Full Transcript
[0:00]
Welcome to the 805 Web Minute. And today we're talking about why your business might be invisible to customers who are searching for your service right now in SLO County. Yeah. And we're zeroing in on probably the most valuable type of customer out there. The one who's ready to buy it right now. Exactly. These aren't people just doing research for later. They're on their phone. They have an urgent need and they're looking for a solution, you know, in the next hour. Think emergency roof repair, Pismo Beach or best take out near Cal Poly. Right. They're buyers, not browsers. And that's the key thing we're digging into today. This isn't about some big, expensive long term branding campaign. No, not at all. This is purely about being visible for that immediate transaction. Because if you miss that customer in that moment, they're just, they're gone. They move on to the next name on the list. And the numbers on this are just, they're staggering when you look at them. They really are. We pulled some data and something like 46% of all Google searches have local intent. 46% so almost half of everyone using Google is looking for something right here in their neighborhood. And if you're a business owner and saleist of this boat and you're not showing up for that, you're basically handing nearly half the market to your competitors. And what's wild is how fast that search turns into an actual sale. It's almost immediate. Yeah, we saw that 76% of people who search for something nearby, they physically visit that business within 24 hours. They search, they find, they go. And that's even higher for mobile searches, right? Yeah, which let's be honest is how most of these searches are happening when people are out and about in a Royal Grande or Pessaril Blay. Oh, absolutely. It jumps to 88% on mobile and 88% chance they either call you or walk in your door within a day. And that turns into actual money. That's the bottom line. 28% of all local searches result into purchase, not a lead, not a click, a sale. So our mission today is to unpack the three really simple pillars that make sure you capture them. Okay, let's do it. So pillar one, your Google business profile is your new homepage.
[2:03]
This is probably the biggest mental shift for business owners. You might import thousands into a beautiful website, but for local searches in SLO County, the first thing and sometimes the only thing a customer sees is that Google business profile. You mean the little map with the three businesses listed underneath? That's the one we call it the local pack or the map pack. It shows up at the very top of Google when you search for something like Jim near me or mechanic and a task adaro. If you are not in those top three spots, you are for all intents and purposes invisible. Okay. So getting into those top three is everything. How do we do that? It starts with trust and that trust comes from having a complete profile. The data shows consumers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable if that profile is totally filled out. That makes sense. It just looks more professional. It's a signal to Google and to the customer. It says we're a real established business. And once you have that trust, you get the clicks complete profiles get 7 times more clicks. That's a massive and free boost in traffic for what is honestly about 30 minutes of work. Okay. Let's get tactical then. What does complete actually mean? So we've got four key checkpoints. First, the absolute basics we call it N.F.E. Yeah. Name address and phone number. And it's not just about being accurate. It has to be perfectly consistent. Everywhere. What do you mean by consistent? I mean, if your business card says 123 main street, but your Google profile says 123 main street spelled out, Google can see that as a slight difference. It introduces a little bit of doubt. And that doubt hurts your ranking. It does. Because Google is constantly cross referencing your info all over the web on Yelp on Facebook on your own site. If those details don't match perfectly, Google's confidence in who and where you are drops. And so does your ranking. Got it. Okay. What's checkpoint number two? This one is a huge pet peeve for customers, especially around here. Your hours. Oh, this is the ultimate business killer. It is. I remember driving to a coffee shop over an A.G.
[4:06]
for a meeting. I was excited to try it and doors locked. The hours on Google were wrong. I just went to the competitor next door and you probably never went back to the first one. Exactly. The data shows 62% of consumers will just avoid a business if they find incorrect info online. And wrong hours are the number one offender. You have to keep them updated, especially for holidays. All right. Third checkpoint visuals. We see so many businesses in S.O. Lo County using, you know, the generic stock photos. We stopped doing that. Customers want to see the real you add photos of your actual work, your team, your locations. So people know what to look for when they drive by. It just builds that immediate personal connection. Okay. And the last piece of a complete profile, be specific, hyper specific. Don't just list your categories, contractor list residential roofing contract or specializing in tile and shingle repair. Right. And in your description, mentioned your service areas by name. We handle plumbing emergencies across sandalofispo, more obey and puzzle rovers. That locks in your local relevance for Google. So the takeaway for pillar one is just do it. Take the 30 minutes. It's a huge return since customers are 70% more likely to actually visit businesses that have these complete profiles. Which brings us to pillar two, which is all about trust and ranking. And that is reviews matter more than you think. Oh, yeah. We've all done it right before you try a new restaurant in downtown SLO or higher a landscaper. You check the stars 81% of us use Google reviews to check out a local business and Google sees that behavior. So they built it right into the ranking algorithm. Reviews aren't just for customers anymore. They are a major ranking factor. They account for about 20% of the entire local ranking formula. A big percent. That's huge. It is. And that number keeps going up every year, which shows you how much Google trusts the voice of your actual customers. This brings up what we call the three star line. If your average rating falls below that, you're in trouble. You're in a lot of trouble. The stats show 71% of consumers.
