Why your search results are the 'face' of your brand

Why your search results are the 'face' of your brand

http://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2016/nov/04/why-your-search-results-are-face-your-brand/

Today people spend a lot of time on phone; theirs actions and decisions are driven by phone. When they need to know something else they automatically pick up their phone and make a search on search engine, as Google for example. At that moment brands have to be prepared to be at the first place to catch users’ attention and satisfy them. By this way, location system is essential in order to be always closer to customers’ expectations. Indeed, search engine is becoming a new marketing tool and gives a direct image’s brand to the customers according to the location. Even if search engine thanks to maps and GPS make it automatically, brands have to be efficient and work on their engaging in location marketing.

A new digital challenge  

First, companies cannot leave control of theirs brand image to search crawlers, of course they have to manage a strategy in order to present the best version of their brand everywhere at first sight. We can take the example of hotels. When a customer arrives in town, his first priority is to find a place to sleep. Then he makes a search and the location begins. The customer can find numerous hotels’ links, but he will focus on the three first because they are near to his location. These three hotels have won game; they have used localisation to be referencing in first. In fact, marketing business location gets high quality data. Companies have to know the three main criteria in local search rank: proximity, relevance and prominence.  But this is not enough: if they want to be at the top the search brand companies have to maintain online information updated, put rich content on Google to present to users.

Moreover, location is not the only factor of visiting, customers give importance to reviews leave by other customers. This information helps them to construct personal reviews and it can trigger their decision. If a business does not have reviews, the link will be out-clicked 2,5 to 1 by on that does. That is why business has to encourage customers to leave reviews and respond to it in order to create a real interaction and involvement form business.

How firms manage location data management

Businesses have to be capable of tracking customers’ location to be closer to customer’s expectation than never. The first step is to find an efficient way to organise and manage location data, clean it up, and push it out to search engines, maps, and apps. Many businesses do this through a location data management platform. Moreover, the most important thing is to provide as much as possible all information that will be evident when customers make search; Wi-Fi connection, restaurant menu, contact information, opening hours with also holidays information. The more information you provide, the more you will catch customers’ visits and go up in ranks. Location data management is a key if business wants to increase sells and visits. “According to Google, 'Near Me' searches have increased 146% year on year, and 76% of people who use location search visit a business within one day. 28% of location searches result in a purchase. »

Location-based search is a new era, business will compete more and more on localisation in order to stimulate in real time customers, and provided high quality information. In fact, the real question for any brick and mortar business is whether they will get in the game or not? 

Marie DELEVAL & Benjamin RICARD