#GoogleGirl In Get Found, Websites, Google Business Profile

Why Free Marketing Tools Are Like the Toronto Blue Jays Making It to the World Series

It’s 2025, and the Toronto Blue Jays are on a tear. The city is buzzing, the country is watching, and every baseball fan north of the border is wearing their lucky cap. But as the Jays inch closer to the World Series, something magical is happening off the field too — small business owners are starting to realize that they’ve got their own version of the underdog team quietly climbing to greatness.

And that underdog?

It’s your free digital marketing tools — Google Business Profile, your website, your social media, and all the online assets that don’t cost a dime but can win big when used strategically.

Let’s play ball.

Your Google Business Profile: The Underdog of the Major Leagues

In every great baseball story, there’s an underdog — the player who wasn’t drafted high, who wasn’t the flashiest hitter, but who delivers when it matters most.

For the Toronto Blue Jays, that underdog energy runs deep. It’s what makes the fans believe. And in the world of digital marketing, that same quiet power belongs to your Google Business Profile.

Your Google listing is the player no one talks about — until it wins the game. When paired with Local SEO, it’s like moving that player from the minors to the major leagues. Local SEO teaches Google how to recognize your business as a power hitter — showing up higher in local searches, attracting more fans (customers), and giving your business the visibility it deserves. It’s quietly working behind the scenes, showing up when people search “best landscaper in Regina” or “local bakery near me.” It’s that steady player who just gets on base again and again.

Like the Jays grinding through 162 games, your Google Business Profile is always at work — building trust, collecting reviews, updating hours, showing photos, and making sure your business is visible when it counts.

It’s not fancy. It’s not loud. But it wins games.

Moral of the inning: Never underestimate the power of consistency. Just like the Blue Jays’ bullpen quietly locking down a lead, your Google profile quietly builds your local visibility — one search at a time.

Your Website: Every Player Doing Their Job

When the Blue Jays make it to the World Series, you don’t see one player carrying the team. Everyone has a role. The pitcher throws heat, the catcher calls the game, and the shortstop makes highlight-reel plays.

Your website is the same way. It’s the entire lineup — doing its job day after day, page after page.

Your homepage is the leadoff hitter, making that first impression count.

Your services pages are the power hitters, driving in runs (a.k.a. conversions).

Your contact page? That’s your closer — the final step that seals the win.

And when your website is Google-friendly, it’s like having a roster full of players who actually listen to the coach. SEO best practices are your playbook. Keywords, page speed, mobile responsiveness — these are the fundamentals.

When every player (page) knows the play and sticks to the game plan, your website doesn’t just show up; it shines. And if you’re still waiting to build your site, our Websites in a Week program is like spring training on fast-forward — you show up Monday with a dream, and by Friday you’ve got a website that’s ready to play in the major leagues.

The Jays don’t get to October by accident. And your website doesn’t rank on Google by luck either. It’s about showing up, working the count, and doing the little things right all season long.

Moral of the inning: Do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life — or another inning in your business. Your website loves to work for you; just make sure you’re giving it the right signals to hit it out of the park.

Social Media: The Snacks at the Game

Ah, social media — the cotton candy, nachos, and overpriced hot dogs of your marketing strategy. You don’t need it to play baseball, but it sure makes the experience more fun.

Posting on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok is like walking the concourse with a handful of snacks. You’re not sure if you’re hungry, but you can’t resist the smell. One post here, one story there, and suddenly your business feels alive, active, and part of the crowd.

Too much, and you’ll feel bloated — overwhelmed by algorithms, trends, and endless scrolling.

Too little, and you’ll look like you’ve left the stadium before the seventh-inning stretch.

The sweet spot? Snack responsibly.

Share the wins. Celebrate the people behind the business. Show your fans (followers) that you’re not just playing the game — you’re having fun doing it.

Moral of the inning: Social media isn’t the main course. It’s the atmosphere. It’s what keeps your audience cheering between innings.

Google Analytics: The Stat Sheet That Tells the Real Story

Every baseball fan knows — the numbers don’t lie. Batting averages, on-base percentage, ERA — these stats tell the story behind every win and loss.

In marketing, Google Analytics is your stat sheet. It shows you what’s working and what’s not.

It’s the difference between guessing and managing. Between hoping for a home run and actually knowing who your best hitters are.

Analytics tells you:

Which pages on your site are driving traffic (your all-stars).
Where people drop off (your slumps).
And which campaigns are bringing in the runs (revenue).

Sure, stats might seem boring at first glance — but so does a scorecard until you realize it holds the secret to the whole game.

Moral of the inning: Winners study the numbers. The Blue Jays don’t just play — they analyze, adjust, and improve. Your business should too.

Email Marketing: The Reliable Veteran in the Lineup

Every baseball team has that one player who’s been around forever — dependable, calm under pressure, and still clutch when it counts.

In the digital marketing world, that’s email marketing.

While everyone’s distracted by the flashy new rookie (TikTok), email keeps doing what it’s always done: delivering results.

It builds relationships. It keeps fans engaged. It sells tickets (or products).

It’s not always glamorous, but neither is a solid double to the gap — and yet, both get the job done. When your audience trusts you enough to open your emails, you’ve earned something even more valuable than clicks: loyalty.

Moral of the inning: Don’t bench your veterans. The Blue Jays know the power of experience — and your business should too.

Google Ads: The Trade Deadline Power Move

Sometimes you need a mid-season boost — a strategic move that changes the game.

That’s where Google Ads come in.

Just like a big-name trade at the deadline, Google Ads give you that instant shot of energy. It’s not free (like your organic tools), but it can make the difference between sitting at home in October or playing for the World Series.

The best part? When you’ve already got a strong foundation — your website, Google Business Profile, and social media — your ads perform even better. You’re not paying to patch holes; you’re paying to amplify what’s already working.

Moral of the inning: Invest smartly when it counts. A well-timed boost can take you from wildcard to champion.

Reviews: Your Fans in the Stands

You can’t have baseball without fans — and you can’t have a thriving business without reviews.

Positive reviews are your standing ovations.

They build credibility, improve SEO, and attract more people to your game (your business).

When someone leaves a five-star review, they’re saying, “I believe in this team.” And when you respond — even to criticism — you show that you value your fans and are always working to get better.

Moral of the inning: A packed stadium creates energy. So does a page full of glowing reviews.

Search Console: Your Team Manager

Behind every great team is a manager who sees what the players don’t — who adjusts the lineup, spots weaknesses, and gives feedback that makes everyone better.

That’s Google Search Console.

It’s the tool that tells you how your website is performing in search, which keywords you’re ranking for, and where you need to improve. It’s the one giving you signals from the dugout, keeping your team (website) in the game.

Ignore it, and you’re playing without direction.

Listen to it, and you’ll find your sweet spot — that perfect pitch you can drive over the wall.

Moral of the inning: Trust your coach. Search Console wants you to win.

Your Online Reputation: The Team Spirit

When the Blue Jays make it to the World Series, it’s not just talent that gets them there — it’s chemistry. It’s belief. It’s how they show up for each other.

Your online reputation works the same way. It’s the combination of everything — your listings, website, reviews, and social media — coming together to build trust.

People don’t buy from businesses; they buy from teams they believe in.

If your brand feels authentic, responsive, and rooted in your community, your customers will wear your jersey proudly — just like Jays fans filling the stands at Rogers Centre.

Moral of the inning: Winning online isn’t about one big swing. It’s about team effort.

The Bottom of the Ninth: Playing the Long Game

The 2025 Toronto Blue Jays didn’t wake up one morning and find themselves in the World Series. It took strategy, grit, and a whole lot of practice.

Your free digital marketing tools work the same way. They don’t promise instant wins. But when you use them consistently — updating your Google listing, optimizing your website, posting on social, watching your analytics — the results add up.

Each tool plays a position.

Each small win moves you around the bases.

And before you know it, you’re sliding into home — visible, trusted, and winning new customers every day.

So, if you’ve been sitting on the bench waiting to start, consider this your call-up to the majors.

Because in the digital big leagues, every small business has a shot at the World Series — and your free tools are ready to play ball.

Whether you’re in the early innings with your Google profile or ready to swing for the fences with a brand-new website, Above the Fold is here to coach you through it. Our Local SEO services help your business rise through the standings, and our Websites in a Week program gets you game-ready fast. Because every local business deserves its shot at the World Series of visibility.

We make the phone ring, the door swing and the till ding.

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#GoogleGirl In Get Found

Why Social Media is a Waste of Time for Local Businesses

Here’s What To Do Instead

The Small Business Social Media Mistake That’s Costing You Thousands

There’s a big mistake I see local businesses make with their marketing.

I see owners spinning their wheels trying to get traction on social media, but not seeing any results.

If you’re like most local business owners, it’s hard to get away from social media.

After all, there’s…

Peer pressure
Social pressure
And the hope that maybe the next post will be the one that goes viral…

But for most small businesses it’s not working.

