Use Google and Yahoo Profiles to Ramp Up Your Visibility
by Dori SaltzmanYellow Pages are so passé. Today when somebody wants to find a local business they go straight to the top two online search engines – Google and Yahoo.
And guess which company a prospect is apt to choose when confronted with one business profile that simply lists an address and telephone number and another that includes photos, videos and more? You got it – the one with more accessories.
Yet despite such online features being readily available, few businesses take full advantage of them.
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Travel Market Report asked Sophie Bujold, a social media and online marketing consultant, to advise agents on how to put Yahoo and Google’s business profiles to work for them.
Bujold knows the terrain. Her travel background includes eight years in the online marketing divisions of Uniglobe Travel and, more recently, Ensemble Travel Group. Today, she works exclusively with travel professionals.
Robust listings for free (or a small fee)
The Google Places and Yahoo Local business listings offer companies what Bujold calls “Yellow Pages listings on steroids.”
Both automatically post basic contact information for all companies that are listed in traditional Yellow Pages. They also offer businesses the opportunity to “claim” the listings and add information to their profiles.
A key difference between the two is that Google allows companies to accessorize their listings with additional information and graphics for free. Yahoo charges a small fee, about $10 a month, for anything other than a limited profile (address, phone, hours, URL, description).
Bujold recommends that agencies enrich their Google listings with a logo, photos, videos, information on deals, and announcements about events.
“If you’re having a cruise night, think about posting the information with a link to your website,” she advised. “It really makes your profile a lot richer and more attractive to people to entice them to want to move forward with contacting you.”
Client reviews enhance visibility
Here’s another advantage of being listed on these sites: Consumers are free to post reviews of companies on both Google Places and Yahoo Local; this costs the business nothing. Also, any reviews posted on similar sites (like Yelp.com) are automatically displayed on both Google and Yahoo as well.
Even if you don’t encourage clients to leave reviews on Google, Yahoo or sites like Yelp (see sidebar), Bujold said agents should check their listings periodically to see if anyone has posted a review.
“If you’re not aware of those reviews you can’t fix what’s gone wrong. And you don’t know when people are saying really good things, which are absolutely usable in your marketing materials elsewhere.”
The SEO perk
Listings on Google are especially SEO-relevant. The search engine company loves its own services and gives higher priority in search results to any Google-based website that a company is listed on, Bujold explained.
Anywhere you’re listed on Google helps with search engine optimization, she said. “You have a way better chance of getting your particular business found if you’re listed on Google or Yahoo than if you’re just on a generic Yellow Pages listing that also lists 20 other travel agents in your area.”
To really take advantage of the SEO perk (including on Yahoo), travel agents should make the most of their company descriptions on their online business profiles. “The description is where you can use all those keywords you want people to find you under. If you’re a Hawaii specialist, you should talk about loving honeymoons in Hawaii and doing luaus.”
Web analytics; what’s going on
Another perk, particularly with Google, is the use of web analytics.
“Google gives you analytics about who is coming to your listing, how often it’s being seen, what actions people are taking – like clicking on any links or viewing photos – and the search queries they’re using to find you.”
Knowledge about search queries is particularly helpful because it gives you insight into the keywords people are using to find your agency, Bujold said. “If you’re not showing up in the queries you want, you might want to adjust your business description to get closer to that market.”
It also tells you the zip codes of people viewing the listing, so you get an overview of the geographic markets interested in your company, which may influence the rest of your marketing.
It’s easy to do: here’s how
Claiming your business profile on Google Places or Yahoo Local listings is easy, as is adding additional information, images, and other material.
To claim your Google listing, visit www.google.com/places, and click on “get started” in the Claim Your Business section. You can also do a Google search for your business and when it comes up click on “business owner.” Either method will take you through a step-by-step process of adding information, photos, videos, etc.
The process is similar for Yahoo. Visit http://local.yahoo.com and search for your business. Beneath the button that says “write a review,” you’ll see “own this business?” Click on “enhance your listing.” For the free listing, click on “compare all plans” and sign up for the basic plan.
Agents should upload new and interesting photos periodically, as well as list upcoming events, and de-list events that have passed.
Caveat for Canada
As a Canadian, Bujold is sensitive to the needs of Canadian travel sellers. She noted that Yahoo Local listings are not very thorough in Canada. This could be both good and bad. Good, because not many other Canadian travel agencies will be using the service. Bad because Canadians may not be using the service for online searches as much.
This is the first in an ongoing series with marketing consultant Sophie Bujold about online tools agents can use to grow their businesses easily and inexpensively. Next time: Facebook ads
