Posts Tagged ‘social media’

5 Tips to Get Your Google Local Listing to the Top!

Client News, SEO Scotland | Posted by Gavin
Jun 01 2010

With all the search options within the Google portfolio, it is essential that businesses utilise the Google local listings.  Local & business listings are appearing more and more in the Google’s SERP’s in relation to geographical, regional and town/city related searches and users are becoming more and more used to seeing these listings and accepting them as highly relative to their specific searches.

With Google Local listings taking the top spot in most searches, it’s critical that you claim a listing for your business. Once done it is essential that your listing is set up correctly – below we have included some guidelines to help you:

  • Claim and update your listing (and only one listing) – make sure the description is as relevant and keyword rich, in relation to your products and services, as possible. Select the correct business category and make sure you use all contact numbers complete with area codes. Include any additional content in line with other web listings to ensure continuity.
  • Upload images and videos – ensure that you have logos and images of any products in relation to your business type.  Place description tags for each but don’t overdo it and avoid ‘spammy’ labels
  • Cultivate Reviews – this is good for user recommendation – other will be more likely to buy from a previously used and endorsed source, this is your opportunity to get business via online ‘word of mouth’. Encourage your client base to use your business listing as a point to leave reviews and refer to them in additional listings and blog posts
  • “More about this place†– This section is a listing of mentions on the web that Google consider to be relevant and authoritive. It will usually list key listings, blog entries and social media profiles.  This provides the user with a point of reference to find additional information about your business.
  • User Content – this section lists additional user generated resources & mentions of your website and will list mainly sites that allow users to tag and mention additional sources such as Flickr, Google maps and Wikipedia

The Google Local listings are a very powerful (free) resource available via your Google account and we cannot stress enough the value of getting this right.  So, make time to ensure your listing is as good as it can be – and if you don’t have the time, we are happy to help you or do it for you – contact us now.

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Hotels & Accommodation Providers | tracking the return on marketing spend

Business News, Client News, SEO Scotland | Posted by Gavin
Apr 14 2010

Part 1

The Early Years – offline marketing

Tracking the return on marketing spend

Tracking the return on marketing spend

Before I started my own SEO & Internet marketing company I worked in the hotel business for over 20 years and latterly up until 2003 in the marketing of hotels.  One of my tasks was to source associations, organisations and companies such as Visit Scotland, the AA, Best Loved Hotels – that would work to raise the profile of the hotel whilst generating enquiries that would create bookings.

In order to merit the annual fees these sources had to generate business and it was a difficult task ensuring that each enquiry/booking could be attributed to a referring source. The correct processes and procedures had to be in place in order to ensure that all enquiries were sourced correctly – and human error played it’s part to muddy the waters!

In the early years most of the associative marketing activities were done offline but as time has gone on this has changed and online marketing has become the key business driver of any hotel or accommodation provider – gone too are the days of large budgets available to hotels in an ever more competitive market.

Online Marketing – taking control

online marketing - hotels and accommodation providers

online marketing - hotels and accommodation providers

Most (if not all!) hotels and accommodation providers have websites and many have taken control of their own online marketing.  Arguably cheaper and more effective than offline (traditional marketing) many have sought the help of companies like ours who understand their industry and can provide effective SEO (search engine optimisation) in order to achieve good search engine rankings and stay competitive within their market sector.

Whatever the activity, whoever provides the service and whoever your business is listed with online – all must be able to be measured in terms of what business through enquiries and bookings is being generated.

Many of the services purchased in the pursuit of effective online marketing are ‘untried’, you will have only heard about their ability and effectiveness to generate business – whether through recommendation or word of mouth.

Measuring Online Success – ROI (return on investment)

You must be in a position whereby you can make an informed decision as to the ongoing validity of continuing to use a particular online marketing service and for this you must be able to measure its success – each must pay its way!

If I pay company £X /year to be listed on company Y’s website and it generates £Z in business, my ROI is ABC%

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In part 2 | How to – measure your online marketing efforts

If you would like more information relating to this post please contact me or join me online: Twitter | Facebook

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Crianlarich Hotel – AA 3 star Scottish Hotel

Business News, Client News | Posted by Gavin
Apr 10 2010
3 star Scottish Hotel at Crianlarich

3 star Scottish Hotel at Crianlarich

One of our new clients, The Crianlarich Hotel have recently been awarded 3-stars by the AA.  Situated in Crialarich, ideally located near to Loch Lomond, The River Tay, Glencoe, Oban and the Western Isles, the hotel has also just  installed a new kitchen, totally transformed the reception and opened their new restaurant.  It is also rumored that the AA may return to inspect their food with a view to awarding them their first Rosette – our fingers are firmly crossed for them.

This great 36 room Scottish hotel, in a perfect situation is well worth a visit and we wish them all the best in gaining true recognition for all their hard work.

Join them online on: Twitter | Facebook
Read Guest Reviews on: Trip Advisor (97% of travellers recommend)

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Need a hotel near Glencoe – The Crianlarich Hotel is the place to stay

Client News | Posted by Katie
Mar 09 2010

crianlarichWe’ve been given the opportunity to work with  The Crianlarich Hotel near Glencoe and help them with their SEO and Internet marketing.   One of the great things about working with this hotel in particular is because the manager Nigel Bird wants everyone involved in marketing to speak to each other – sounds so simple doesnt it?  But how may times have you managed to get the PR company, website designers and developers, SEO  and  social media guys and the person on the hotel staff responsible all in one room?  Well I can honestly say never, well not until we started working with Nigel. 

The hotel has been under new management for just under a year and gradually the hotel is getting away from the coach party market and into a lovely place to stay for couples, families and small groups of friends.  This time of year they are providing excellent accommodation, drying facilities and warming food to skiiers on Glencoe, not only feeding and watering them but taking them to and from the slopes as well.  The reviews on Trip Advisor just get better and better. 

Our involvement starts soon and we just can’t wait!

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Twitter Search … what search?

Client News, SEO Scotland, Technology | Posted by Gavin
Feb 26 2010

Using Twitter is becoming a larger part of our daily business practice, but I find it bizarre that the ‘Twitter Search’ facility on the site is of little or no use at all. 

Twitter is all about building a following and following like-minded people, whether for business or pleasure.  As this is such a core part of the whole Twitter-thing, why is the search facility so poor?  In my opinion, the essential part of connecting with other businesses, is to be able to find them in the first place.

We run an SEO & Internet Marketing business in the Highlands of Scotland and there are not many businesses (in the grand scheme of things) that embrace the whole ‘social media’ thing in our area which makes the Twitter’s inability to provide concise search results more frustrating.

However I recently came across an extremely helpful article with tools and tips at Mashable – http://bit.ly/mnQ1g - Have a read if you get the time.

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