With all that time spent posting on social media, local business owners are missing the opportunities that exist on their website and Google listing.

Hands down, if you’re a local business owner, optimizing your Google listing is the #1 best thing you can do to bring in more customers.

Just how powerful can your Google listing be?

A local service business that we worked with on their Google listing saw their business increase by 33% in a 6 month period!

They own a local cleaning business and became so busy they increased their cleaning crews from 2, and then, later, to 3 crews, to keep up with demand.

This was just from focusing on their Google listing instead of social media.

Short Time Investment to get New Customers from your Google Listing

Your Google listing is so powerful because it’s the last stop where customers go when they want to buy.

Yet some business owners avoid using Google listings because it seems complicated.

But it doesn’t have to be.

I’ve seen local businesses start getting results from their Google listing in as little as 15 minutes per week.

(Compared to 3-4 hours per week posting on social media, where they got less results!)

In some cases they closed their social media accounts because they no longer needed them!

By spending 15 minutes per week in your Google listing you will bring more customers into your business if you follow a simple plan with the right steps.

Simple Plan to Get Up and Running With Your Google Listing

In only 4 weeks and with minimal time spent, you could have your Google listing set up and attracting new customers straight to you.

Here’s what you need to do…

Week 1 – You’re going to tune up your listing.

Week 2 – You’ll make small improvements and post “updates” to your listing.

Week 3 – You’re going to add a product to your listing and another post.

Week 4 – You’ll add another product and you’ll add an offer.

By going through these steps in 15 minutes per week you can start to get customers that wouldn’t have come through social media.

Ultimate_Google_Listing_Guide_header_image-1024x437

Update These 4 Things To Get Your Business Found By Customers

There are 4 main areas that you need to update in your Google listing so your website will rank higher in Google, and get found by new customers.

Update the Categories Your Business Is In
Find the categories that apply to your business and add 6-10 of them.
For example, if you offer house cleaning services, make sure you’re also listed as a commercial cleaning service if you service commercial buildings.
Update Your Products — Add at Least 4 to Your Listing
“But Barb I offer a service. I don’t have products.”
That’s okay. You can add products that you’re capable of installing or reselling.
For example, if you’re a plumber and you can replace someone’s water heater, you could add that as a product.
Why do we do this?
Products and services both help your listing rank.
Adding products onto your listing will help customers find you on Google.

Add An Offer
An offer attracts customers to your product or service.
But, an offer is only visible on a mobile phone.
An example of an offer for a house cleaner could be 10% off your first service.
And for a plumber it can be as simple as a complimentary check on your furnace.
Post to Your Listing on a Weekly Basis
Adding posts to your listing is very important for new customers to find your business.
Why?
Your listing is keyword sensitive.
This means new customers searching for your product or service will find your business easier.

Updating these 4 areas on your Google listing will help new customers find you faster when they’re looking for a local business.

Attract Your Customers Through Posts

When you create posts on your listing, Google will use keywords to connect customers to your product or service.

Not sure what to post?

Start with anything you’ve already been posting onto your social media, because customers want to know about celebrations you’re having, or about gift certificates for an upcoming holiday.

Anything you’ve posted on social media can get better results on your Google listing to actually help new customers find your local business.

Is it really that easy?

Yes, it is.

One Important Thing To Keep In Mind

When you log into your listing account, you’re going to see about 75 different criteria that Google uses to rank local businesses.

Knowing the correct criteria to choose is very important because it will affect how your website moves up on Google.

The higher your business ranks, the easier customers can find you.

Each business is unique and you need to have a plan that is specific to your business.

I recommend consulting with an expert (like me! 👋) on this to ensure you don’t accidentally configure something the wrong way.

Next Steps To Get Started

To help you get started, you can book a free call with me so that we can check your Google listing together.

We’ll go through which of the 75 criteria are most important to your unique business.

By the end, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to optimize your listing to start getting customers through the door.

And if you want your Google listing optimized hands-free, we can help you with that too. 🙂

Book your free call now at https://abovethefold.live/listing.

#GoogleGirl In Get Found

The Big Mistake Local Businesses are Making

Maximize Your Local Business’s Online Potential: The Overlooked Power of Google Listings

Local businesses are constantly searching for the magic bullet to amplify their marketing efforts and drive customers through their doors. In the digital age, the first instinct is often to focus heavily on social media. However, many local businesses are making a critical mistake that’s costing them valuable engagement and sales – neglecting their website and Google listings. Today, we’ll explore why this oversight can be detrimental and how businesses can harness the power of online tools to see real results.

The Pitfall of Relying Solely on Social Media

It’s easy to get caught up in the social media whirlwind — the pressure to maintain an active presence, the hope of creating viral content, and the desire to keep up with competitors. Yet, despite their efforts, local businesses frequently find they’re spinning their wheels on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok without seeing any tangible returns. One of our clients, a local service business, experienced a significant shift by changing its focus. They saw a 33% increase in business within six months and expanded their house cleaning crews – all by paying attention to their website and Google listing instead of social media.

The Untapped Potential of Your Google Listing

A Google listing is perhaps one of the most potent tools at a local business’s disposal. Why? When customers are making those final purchasing decisions, they’re not browsing through Instagram or Facebook – they’re checking out Google listings. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the concept of managing your Google listing or believe it to be complex, rest assured it’s much simpler than it seems.

Imagine spending only 15 minutes per week optimizing your Google listing. We’ve witnessed businesses transform almost overnight, with customers walking in the door as a direct result. This modest investment of time starkly contrasts with the hours dedicated to crafting social media content that often goes unnoticed.

4 Key Updates to Supercharge Your Google Listing

You can start harnessing the power of your Google local listing today by making four critical updates:

Categories: Evaluate the categories your business is listed under and add six to ten relevant options. If you offer multiple services like housecleaning and commercial cleaning, make sure they’re all included.
Products and Services: Even if you don’t sell physical products, updating this section is crucial. Services are treated equally in terms of helping your Google listing rank, so list your most prominent services for better visibility.
Offers: A nifty feature that is visible only on mobile devices. Create an enticing offer, such as a discount or complimentary service, to encourage customers to engage with your business.
Weekly Posts: Utilize the update feature on your Google listing. Incorporate relevant keywords to your community’s searches; this can significantly boost your visibility to prospective customers.

Frequently, simply repurposing your existing social media content for your Google listing can achieve better results, as customers are actively searching for this information when they’re ready to engage with businesses.

Beyond the Basics: The Full Spectrum of Google’s Ranking Criteria

When delving into your listing, keep in mind that Google uses approximately 75 different criteria to rank local businesses. Understanding and optimizing these criteria can be game-changing for your business. However, knowing which ones are most critical to your specific needs is essential.

Your Personalized Plan for Success

If this feels overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Go ahead and book a free call here: abovethefold.live/listing where we can chat and strategize for your business’s unique needs. We’ll help identify which of the 75 criteria are most pertinent and set you up with a tailor-made plan.

For those who prefer to remain hands-off, we’ve got you covered, too. Our team can manage the optimization process, making it a hassle-free experience that yields real results.

Your Next Steps

Don’t let your local business fall into the trap of relying solely on social media. Instead, take control of your Google local listing and give your business the attention it deserves from customers who are ready to buy. Whether you’re diving in yourself or seeking expert assistance, the path to enhanced online visibility and growth is just a few clicks away. Book your free call now, and let’s elevate your local business above the fold.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Today, you’ll learn the biggest mistake that most local businesses make with their marketing, which often causes them to spin their wheels on social media without seeing any results. You’ll also learn how to avoid making that mistake and what to do instead. Let’s dive in. So the big mistake I see local businesses make is they pour all their time and effort into their social media and they forget about everything that’s happening on their website and in their Google local listing.

[00:00:30] Social media has become that thing that we feel we have to do. There’s social pressure, there’s peer pressure from other businesses. Everyone else is doing it. Maybe it’s the next post that will go viral. It’s the next video that’s going to bring customers through your door and it’s not working by putting all your time and effort into social media and forgetting about your listing and forgetting about your website.

[00:00:56] You’re missing out on the opportunity to attract customers to [00:01:00] your business today. One of the clients that we worked with a local service business saw their business change by 33% in a six month time period. They went from having two house cleaning crews to three simply by focusing on their Google listing and their website instead of social media.

[00:01:20] Your Google listing is one of the easiest tools that you can use as a local business. Your Google listing is such a powerful tool because it’s the last stop that a customer makes before they’re ready to make a purchase. So when they have credit card in hand, they are heading over to your Google listing.

[00:01:38] Let’s just talk about ignoring Google, ignoring the power of Google, ignoring the ease of Google, because for a lot of local business owners, it just feels complicated. And it’s not, or it doesn’t have to be. I’ve seen so many local businesses see results that they weren’t getting from social media. In as little as [00:02:00] 15 minutes a week, they can see customers walking through their door, where they’ve spent hours, two hours, three hours a week on social media, and all they’ve heard is crickets.

