There are some changes at Apple Maps and with your Facebook business page layout that you need to know about. There are also some important developments around negative business reviews that are happening soon. As always, we keep up with what’s happening in digital marketing and filter it down to what’s really important to you as a local business. Please feel free to reply to this email with any questions or feedback you may have.
Apple Maps Used 3x More than Google Maps
Apple Maps is used on iPhones three times more than Google Maps … and now Apple is starting to publish public web pages for certain locations. These web pages are very basic right now and seem to be limited to key landmarks, but you can bet that this is only the beginning. Read more about it at 9to5 Mac.
What this means to you:
Local search isn’t just Google anymore. If you want to capture more business from people searching on iPhones, you must claim and optimize your business listing on Apple Maps Connect. BTW, be sure to download the Local SEO Checklist that shows all of the key listing you need to claim for your business, including Apple!
Yelp and TripAdvisor Negative Reviews
It’s going to get a lot harder for businesses to sue customers or review sites for negative online reviews. The new Consumer Review Fairness Act, combined with recent Federal court rulings, sets the bar incredibly high for a business to get a review removed or to pursue litigation. Here’s more from The Wall Street Journal.
What this means to you:
It’s inevitable … you will get negative online business reviews. How you handle these negative reviews is critical and litigation should be your absolute last option. But here’s the RIGHT way to handle negative reviews and how you can turn them into a positive for your business.
The New Facebook Page Layout
Facebook recently changed the layout of business pages. The cover image and profile photo no longer overlap, the call-to-action is more prominent, and there are other changes as well. You can read all about it at Search Engine Journal.
What this means to you:
Overall, these new changes from Facebook are good for local businesses. Take a look at your Facebook page again and follow these great tips from Caitlin Burgess over at TopRank Marketing to take advantage of the new changes. BTW, make sure that your page looks good not only on a laptop / desktop computer, but also on the Facebook app on a mobile device!
How to Get Yelp Reviews When All Else Fails
It’s flat-out hard to get Yelp reviews. In fact, Yelp is rumored to filter out as much as 85% of reviews from first-time reviewers. What’s a business owner to do? Mike Blumenthal has some great ideas on how you can get some Yelp reviews when all else fails.
What this means to you:
Reviews are critical to your local business and Yelp is still an important review site. If it seems like you’re just not getting as many reviews on Yelp as you should, Mike’s blog post has some great ideas on how to get a few key reviews to jumpstart the process.
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At Local Marketing Institute™, our mission is to help local businesses use digital marketing to attract more customers, build customer loyalty, and grow revenues.
We don’t sell software or services. Instead, we focus on giving you practical, effective, and proven digital marketing strategies that will really move the needle on you business.