[6:07]
That's almost three quarters of them won't even consider a business with a rating below three stars. OK. So if you're sitting at 2.8, you might as well be invisible. So getting reviews has to be a real strategy. What's the secret? It's not complicated, but it takes consistency. Yeah. You just, yeah, you have to ask. Just ask. Yep. Ask right after you've done a great job when the customer is happy and grateful. And then you have to make it incredibly easy for them. Send them a direct link. Exactly. A simple follow up email. Thanks so much for your business. Here's a link to leave us a review. They shouldn't have to go searching for it. And it's important to note here you can't offer them anything for it, right? That is a critical point. Google's rules are very clear. Yeah. No incentives. No, get a 10% discount for a five star review. It has to be genuine feedback. OK. So we're asking for reviews. But what about responding to them? Why is that so important? Because your future customers are reading your responses. We know that 88% of consumers would use a business that responds to all their reviews. That number drops to just 47% for businesses that ignore them. Wow. That's a 41 point difference in reputation. Just for typing a few sentences. It's a massive signal that you're engaged and that you care. So what's the right way to respond? Let's start with a good review for positive ones. Just a simple personal thank you is perfect. Maybe mention their name or the job you did for negative reviews, though. The strategy has to be very precise. How so you acknowledge the issue? You apologize if it's appropriate. And then you immediately take the conversation offline. So you don't argue in public. Never you say something like, I am so sorry you had that experience. That is not our standard. Please call me directly at my number so we can fix this for you. You diffuse it. You show you want to make it right and you look professional to everyone else reading it. That makes perfect sense. OK. So we've got our GBP lockdown. We're managing our reviews. That brings us to pillar three. Your website seals the deal. Right. The website is the handoff. The GBP gets the click, but the website closes the sale.
[8:10]
Over half 56% of all the actions on a Google business profile lead to a website visit. They want to learn more. It want to learn more, confirm your legit. See more examples of your work. They're doing that final bit of due diligence before they pick up the phone. So what are the absolute must habs for a local business website here in Esola County? It doesn't need to be huge or complex. Does it not at all? Functionality is everything. First, you have to mention your city and your service areas naturally in the text. Not just our services, but trusted solar panel installation serving at task getero and Templeton. OK. Second, your address and phone number must be on every single page, usually in the footer. It helps Google and it helps the customer who is ready to call you. And what about the actual services you offer? You need dedicated pages for your main services. Don't just have one plumbing page. Create a specific page for a water heater repair in San Luis Obispo and another for drain cleaning services in Grover Beach. You want to match how people actually search. And I'm guessing this all has to work perfectly on a phone. Oh, it's absolutely crucial. It's not even a feature anymore. It's a prerequisite. If your site is slow or the text is tiny and you have to pinch and zoom to find the phone number, they're gone. They just hit the back. What instantly? And they call your competitor. You've lost that lead forever. So we've covered the three big pillars, GBP reviews and website. But you know, you always hear marketing agencies throwing around a lot of other jargon, things like citations or backlinks. Ah, the jargon trap. Look, all that stuff, citations, back links, schema markup. It all matters. But it's secondary. Think of it like building a house. The three pillars we just talked about, that's your foundation and the frame. The advanced stuff is the paint color and the curtains. You wouldn't paint the walls if the foundation was cracked. Exactly. If your GBP is incomplete, you have two reviews from 2018 and your website doesn't say what city you're in. No amount of technical wizardry is going to help you rank locally.
[10:10]
Nail the fundamentals first and getting these fundamentals right is enough to put you ahead of most of the competition way ahead. The average verified Google business profile gets about 50 potential calls a month. 50 calls. No, it's from getting the basics right. It's a powerful return for just a few hours of your time. Okay, let's wrap this up with a quick action checklist. Your homework for this week. It should only take you two or three hours total. All right. Number one, claim or verify your Google business profile. Go do it now. Two, fill out every single field completely. Don't give anything, especially your hours. Number three, add at least 10 good photos, your work, your team, your shop. Four, email or text your last three happy customers and ask them for a Google review. Five, go back and respond to every review you've ever received. Yes, even the old ones, it shows your paying attention. And number six, check your website right now. Is your city name and phone number easy to find on every single page. And look, if you're going through this list and you realize your website is the week link, if that's what's costing you those 50 calls a month, that is exactly why we created you grow. We build websites where all this local SEO stuff is just baked in from the start. The mobile friendly design, the fast loading pages, the local schema, we handle all of it. We're right here in Ruyo Grande in AG. So we know the SLO County market because we live here. That's the quick tip for today. If you want a professional website without the agency price tag or the DIY sake, here is the better way at you grow.pro. We build it. We manage it and we handle every update forever all for just $79 a month. There is zero set up feed, no contract, and it is strictly month month. So there is zero risk where local here in AG and we can have you live in days, not months. Want to see what your site could look like? Go to yougrow.pro right now and we'll design three custom mockups for your business, completely free. No strings attached. Thanks for listening and keep growing.