[00:02:11] I’ve seen local businesses go from trying to post on social media on a daily basis to closing their social channels. because they spent the time on their Google listing and their website. They no longer even needed their social media channels. Honest to God, if you spend 15 minutes a week in your listing, you are going to bring in more customers into your business.

[00:02:30] Honest to God, like 15 minutes. Because in that first week, you’re going to tune it up. In the second week, you’re going to make some small improvements and you’re going to post to your listing. In the third week, you’re going to add a product to your listing and another post. In the fourth week, you’ll add another product.

[00:02:50] You’ll add an offer. So each week I encourage everyone to spend 15 minutes in your listing and it’s going to make a difference in your business. So there’s four [00:03:00] things that I want you to go and update in your Google listing today. The first one is the categories. that you have your business in. If you’re a housecleaning service, I want you to make sure that you’re listed as a housecleaning service, but you can also be listed as a commercial cleaning service if you do offices and businesses.

[00:03:19] So, go and find the categories that apply to your business and add six to ten categories. for your business today. The second thing that I want you to look at is products. Add at least four products to your listing. But Barb, I don’t sell products. I’m a service. That’s okay. Products and services help your Google listing rank equally.

[00:03:46] So if you are service based, then focus on the services that you provide. So update your products or update your services. This is one of the most important things that we’re seeing in terms of Google [00:04:00] ranking right now. So that’s your second change. The third one that you’re going to add is something called an offer.

[00:04:07] And an offer is only visible on mobile. To add an offer to your listing, add an update. An example of an offer. would be a free item with purchase. So on your first product purchase or service booking, you can offer a complimentary item to go with it. A house cleaner might be a 10 percent discount off your first service.

[00:04:31] And for a plumber, it might be as simple as a complimentary check on your furnace come winter time. Number four, the last one, posting to your listing on a weekly basis. If you go into your Google listing, you’re going to see a little button that says, Add update. I want you to add an update to your listing on a weekly basis.

[00:04:51] Why? Because it is keyword sensitive. All of those searches that people are doing in your community, the [00:05:00] keywords in your posts are going to help attract new customers to your business. Wondering what to post on your listing? Here’s a couple of examples of what you can share to your listing today. Start with what you’ve already posted on social and share that into your listing because those same customers They want to know about the celebration you’re having in your store They want to know about the gift certificates that are available for the upcoming holidays They want to know about the products you’re carrying and the brands that are already available through your plumbing shop So anything that you’re posting on social You can do better with it on your Google listing.

[00:05:36] But Barb, is it really that easy? Yes, it is. But there’s one other thing to keep in mind. When you log into your listing, you’re going to see that there’s about 75 different criteria that Google is using to rank local businesses. Knowing the correct criteria is very important and that will impact how quickly your listing moves up as well.

[00:05:58] To help you get started, book a free [00:06:00] call so we can go through your Google listing with you. Point out which of the 75 criteria are going to be most important to your business and your takeaway will be knowing exactly what you need to do to optimize your Google listing. You can book that at abovethefold. live / listing. On the call, we’re going to talk about exactly what you need to do with your listing. There is no mold that applies to every single business. Each business is unique and we’re going to help you build a plan that is specific to your business. And if you want it to be totally hands free, We can help you with that as well.

[00:06:40] Go to abovethefold. live / listing and book your free call with me right now. See you soon.

GoogleGuy In Get Found

LM: UG to GBP

Get Found by more customers.

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Simple, step-by-step lessons.
Answers to alllll your questions.
The only training led by a Google-expert.

Get Skilled. Get Funded. Get Found.

”Barb and her team are AMAZING!!! Their expertise and knowledge have brought my business to a whole other level. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my business!
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This expert-led, live, virtual course will give you the confidence you need to attract more customers online to your local business.

Register now to …

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Will my business benefit?

These are just a few of the types of businesses who got found.

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We welcome everyone, but

Get Found Digital Marketing is NOT for you, if …

You truly believe social media is the only way to market your business.

You’re just looking for a social media course. There’s plenty out there; just Google it. ????

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You’re knocking it out of the park on Google and can use schema in a sentence correctly. (If so, check out KickA$$ SEO!)

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Amazon & Walmart Don’t Rely on Social Media. Why Do You?

Amazon & Walmart don’t rely on social media to sell more stuff. Why do you?

As a local business owner, you can make a BIGGER impact on your business with LESS social media.

Ready to find out more? Get Found Digital Marketing will give you the exact, step-by-step tactics to get your business on the 1st page of Google.

Get Found Digital Marketing will teach you how to create raving fans for your business and turn browsers to buyers and thinkers to do’ers. Are you ready to turn browsers to buyers and thinkers to do’ers? Register today!

✔️Live, virtual training.
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Get Skilled. Get Funded. Get Found.

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21 Ways to Ask for Reviews

Here are 21 sure-fire ways to keep GREAT reviews rolling in.

Customer reviews boost trust and credibility with future customers. Learn how you can easily make more money and get found fast with customer reviews today!

Get Found Digital Marketing is the local business owners guide to the 1st page. We teach local business owners, employees and organizations exactly what they need to do to find more ready-to-buy customers, donors and volunteers.

Are you ready to turn browsers to buyers and thinkers to do’ers?

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Get Skilled. Get Funded. Get Found.

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Top 3 Reasons to Register for Get Found

Top 3 Reasons Businesses Register for Get Found

Get Found Digital Marketing will give you the exact steps to get found on the 1st page.

Ooze with confidence and get every detail needed to skyrocket your business to the top. Attract more buying customers, #sellmorestuff and #makemoremoney. Customers search every day to find local businesses – if you’re not on the 1st page, your competitor is.

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#GoogleGirl In Get Found, Podcast

Ep. 80 Your Ultimate Guide to Get Found with Local SEO #GrowLocal

Episode Guide

Episode #127 with the Globe Theatre

Episode #126 with Lore Ruschiensky from Cecilian Chamber Series

Episode #125 with Kay Peacy from Slick Business

Episode #124 with Marc Toews from Gateway Web AR

Episode #123 with Sherry Pratt from Sherry Pratt Health Coaching

Episode #122 with Aaron Strauss from Cache Tactical Supply

Episode #121 with Cedric Delavaud from Ludoland Regina

Episode #120 with Jasmine Patterson from BDC

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Episode 1 with Sherry Knight from Dimension 11

Welcome to Your Ultimate Guide to Get Found with Local SEO, a special episode of the Secret Life of Entrepreneurs and a #GrowLocal episode.

Tune in to meet our customers, Skittles and Eva, who teach us about their journey to purchase from search to shopping.

Skittles, a discerning Boston Terrier, wants his pet parent to shop local and select convenience. While Eva, a particular customer who is comfortable with tech and research, prefers to shop local but needs to find competitively priced products.

Learn how Local SEO influences their purchase decisions and how local businesses can find more ready-to-buy customers, like Skittles and Eva.

If you are a local business owner and would like to learn more, visit https://getfound.live

—

Missed an episode?

Catch up here: https://abovethefold.live/secret-life

Video Transcript: Ep. 80

Barb 0:10
Welcome to a very special episode, the first in our three part series, grow local. And we’ll even have a few guests business owners join us today via the online chat with some questions as we go.

Barb 0:26
In this episode entitled, your Ultimate Guide to Get Found with Local SEO will take you on a journey of two of your customers.

Barb 0:38
If you’ve ever been frustrated with Google, not showing the right content, not showing your business, not seeming to understand what you do, this is your fix. This is the way to tell Google who you are. If you’re a local business owner, hoping to find more ready to buy customers.

Barb 0:59
Stay tuned. I’m Barb McGrath, founder of above the fold digital marketing, and the get found Academy, the local business owners guide to the first page of Google. Let’s start off. Let’s start off quickly with what is local SEO and what it isn’t. Local SEO is using your website, your Google listing, and even your social channels to find more customers.

Barb 1:31
SEO or search engine optimization is maximizing your online properties for customers and search engines. And it’s really important to remember that while we want the search engines to find us, it’s way more important that our customers find us and our customers shop with us.

Barb 1:57
So SEO is about finding more customers. A search engine, for example, Google, Bing, or Yahoo can find your business. And they can understand the content on your website when you give it to them.

Barb 2:14
And that’s what we’re going to talk about today. How do we give more content to these search engines? So from a practical perspective, as a local business, local SEO means more foot traffic. Local SEO is all of those best, and near me searches that we all do from our phone, best coffee shop, coffee shop near me, best plumber, Saskatoon, best plumber weyburn.

Barb 2:46
These are all searches that customers are doing every day. And we want those customers to find you.

Barb 2:56
Local SEO means that you will have more online purchases, even if they’re picked up or delivered. And as we all survived COVID so many of us learn to deliver our services virtually, or create a contactless environment where consumers could continue to purchase from us.

