Tag Archives: local seo services

Bing recently added a feature that allows users to search for photos shared by Facebook friends using the search engine. This feature is an expansion of the social sidebar Bing launched in May that integrated Facebook into the search results.

Bing Social Sidebar (Facebook integration)

Now friends’ photos relevant to your search query appear in the social sidebar along with other results. When a friend’s photo pops up, you are able to click on it and browse that entire photo album on Bing. The Bing Friends’ Photos landing page also allows you to see all your friends’ photos on one page (the format looks very similar to Pinterest). You can also see your own albums and photos you’re tagged in with comments and “likes” in the sidebar. Users can also comment, “like” and share the photos directly from Bing.

Bing Friend's Photos landing page

The new Facebook photo sharing on Bing will let you keep up with your friends’ photos that you otherwise may have missed on Facebook. Does Bing’s new integration with Facebook encourage you to ditch Google as your go-to search engine?

According to Mashable, Google+ recently began rolling out its new vanity URLs. These URLs let users customize their profiles and make it easier for the user to direct others to their page or profile with an easy-to-remember web address.

Currently, each user has a long string of numbers as the link to their profile. (Ex: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106309878296259417958/posts) It’s impossible to remember and makes it hard for businesses to direct customers to their Google+ page. The new vanity URLs will allow users to choose a shorter, memorable URL that they can easily tell customers to visit.

Vanity URLs are only available to popular brands and celebrities on Google+ now (like Britney Spears, Toyota and Delta), but soon the company will make these available to everyone.

Will vanity URLs encourage you to use Google+ more often and send more customers to your page?

Local search matters. According to Google, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online. A study by comScore stated that 61% of searchers consider local search results to be more relevant and 58% think they’re more trustworthy. Eyetrack studies prove that users’ eyes go straight to the Maps results in Google when viewing the search results. These are just a few reasons why your business should have a local search campaign. Here are 5 local SEO tips you can start using today to help your business get found:

1. Track your rankings. Use software or reporting tools that allow you to monitor your rankings on different search engines and compare. Check out which cities are working best for you and concentrate on them. Also see what people are typing in to find you and focus on those keywords.

2. Create local-targeted landing pages. This allows you to optimize for searchers in a specific location or those searching with that location name in their query.

3. Claim your business listing on multiple directories including Google Places, Yahoo Local, Yelp, Merchant Circle, Superpages, About Us. Make sure you fill out your business profile completely on each of these sites.

4. Get active on social media. Combining social media with local search efforts with increase the time in which you see success. If you don’t have a company blog, start one! 57% of businesses have acquired a customer through their company blog. Link from your social media networks to your website to drive traffic.

5. Enhance your listings and landing pages with coupons. Give your potential customers an incentive to try out your business rather than your competitors’.