.

Crucial whenever there is a choice.

How? Showcase reviews everywhere

1. Get picked because of your reviews

Use Brandify’s Review Builder to curate reviews on your location pages.

2. Focus on the sites your customers care about

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

BBBCitySearchFacebook (!)FoursquareInsiderPagesOpenTableSuperPagesWeddingBeeYellowBotYellowPagesZillow

Or send them to your “Review Us” page.

4. Focus on the review (for now)

5. Provide clear instructions

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

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.

By the way, reviews might help rankings….

Higher click-through

“Local content” for site

Barnacle SEO

Word-of-mouth / PR

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”?

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

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/

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