Barb 3:20
So local SEO isn’t about online shopping. It’s about finding your customers where they are online. SEO is the equivalent of a dating service for your business. Customers will swipe you away in a heartbeat. And if you don’t appear to have what they’re looking for, they’re just going to keep going.

Barb 3:51
So it’s your job to show off all of the things that you have to offer. So those potential dates I mean, customers know that you have what they’re looking for. So local SEO is not a quick scheme to get a whole bunch of clicks on your website, or on your social channels to drive up visits, local SEO ties directly to sales and cash in your register.

Barb 4:28
So let’s start off by meeting our customers. Because really, they’re our guest today, and they’re the most important folks who are here with us. Our first guest is Skittles and I’m just gonna bring Skittles, do a little bit of cuddling with him here. So this is Skittles.

Barb 4:46
Skittles is a very discerning young Boston Terrier. He’s particular about his nutrition and seeks quality food and treats. He absolutely loves his pet parent, a young lad named Peter.

Barb 5:06
Skittles likes a little bit of variety in his food and toys. And Peter is new to pet parenting. So, you know, he’s still doing a lot of shopping around, and he’s very price conscious, he wants his money to go as far as it can for Skittles. He also wants the best for Skittles.

Barb 5:30
And he Googles every purchase before he actually makes the purchase. Doesn’t matter if it’s food, toys, a leash, a harness, little boots for winter, because these paws get mighty chilly, it doesn’t matter if it’s a kennel, whatever it might be. Peter searches on Google for everything before he actually makes that purchase.

Barb 5:58
Our other customer that we’re going to talk about today is Ava. And Ava and Skittles are two very different customers. So let’s take a look at Ava. There she is. So Ava, on the other hand, is not just discerning. She’s very particular. And once she finds a business that she likes, she tends to return over and over.

Barb 6:28
She’s very traditional at heart, but very savvy, when it comes to technology, she will return to a business if she believes that the price is competitive. And that’s a really important differentiator. She’s looking for competitive pricing. She’s not afraid of that online environment.

Barb 6:53
When she’s unsure, uncertain, she’ll spend hours researching, analyzing, googling her different options, and understanding what she can buy as a customer.

Barb 7:08
Both of our customers today will support local businesses whenever they can. So if it’s an option, they’re both absolutely going to support local. But as a local business, you have to be competitive, you need to be convenient, and Skittles, or Peter and Eva can confirm, before they go shopping, that the business that they want to shop with actually has what it is that they’re looking for.

Barb 7:45
So they are such different customers. But their journey to purchase all ends with the same result. They want to shop local, their journeys are different, but they still want to be able to shop locally. And they have one thing in common.

Barb 8:07
They both rely on their search result to find the products and services that they want. Eva being the researcher relies on what she finds on a business’s website, to be up to date to be true and to be accurate. So if her chosen business shows that they have an item in stock, she 100% expects that to be true.

Barb 8:36
Skittles, on the other hand, is a little less patient. And he sends Peter directly to Google Maps, Google listings to find the things he wants. Because he knows if Peter goes to those Google listings, Peter can instantly contact a business, ask for directions, make a phone call, and that’s what Skittles is looking for.

Barb 8:59
So before Eva before Ava or Peter for Skittles, before they made that last purchase, they interacted with their chosen business 12 different times 12 think about that. If your customers are interacting with you 12 different times. That’s absolutely huge. They followed and commented on the business’s social media. They checked hours and location on the business’s website. They checked Reviews on Google and they watched a video on YouTube. They even made a phone call just to double check some availability.

Barb 9:42
Ava being immunocompromised, she also sought out the COVID protocols. She wanted to make sure that the business had posted this information publicly. The last place that both Eva and Peter on Skittles behalf When went and looked for information was on their Google listing, asking for directions, they were ready to make the purchase.

Barb 10:09
They had their credit card literally in hand, they went to the Google listings. So even Skittles represent every one of your customers. 83% of customers still purchase their goods and services locally.

Barb 10:27
Customers want to be able to support you. And they have to know what you have to offer. Local SEO is driven by up to date, information, accuracy, and keywords. To help Google understand what a business is about. When Skittles wants the best squeaky toy available. He gets Peter to Google squeaky toy for Boston Terrier, or best squeaky toy for a lap dog.

Barb 11:02
Or better yet squeaky toys near me. These are the searches that Peter is doing on behalf of Skittles, because he wants to keep his little pup as entertained as possible. And if you’ve ever had a dog that is a Boston Terrier, you’ll understand why that is. So the results that appear when Peter does his search are primarily from online stores. He gets Amazon, he gets eBay, but he wants to find a local store. He did find a couple of franchises in his search result.

Barb 11:39
But that still wasn’t quite what he’s looking for. He wanted local, and so many customers do, they go out of their way to try and find local, but they don’t find what they’re looking for. Because at the local level. So often a business isn’t looking after their SEO. Eva on the other hand, she did a Google search and she was searching for a big new puffy dress, her dress is getting a little bit worn.

Barb 12:11
She wants this big, puffy, new blue dress. The difference between Peter search and Eva search is keyword. And so that’s the first step to local SEO is keywords. Understanding the keywords that your customers are looking for, and are using. A tool like Google My Business, which is your Google listing, gives you a section called insight. And insights will list the exact keywords that customers used when they viewed or clicked your Google listing.

Barb 12:56
So if you’re not sure where to find keywords for your customers, then head into your Google listing when we’re done today. And you’ll be amazed what you find inside your insights.

Barb 13:09
If you have a Google listing, just check it out by going to business.google.com your insights are literally there waiting for you the keywords that you find in your Google listing, you also want to use them on your website pages, throughout your listing and on your social channel.

Barb 13:34
Now, the interesting thing about social media is it doesn’t tend to be as keyword specific. But it’s also not as closely tied to a customer making a purchase. So the keywords that you find, while you’ll use them throughout all of your marketing material.

Barb 13:54
You also want to be able to understand what your customer journey looks like. Are your customers hanging out on social media? Are they making one of those 12 first contacts that both Peter Peter and Eva did.

Barb 14:11
Your Google listing then becomes that number one tool for local SEO, when a customer is ready to buy, I can they’ve got that credit card in hand. They go to your listing, they want to know what you’ve got, they want to find your website, they want to find your phone number, they want to contact you.

Barb 14:28
They need directions, they need to check your hours, or they’re also looking at your reviews. So each of those are so important. Customers rely on accuracy 100% for your name, address, phone number and hours. So if your website and your Google listing are not a perfect match, when we’re done, make sure you head over there and get that fixed.

Barb 14:57
So then the second takeaway of course, is Google listing and Google listings appear in search results just below the ads, or over on the right hand side, if there’s only one business that Google believes is a match, when customers are searching for your business, they need to find you in what’s called the snack pack.

Barb 15:21
And the snack pack are those top three businesses, or top three listings that appear in the search results. So you will often see three businesses and maybe even one or two add right in that little snack pack.

Barb 15:40
But when customers are ready to buy, they go to that snack pack. So that’s where you want to be, they’re looking at your location, is it up to date, customer might remember that, well, gee, I remember this business move last year, and they don’t seem to have updated their location or your hours change, or you have different protocol, during COVID.

Barb 16:03
When customers find discrepancies in your listing, it just starts to erode the trust a little bit. So you want to keep that listing 100%, up to date. And one of the ways that you can do that is simply by logging in on a weekly basis.

Barb 16:21
That’s how you have to do log in, post some content, not sure what to post, Hey, take a look at whatever you may have posted on social media, pull in those keywords that you already found in insights, and create a post right inside your Google listing.

Barb 16:39
Google is constantly giving local businesses new features. And if you remember the Google listing from a few years ago, many local business owners complain because it didn’t feel like the listings really helped local, it felt like big business had all of the favors. So Google has changed that drastically.

Barb 17:01
You want to be in your listing on a weekly basis, checking what has changed, bringing it up to date, creating a post. At the end of the day, when Google is done, they have one objective for your listing, they want you to sell more stuff.

Barb 17:19
That’s it, they just want you to sell stuff because they know when you succeed, the likelihood that they succeed is huge.

Barb 17:28
So if they’re not familiar with your business, and they’re looking for more information about you, then you need to include in your listing a description of your business, pictures of your products, photos from inside your location, your business logo, there are so many different things that you can do inside that listing, if you’d like to be in the snapback, and Who wouldn’t? Hello, hi, hallelujah like we all want to be there, your Google listing becomes that must tell using the keywords you have to tell Google what’s going on.

Barb 18:08
And as an added bonus, just a couple of months ago, Google added the ability to add a product whether your product or service based. So when you finish this session, and you go and you get logged in, you’ll see that you can add a picture of a product as well as a description. And these show up really high in your listing. So from a visual perspective, they’re awesome.

Barb 18:36
The final step in local SEO is the content on your website. Google does not read your website word for word. Google is just a big old calculator.

Barb 18:49
And when a customer does a search, Google calculates in the back end, what should show up for that particular customer. If you’re managing your listing, and your website, you’re following all of Google’s rules, the likelihood of being able to get your business in front of that customer is very high. It’s really that simple.

Barb 19:16
When Google does the calculation, it happens in a split second. So a website that appears on the first page underneath those listings. They’re not paying to be there.

Barb 19:29
They’re there because they’ve done the work. They’ve earned Google’s trust. The first thing Google looks for when they go to your website is your name, address, phone number and ours. Does that sound familiar? That’s what we just talked about with your listing.

Barb 19:47
For such simple pieces of data, name, address, phone number hours, get them in sync. If you happen to be an e-commerce business, then you absolutely have to have what’s called an SSL.

Barb 20:01
And this is again, still part of the content on your website. And SSL is a security certificate on your site. And it’s your way of telling Google that you are protecting your customers and your website. That’s all it is. It doesn’t matter what you use to build the site, you can always have an SSL certificate on your site.

Barb 20:30
Google also read something else called metadata. And metadata, or a meta tag is a piece of information that Google can, can read and can understand, to learn more about your business.

Barb 20:47
So an example that you might be familiar with is your page title. A page title, just, for example, would include your keyword. And it’s a piece of metadata. It’s your way of telling Google, hey, we’re here. Here’s what we do. So every page on your website has a title.

Barb 21:11
And it also has a description. Again, it doesn’t matter how your website has been built. All of the large page builders for websites allow you to create a page title and a page description. So every page has it. If you don’t have a page description, or you don’t have a page title, for some reason, Google will just reach into your site, pull back some information, and that’s what they’ll display to the customer.

Barb 21:44
Why would you want to leave that up to Google to figure out what to say, versus being able to keep it up to date yourself. But each the description and the title or a description of metadata, and it’s that metadata that Google plugs into their calculator to do the calculation for whether or not your website appears?

Barb 22:08
So metadata is not technical mumbo jumbo, it’s not confusing. It’s what are your customers looking for? And where can you put those keywords on your website? It’s that simple.

Barb 22:26
Most websites will include hundreds, if not 1000s, of different opportunities to create metadata. If you take a look at your website, if you’re not taking advantage of all of the titles, descriptions, any of the pieces of metadata, then that needs to be the second thing you do after you’re done today, because you’re going to finish up in your listing.

Barb 22:54
And then you want to be able to hop into your website and start to make some of these changes. So all you need to do is find those keywords, use them for your titles and descriptions, and any other metadata that you have out there.

Barb 23:08
So your Google listing and your metadata become that one on one conversation with Google. Hey, we’re here. Here’s what we do. We teach local business owners how to get found on Google, we teach them how to get to the first page of Google, hey, we’re over here we sell great quality pet food for Skittles, he’s gonna love it. Hey, we’re over here, we’ve got a nice big, blue puffy dress for Ava.

Barb 23:33
That’s all there is to it. So you’ve got your keywords, you’re going to go in, you’re going to find your keywords, then you’re going to hop into your listing, get it up to date, be sure it’s in sync with your website.

Barb 23:48
And then you’re going to take a look at the content on your website to make sure that what you want Google to know is in fact, what Google is telling your customers. So there you have it.

Barb 24:02
Skittles can now have the best squeaky toy he can imagine. Because Peter can shop local, he can find the local business that has the special squeaky toy that has the little spikes on it, and the ball lights up and Skittles is absolutely excited. He couldn’t be more excited when Peter comes home and he can instantly smell that squeaky toy inside the bag.

Barb 24:26
Ava on the other hand, can now stock up on big blue puffy dresses that she can buy locally. And more importantly, she’s able to feel safe making that purchase. It is so important to her being immunocompromised that she knows that when she goes someplace she can trust that that business has her best interests at heart. So there you have it.

Barb 24:54
That is your ultimate guide to local SEO and getting found If you are a local business owner, and you’ve ever been frustrated with Google, not showing the right content, not seeming to understand who you are, what you do, and you’ve wondered, how in the heck do I get my business to that first page of Google? Here is your fix.

Barb 25:19
If you’re looking for a quick fix, then start with your listing. Head into your listing when we’re done with today’s episode, and make all of the changes bring it right back up to date, because it leads most quickly to new customers who have a credit card in hand.

Barb 25:39
If you’re in it for the long game, make those minimize those swipes in our dating app. Right. That’s what SEO is going to help with.

Barb 25:49
So from a long term perspective, yes, it does take time, but just like having a baby. That doesn’t seem to stop anyone. That’s all I have for you today, folks. Thanks for tuning in. I’m your host, Barb McGrath, local business owner and Google girl.

Barb 26:06
Remember, you work hard for your success. Don’t keep it a secret. Bye for now.

GoogleGuy In Get Found

Break Free from Content Creation

#GoogleGirl In Get Found

Find More Ready-to-Buy Customers with Google Business Profile

Monthly Updates on the #1 Listing Service used by Your Customers.

Google Listings can be a challenge. On a good day. There’s just something about the process that can fluster even the best of us. Below, we share all of our tried and true steps to optimize your Listing; the exact steps we take to support our clients subscribed to Listing Management along with all of the latest updates to the tech giant’s free service.

Keeping your listing up-to-date, creating keyword-driven posts on a regular basis and carefully monitoring these changes will mean a 30% improvement in your listing search results month-over-month meaning more customers swinging through your front door!

> > Read Latest Updates < <

Here’s what you’ll find:

What is a Google Listing?
Latest Updates
The Anatomy of a Google Business Profile Listing
Apps for Google Business Profile (with scheduling capabilities)
Step by Step Instructions to Claim Your Listing

KNOW – GO – DO – BUY

What is a Google Listing? What will it do for me?

A Google Listing is a free service by Google and it garners the lion’s share of the click-traffic from ready-to-buy customers. When a customer is ready to KNOW, GO, DO or BUY, they head to Listings. As such, your Listing is a direct pipeline to Google; like a head start in the race to the cash register.

Let’s Get Started!

Here’s a few insider tips to get you cashing in long before anyone knows what you’ve done. Optimizing your listing is as simple as posting your social media and way more beneficial to your business in the short term!

Fill out every blank. Use every feature. Google has pre-determined the features most commonly used by businesses in each category. By selecting appropriate categories, your business will have access to the correct features.
Respond to Reviews within 24 hours. Follow this formula for responding to positive and negative reviews.
Add photos and posts at least once a week.
Know your customers search terms. Use them. Relentlessly.

Win the Race to the Cash Register

Latest Updates

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> > Read More Updates < <

The Anatomy of Your Google Business Profile Listing

Home

Your Google Business Profile Home tab is a quick overview of your business Insights (how many visitors, top search terms, requests for directions), competitor content and customer posted photos. Be sure to check it out and find some new ideas for content.

Posts

Posts are Google’s equivalent of social media posts: with the exception that Google wants you to promote your sales and discounts, as well as announce events and share news. Posts are a direct pipeline to Google; your chance to have a 1:1 conversation with Google, and say, “Hey Google, here’s what we’re all about!”

Curious how many customers see your Posts? Carefully look under a Post and you will see a number beside a little “eye.”

Get the full scoop on what posts can do for your business and all the details in Google Adds Posts to Your Listing.

Info

The Info tab is the heart of your Google Listing. Here you can update all of the details about your business including Name, Address and Phone number (NAP), your business category(ies), hours and holidays, contact information, add a business description as well as products and services.

Google tells us the most referenced information by customers are hours, photos and reviews.

What is a business description you say? Glad you asked.

Here’s the short version. A business description is a 750 character, keyword-friendly written overview of your business. Want Google and potential customers to find you for website design? How about SEO services? Or reputation and listing management? This is the place to do it!

Looking for a few more details? Check out this video How to Add a Google Listing Description.

Up-to-date information about your business is HUGE. Repeat HUGE for getting your business found and chosen by customers. Don’t just think about it – finish reading this article and go update your information!

Insights

Ahhhh, insights, a data lover’s dream! Did you know that you can find out how many times your Listing was viewed? And what the top search keywords are for your Listing! The Insights tab gives you the ability to tailor new content according to what potential customers are searching for, giving you even better visibility in the search results!

Take a moment to look at the number of customers who view your Listing, click-thru to your website or ask for directions to your location. As the number of actions taken from your Listing increases, so too will your sales!

Reviews

Google and Facebook agree (shock!). Reviews are the #1 driver of success in Listings. Customers choose businesses with higher star ratings at an alarming rate. If you don’t have Reviews, you need to ask all of the customers you’ve wowed! Finding it tough to ask? Check out this article, Gracefully Ask Your Customers for Reviews for tips to make it easy-peasy.

Oh but wait! Responding to Reviews is equally important; good or bad. In fact, responding to Reviews will greatly improve your online reputation. Learn all about the 4 Simple Steps to Respond to Reviews.

Messaging

Prefer a text or SMS message with your customers prior to a phone call? Messaging allows you to chat with your customers, book appointments or answer questions even before a potential customer is ready to discuss their needs in detail; or until you are ready to disclose your number.

**It is believed, though it has not been confirmed by Google, that Messaging will be shut down in March 2019. If you did not set up Messaging, it is likely no longer an option for your business.

Photos

A picture says 1000 words. Imagine how many words you say with current and up-to-date pictures of your business, location, products, services, team and logos. You can speak volumes and the customer is listening!

Don’t forget – customers can upload photos too; what a great word of mouth marketing opportunity!

Website

Did you know that you can create your first website for free with Google? If you don’t already have a website, this is a great place to get started. Your website address will be listingname.business.google.com, but you have the option to buy a domain and build a more sophisticated site using Google Sites.

Your new, free site can include location, services, hours and pictures and is mobile friendly.

Users

Adding Users will allow you to collaborate with team members and share posting duties. In this section, you can add additional people to your Listing to be able to add and edit your Listing’s content. This feature makes collaboration and coordination with colleagues a breeze.

Create an Ad

Last but certainly not least, you can create a Google Ad from within your Listing. **TIP** Creating your first Ad from your Listing will connect your Google Ads account and your Google Business Profile account, offering you the added bonus of displaying your ad within the Listings.

Remember, ads are one of the top three ways to get your business to the top of Google and help customers find you.

Are you convinced of all the amazing (not to mention free) features that a Google Business Profile Listing can do for you yet? Need a hand getting set up? Check out our step-by-step instructions below.

You’ll be ‘above the fold’ in no time!

Apps for Scheduling Google Business Profile Posts

SocialBee for Posting to Google My Business

SocialBee is our preferred and recommended choice. Whether small business or large corporation, SocialBee provides basic to enhanced services including:

Enhanced posting, scheduling and multiple variations
Evergreen content that can be scheduled or added to pre-set schedules
Post variations
Google Business Profile posting
Saved hashtags
Draft and Approved status per post
Reporting

Check it out and see if SocialBee is right for your business.

If you subscribe to SocialBee with our link we will receive a small commission.

https://hootsuite.com/

https://cloudcampaign.io/

Meet Publer. Some Superheroes save lives. Others give them back.

If the image below does not appear, Publer can be found here.

If the Local Viking image does not appear, click here.

Google Business Profile Step-by-Step Setup

Computer

As stated on Google’s website.

Computer

Navigate to Google Business Profile.
- New to Google Business Profile? Follow these steps to sign up for free
Search for your business using its name and address.
If you see a dialog letting you know that someone else has verified the business, follow these steps.
If you don’t see your business listed in the menu, click No, these are not my businesses or I’ve correctly entered the business. You’ll then be prompted to enter some details for your business. Make sure you enter an accurate, complete street address, and a phone number which reaches your business directly.
Click Submit.

Mobile

Open the Google Business Profile app.
Sign in with the Google account you’d like to use to manage your business.
- If this is your first time adding a business to Google, sign in with the Google account you’d like to use to manage your business and touch Continue.
- If you’ve added a business before, tap the menu icon , then tap the name of your business to reveal a list of all listings in your account. Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose + Create new business.
If you see a dialog letting you know that someone else has verified the business, follow these steps.
Enter your business name and information and agree to the terms of service. Touch Continue once you’re ready to create a listing for your business.
- You may want to access Google Business Profile on a desktop to access more advanced editing features, including adding service-areas. Learn more

Verify location

To enter the verification code you receive:

Sign in to Google Business Profile.
If you’re managing multiple businesses, choose the one at the address where you received the postcard.
Click Verify location from the menu (or click the Verify now button) and follow the prompts to complete verification.

Voila!

You have added or claimed your business on Google. Let us know how it went! Did you have any difficulties or was it an easy process?

Keeping your Listing up-to-date is a key feature of climbing the search ranks. Read more about adding Posts or a Description. By utilizing all of the features of the Google Business Profile Listing service, your business information will remain accurate and customers will more easily be able to shop with you.

Improve Your Google Search Rank Today!

#GoogleGirl In Get Found

Local Safety Company at the Top of Google

How a Local Safety Company Got to the Top of Google

Langen Health & Safety is an independent business committed to providing personalized experience and top quality products to fit their customer’s needs. With 25 years of health & safety experience in regulatory enforcement, electrical transmission/distribution and power generation, industrial construction, oil & gas and mining, they ensure that companies are fitted with the proper protective clothing.

Langen Health & Safety is competing in an industry typically reserved for national companies. But yet, here they are at the top of the Snack Pack (the local listing top 3 on Google) primarily because they were willing to put in the time and effort to get there.

Let’s look at the simple strategies used to get real results for Langen Health and Safety.

They contacted Above the Fold for some help “getting found on Google.” (And yeah, we’re biased but can’t help but think this was most important.)
First, we created a Google Listing.
We work through the specifics of optimizing their Listing with images, posts, a description and specific business categories.
Finally, we work with their marketing and website guru to help her understand meta text, how Google reads a web page and how to add pixels to your website for tracking. This insider information gives us a detailed look under the hood for their website.

Once we are armed with this information, we are able to:

Make recommendations that directly impact their search results
Research industry keywords to determine the most effective terms.

The final piece of the puzzle in managing their online reputation is paid online ads specifically targeted at their customers and key markets to drive new revenue for their business.

Langen Health & Safety has had great success getting to the top of Google. Try these simple strategies for real results for your business today!

Google My Business is one of the most powerful resources to find ready-to-buy customers. Take a few minutes to learn all about this free Listing service from Google.

Find more Ready-to-Buy Customers with the Ultimate Google Listing Guide with Step by Step Instructions.

Get your free copy today!

Robyn Michon

I came to Barb feeling frustrated with my marketing. It always felt like a guessing game. Barb has empowered me by showing me how to use data to purposefully decide where and how to market my services.

Karen Wotherspoon

Barb makes the world of digital marketing easy to understand for those of us who aren’t so technologically savvy! Its obvious she has tons of knowledge and is passionate about her work.

Roxanne Brown

I’m looking forward to incorporating all of the great suggestions that I got to help move my company along in the area of social media.

Roxanne Brown

Nadine Howard

Barb has been a life and business saver for me! Building an online presence for your business isn’t easy and takes precious time, but Barb helped me tremendously! She knows what she’s doing, and so great to work with! I highly recommend her. I’ll definitely continue to work with her on an ongoing basis!

Mark Melby

Barb is well versed in the digital world and knows what is currently working in the social media arena. Our visit and discussion around communication and it’s importance was very enlightening and informative. Highly recommend talking to Barb!

Luke Rossmo

Barb is exceptional in her domain. Her unique approach is invaluable and leads to increased exposure which leads to increased business. She is also very approachable and genuinely cares about her clients. She also effectively conveyed information in a way that allowed me to understand.

Angie Hicks

Barb brings you decades of marketing smarts combined with a deep understanding of how to use the latest digital tools to make sure you’re seen online. Get her in your corner!

Michelle Sellars

Barb and her team are AMAZING!!! Their expertise and knowledge have brought my business to a whole other level. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my business!

Stephanie Cory

Barb is awesome to work with! She really understands our business and is very attentive to our needs. I’d recommend her services to everyone looking to grow their business’ online presence. Thanks for everything Barb!

Jeff Salisbury

Barb is a pleasure to work with. She’s driven and incredibly knowledgeable with a multitude of digital marketing tactics and strategies.

#GoogleGirl In Get Found, Google Business Profile

Gracefully Ask Your Customers for Reviews

Asking for Customer Reviews is so un-Canadian of us

It just feels wrong to ask people to leave nice reviews about your business!

Competitors are likely to Attract more Customers

Does it feel any better to know that 85% of people google a business before deciding whether or not to shop your location. Competitors with more Reviews, are likely to attract more customers. That might make it feel much more Canadian!

Here’s our simple approach that anyone can use:

1. Thank the customer for their business.

2. Ask. Ask immediately after you wow a customer.

3. Ask in-person, through email or through our text service with a 90%+ open rate.

4. Keep your request simple.

A small percentage of customers will leave business reviews without being asked. A much larger percentage will leave a review after being asked. If you’d like more reviews, you need to ask.

Here are the quick steps to find a direct link to your Google Business Listing Review request.

Login to Google My Business.
Find your Listing.
Click “View on Search”
When your business listing appears, click on “Reviews” or “Write a Review.”
An entry box will appear on screen, allowing you to write a Review. Copy the URL in the address bar to a location you will remember. (IE bookmark or e-notebook)
Share this direct link when asking customers for a Review.

Test it out yourself to be sure it is working correctly. You can also use a “link shortener” to make the URL smaller.

And now that you have new reviews, don’t forget to respond! Check out this quick video on how to respond to reviews.

Reviews are one of the fastest ways to grow a small business. Get started today! Tell ya what. Become our customer and we’ll send you a request for a Review after we wow you. Deal? 😉

Find more Ready-to-Buy Customers with the Ultimate Google Listing Guide with Step by Step Instructions.

Get your free copy today!

Luke Rossmo

Stephanie Cory

Mark Melby

Roxanne Brown

I’m looking forward to incorporating all of the great suggestions that I got to help move my company along in the area of social media.

Roxanne Brown

Michelle Sellars

Barb and her team are AMAZING!!! Their expertise and knowledge have brought my business to a whole other level. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my business!

Angie Hicks

Barb brings you decades of marketing smarts combined with a deep understanding of how to use the latest digital tools to make sure you’re seen online. Get her in your corner!

Nadine Howard

Jeff Salisbury

Barb is a pleasure to work with. She’s driven and incredibly knowledgeable with a multitude of digital marketing tactics and strategies.

Robyn Michon

Karen Wotherspoon

Barb makes the world of digital marketing easy to understand for those of us who aren’t so technologically savvy! Its obvious she has tons of knowledge and is passionate about her work.

#GoogleGirl In Get Found

A Handy-Dandy Little Black Book on being Google-Friendly

Get Your Business Found on Google Today!

Looking for a quick check on your Google-friendliness? Here’s a handy checklist to measure your progress.

Moving up in the search results takes time, patience and high-quality information that includes the keywords your audience is searching. Remember, your audience, or customers, are looking to solve a problem. You want your business to be the solution.

Google condensed the number of visible Business Listings in the search results down to three. These three listings are referred to as the Snack Pack. Here is an example of the Snack Pack in the auto dealer category. These three businesses listed increase their exposure exponentially.

Top the Organic Charts

Only a small percentage of consumers will click the “ADs” at the top of the search results. Only 7% of searchers feel the content matches their search, or feel safe clicking the content. Organic content is the other 93%!

Organic content is free. It’s a genuine match to what the searcher was looking for and as a business owner, you have complete control over the content. But here’s the thing. It takes time and it takes effort, but the checklist below is everything you need to know to rise to the top of the organic search results.

As a business owner, you have complete control over the content

1. Backlinks still matter.

Those inbound and outbound links on your website matter. Linking to other areas of your website, other content and articles, it matters. As do the inbound links to your website. Google likes to see other websites (Facebook, Twitter) linking to your website.

2. Be sure your Name, Address, Phone number (NAP) match your social profile info.

The business information on your Business Listing, social profiles and directories should be the same. Google rewards businesses that take the time to keep this information consistent.

3. Optimize your Google Business Listing category based on your target audience. IE local business categories.

If Google does not know your business category, then it is nearly impossible to appear in the search result. Be as specific as you can about the type of business you operate. IE If you are a Consultant, list yourself as a Consultant, not as a Corporate Office.

4. Optimize descriptions on your channels. IE use your keyword research!!

Each business listing and social channel gives you another opportunity to describe your business. The descriptions should be the same, or similar, but should describe your business as accurately as possible.

5. Geo-tag your photos on all channels.

Add location specific data to your photos, or “allow” location data to be saved with your photos. And don’t forget to name your photos with “keywords” and “business name.” IE “Be Google-Friendly Above the Fold”

6. Enhance your Google maps details.

Complete all available details on your map Listing. This links to your Google Business Listing.

7. Complete your meta data, titles and descriptions on your website.

Use the titles, descriptions and all of the meta data available to you in the back end of your website.

8. Add Reviews to your site, Listing and social profiles.

Google loves to see business Reviews! Ask for them. Respond quickly to them. Share them.

These simple steps will keep your business Google-friendly. If you would like to see your business search results improve, this list is exactly where you need to start!

Let us know how it goes!

Find more Ready-to-Buy Customers with the Ultimate Google Listing Guide with Step by Step Instructions.

Get your free copy today!

Angie Hicks

Barb brings you decades of marketing smarts combined with a deep understanding of how to use the latest digital tools to make sure you’re seen online. Get her in your corner!

Karen Wotherspoon

Barb makes the world of digital marketing easy to understand for those of us who aren’t so technologically savvy! Its obvious she has tons of knowledge and is passionate about her work.

Jeff Salisbury

Barb is a pleasure to work with. She’s driven and incredibly knowledgeable with a multitude of digital marketing tactics and strategies.

Stephanie Cory

Roxanne Brown

I’m looking forward to incorporating all of the great suggestions that I got to help move my company along in the area of social media.

Roxanne Brown

Mark Melby

Luke Rossmo

Robyn Michon

Nadine Howard

Michelle Sellars

Barb and her team are AMAZING!!! Their expertise and knowledge have brought my business to a whole other level. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my business!

#GoogleGirl In Get Found

Local Trainer Got Found on Google

Got Found on Google

The Value of Business Listings and Customer Reviews for Success

Job #1 around here is client success. When our clients achieve their goals, we all succeed.

Imagine a 24,000% increase in your business

Imagine if your business saw a 24,000% increase in business interest? That’s what happened to one of our clients.

In a 30 day period, he saw a HUGE increase in interest for his business’ services. He came to us with a single goal; to make his business sustainable as his sole source of income.

To help the client achieve the goal, we set out to build a strategy that was simple, easy sustainable and very low-cost.

How to Create a Simple Reputation Management Strategy

First up on the plan was a solid business Listing.
- The client adds Posts to his Listing on a regular basis.
- He includes images that represent his business and his approach.
- Using his customer’s keywords, he is able to match his Listing and services with what customers are searching.
- We included direct access to his booking app, phone numbers and location information.
The client needed a web presence, separate from their personal social media accounts.
- We used Google’s ‘Site‘ tool to build an easy to use, single page site.
- Then we uploaded pictures that represented the work the client does.
- Links were included directly to the client’s booking app.
- We added business hours and location.
- And we included content that described and differentiated the client from others in the business category.
Asking for Customer Reviews.
- Customer Reviews are one of the fastest ways to drive traffic to your Listing and website.
- Our client asked his raving fans to leave Reviews on his business Listing.
- On a regular basis he continues to request Reviews to drive local traffic to his Listing.

Asking for Reviews, or responding can be tough. It’s very un-Canadian of us to ask people to praise our work. For some tips and suggestions on how to respond to Reviews, or generate Reviews, read here or watch here.

Our client was able to make his business self-sustaining within 60 days

Overall our client saw significant online traffic but more importantly was able to make his business self-sustaining within 60 days. His success is not uncommon when paired with the right tools and experts. To achieve this success in your business, start with a free assessment!

Managing your online presence does not need to be time-consuming, frustrating or overwhelming. We work with dozens of businesses everyday to help them manage their online reputation.

Power Up Your Business with a Free Google Listing

Listings are a crazy, powerful tool for customers to find your business. Don't miss out on the free webinar!

Karen Wotherspoon

Barb makes the world of digital marketing easy to understand for those of us who aren’t so technologically savvy! Its obvious she has tons of knowledge and is passionate about her work.

Luke Rossmo

Nadine Howard

Michelle Sellars

Barb and her team are AMAZING!!! Their expertise and knowledge have brought my business to a whole other level. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my business!

Stephanie Cory

Roxanne Brown

I’m looking forward to incorporating all of the great suggestions that I got to help move my company along in the area of social media.

Roxanne Brown

Jeff Salisbury

Barb is a pleasure to work with. She’s driven and incredibly knowledgeable with a multitude of digital marketing tactics and strategies.

Mark Melby

Angie Hicks

Barb brings you decades of marketing smarts combined with a deep understanding of how to use the latest digital tools to make sure you’re seen online. Get her in your corner!

Robyn Michon

#GoogleGirl In Get Found, Google Business Profile

How to Respond to Customer Reviews

Responding to Reviews is Key

Customer Reviews….you love ’em or you hate ’em, but either way every business gets Reviews. And that’s a good thing!

Customer Reviews can improve your search results by 10%!

Customer’s seem to share their opinion from every direction. Facebook. Google My Business. Indeed. Yelp. Glassdoor and dozens more.

Think of Reviews like a phone call from a customer. If a customer called with a concern, would you ignore it? Hang up? Put them on hold for more than 24 hours? Responding to customer reviews promptly is critical to capturing your 10% search result improvement.

We get asked “how to respond to Reviews” a lot, so we decided to do up a quick video. Listen below for our tips on responding to positive and negative Reviews.

How to Respond to Customer Reviews

How to Respond to Positive Reviews

Say thank you.
- Your mom was right! Be sure to say thank YOU!
Be sure to mention your business name.
- This will help increase the likelihood that the Review will appear in search results when looking for your business.
Add a marketing message.
- This is a great chance to reinforce what your business accomplishes.
Invite future business.
1. Ask the Reviewer to share their experience with family and friends, or return for a future purpose.

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

Apologize and empathize.
- As soon as you can, apologize with the customer.
Add a marketing message.
- It’s ok to mention what your business does and strives to achieve.
Keep it short. Be sure not to mention your business name.
1. Keep your response short and simple.
Direct the conversation to someone offline.
- Always, always, always give the Reviewer an offline contact.

Where to Find Reviews

In Canada, there are approximately 20 Review sites. They include:

Avvo
Caring.com
Cars.com
Citysearch
DealerRater
Edmunds
Expedia.com
glassdoor.com
Healthgrades
Houzz
indeed.com
Kudzu
OpenTable
Rate MDs
SureCritic
TripAdvisor
Vitals
Yelp
Zocdoc
zomato.com

In addition to these, many social sites and Directory sites also include the ability to leave a Review.

An Easier Way

Managing Reviews from a number of different sites can be time-consuming, frustrating and likely to cause error. It is estimated that managing your online reputation takes approximately 300 hours per year. Here are three ways you can manage your online reputation:

DIY

You can manage your online reputation on your own. Here are a few quick steps to get you started:

Create email alerts for your business name, your name and all of the products and services your business offers.
Create email alerts for your competitors and the products and services they offer that you want to monitor.
Review the emails daily to be sure you are responding as quickly as possible.
Monitor trend data for industry keywords.
Create Listings on all relevant sites being sure to return each time business information changes. (holiday hours, sales, etc.)
Add your competitors to your list of “Watch” pages in Facebook and other social channels.
Respond to Reviews on each Listing and Review site.

With a Little Help

Subscribe to an automated service that will scan keywords, competitors, social media and media mentions for each of the key terms you define. There are a few subscription app services available. We shopped them all, and chose ReputationManagement for its ease of use, cost effectiveness and comprehensiveness. We also chose ListingSync to keep all of our Listings in sync.

If you decide to shop the app, be sure to look for:

Use and popularity in Canada
Central repository to respond to Reviews
An overview of your business Listings
Competitive data and monitoring services
Analysis of sentiment
Includes proof of performance reporting
Ability to generate Reviews, and most importantly
Ability to pre-screen and respond to Reviews before they are publicized.

Hire a Reputation Management Expert

Hiring someone to manage your online reputation is similar to hiring someone to build your website or create content for social media. Owning and managing a business is an already busy task. Hiring someone to actively monitor and manage your online reputation will help you focus on the job of growing your business.

Large firms and media monitoring services can be hired for 1000’s of dollars each month. Some of the firms to compare include BrandWatch or Meltwater. Above the Fold, yours truly, is a local option providing all of the service at a fraction of the price. If you’d like to learn more, please start by visiting Review Management and drop us a note to discuss further.

Managing your online reputation could be one of the best things you do for your business this year (and next!). Start today by completing a FREE online assessment. The assessment will determine if:

Online information about your business is consistent.
5-Star Reviews from your customers will improve your search rank.
Social Media posting is leading to conversion.
Website visitors can find you and easily use your website.

Power Up Your Business with a Free Google Listing

Listings are a crazy, powerful tool for customers to find your business. Don't miss out on the free webinar!

Luke Rossmo

Mark Melby

Angie Hicks

Barb brings you decades of marketing smarts combined with a deep understanding of how to use the latest digital tools to make sure you’re seen online. Get her in your corner!

Roxanne Brown

I’m looking forward to incorporating all of the great suggestions that I got to help move my company along in the area of social media.

Roxanne Brown

Nadine Howard

Stephanie Cory

Michelle Sellars

Barb and her team are AMAZING!!! Their expertise and knowledge have brought my business to a whole other level. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my business!

Karen Wotherspoon

Barb makes the world of digital marketing easy to understand for those of us who aren’t so technologically savvy! Its obvious she has tons of knowledge and is passionate about her work.

Jeff Salisbury

Barb is a pleasure to work with. She’s driven and incredibly knowledgeable with a multitude of digital marketing tactics and strategies.

Robyn Michon

#GoogleGirl In Get Found

Shopping Local is Where It’s At

Find Everything You Need. Save Money. Shop Local.

[Updated Mar 21/20] All links below open in a new window. Please allow popups for our site.

What Can We Help You with Today?

The world is in the midst of COVID-19. Businesses are closed. Retailers are struggling. The world as we know it is changing at lightening speed. As a small business we are doing everything we can to support clients, knowing at the end of this crisis many clients will leave, cancel or put services on hold, simply because their own businesses have strunk beyond recognition.

While we alone can’t do enough to keep every business thriving, we can do our small part to help each of these businesses get found online. There are so many deserving local business who need support at this time. If you want or need any of these services, please consider supporting one of these businesses.

Get Your House or Business Spick & Span!

Cleaning with Class is one of Regina’s oldest and most trustworthy residential and commercial cleaning services. They regularly take precautions to minimize the likelihood that cross-contamination occurs including fresh rags for every room/surface (most companies only use fresh rags in each house), spray with disinfectant cleaning products to kill household germs and wash before entering and exiting your home. All of their staff are bonded and many staff are long term employees ~ being with the company since the beginning, nearly 18 years ago.

Need a Hand Communicating with Customers?

Communicating with your customers during times of uncertainty is hard. What to say and what not to say; finding just the right words. Tiffany Wolfe, a member of our virtual team, can help you write those words to be clear, concise and correct at any time. Whether a few social media posts or significant communication materials, she can help. Contact her here.

Bookmark Travel and Events for Later

The travel industry is being hit especially hard by COVID-19. One of our past guests on the Secret Life of Entrepreneurs, Anne Gibbons from Gibbons Travel, is watching her livelihood disappear. Travel is not allowed at this time, unless travellers are returning home to Canada. When the restrictions are lifted, and the bans removed, consider talking to Anne about domestic, international or warm-weather destinations. ⛱️

Events are not top of mind right now, unless you are a professional event planner, like Eleven Events. If you’ve attended an event by Eleven Events, you know the calibre of show produced.

Dress Up, Dress Down, Dress Comfy

Speaking of warmer weather, this lock-down before spring still seems to require an extra sweater or two. Maybe it’s the stress, maybe it’s the temperature, but one of my favourite “warm me up” sweaters is a 3/4 length turtleneck sweater I bought from Amaranth Designs. A local women’s fashion designer, Rea makes comfortable clothes that fit and flatter real women. 🥶

[July 2017] Out and about this week and I realized how much I rely on our local retailers.

Co-working and #GetShitDone

As a virtual employer, we have an office located downtown at Queen City Collective, but spend the majority of our time with clients onsite or working virtually, as a team and with clients. One of the businesses we rely on to #GetShitDone is BLG Business Solutions, another virtual business working with entrepreneurs to solve their tech woes. Co-working with these businesses means lower overhead, greater efficiencies and improved service for clients. Co-marketing is new to Canada and Saskatchewan, but it is a huge operating model in the US. Co-marketing, for clients, means experience you can trust at rates you can afford. 👍🏼

As a small business we rely extensively on the service of other small businesses for insurance with Prairie Benefits, real estate with Terrie Dunand and legal advice from KMP Law. We are also members of the Better Business Bureau of Sask, the Regina Chamber of Commerce and BarterPay, a national network of businesses trading products and services. If you are not a member, I highly recommend them! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Get a Sweat on then Get in My Belly

Early in the week I stopped in at Lakeview Fine Foods. If you haven’t had a chance to visit them, I strongly suggest you do. You’ll see the same staff day after day, they know their products and they know their customers. In grocery, that seldom happens anymore. My favourite story about the staff, the butcher in particular, happened a few weeks ago. I was buying chicken thighs and asked how long I needed to cook them. I was just drawing a blank; I couldn’t remember if thighs were like ribs and needed to boil first, or if I could just quickly cook them. The butcher’s response was, as straightforward and dry as could be, “Until they’re done.” Then he realized I might take offense to his response and quickly checked my response. I chuckled pretty good. I think he was a little relieved. wink wink Good place. Great folks. Check them out.

I also dropped into Opex Fitness Regina more than a few times to work with my coach Luke Rossmo. I really enjoy the environment at Opex and am always surprised how hard I work on my own versus the competition of someone else doing the exact same work. For the most part I am seeing slow steady progress. Keyword: progress. All good. It’s amazing how many online supports exist for those that don’t want the gym environment. Health Coach Cheryl has a Simple Swaps program to teach folks how to eat healthier, more simply. Nadine Howard has Healthier Lifestyles, where she takes you back to the basics of a simple, healthy nutrition plan and Robyn Michon has Robyn Michon Coaching, helping you create better relationships with your partner. From physical health to mental health, we can all use a little extra support.

Once I got my workout done and my groceries in hand, I still had a few minutes to spare so popped into Brewed Awakening for my favourite latte (non-fat, decaf ~ it was the middle of the afternoon. 😃) and Springer & Oake to grab some delightful, locally-made soap and lip balm (favourite flavour is root beer!).

Planning on heading out to shop today? #ShopLocal

Complete transparency disclaimer. When I wrote the original blog post, none of the businesses mentioned were clients. Today, some are, or were clients; however, that does not change my support of these local businesses. These are my real thoughts. Those who know me, know I don’t BS well. I’m a straight shooter.

Check these places out, and if not these local businesses, find your own local favourites.

Have a great week!

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