Super-Charge Your Local Search Results

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Do you have a business that gets most of its sales from within a 50- to 100-mile radius? If your focus is on local customers, it’s more important than ever to be findable in search engines. Why? Because today most shoppers either do research online before they buy, or they hunt for information using their mobile devices in order to find a local place of business.  

According to Google research, online information actually propels people to shop locally. Three out of four people who find local information in search results helpful are more likely to visit the store. Not only that, but “... 71 percent of in-store shoppers who use smartphones for online research say their device has become more important to their in-store experience.”

Here are seven ways you can improve your visibility in local search results:  

1. Include Your Address(es) on Your Site. Make sure your business is easily findable by visitors to your site by making your address prominent. Some businesses put it on a separate contact page, but others go one better and include the address in the footer or header of every site page. Including this information on your website also increases the chances your business will be properly associated in search engines with your geographic location. 

And don’t forget: make sure the information is accurate. If you’ve moved or closed a location, update the information. Include phone and email contact information. A map and directions is also a nice touch.

2. Claim and Complete Your "Google My Business" Listing. Google is the powerhouse of search engines. Luckily, Google provides a means to get your business listed for free, at “Google My Business.” The great thing about Google My Business is that it’s integrated with the main Google search engine, mobile search, Google+, and Google Maps. So no matter where people are searching in Google, if you’re listed in “Google My Business” your business has a shot at being found.

If you haven’t claimed your listing, go do it now. Or take a few moments to review and update your existing listing for accuracy. Add photos, such as a mouth-watering picture of your chef’s special dish, as they can appear in your listing and help spur interest.

3. Don't Forget Facebook! Facebook, with more than 1 billion active users every month, is another powerhouse. And Facebook has been implementing a variety of features to connect consumers with local business. Be sure to do the following, at a minimum, when it comes to Facebook: 

• Set up a Facebook Page. A Page gives your business a presence on this massively popular site. Keep the Page updated to engage with customers and your community.
• Complete the address / location information on your Page accurately.
• Follow these Facebook tips to help your business show up for nearby locations.
• Monitor reviews and ratings of your business. As the Page owner, you can comment on reviews. Don’t argue with people, but do take the opportunity to thank the reviewer or correct any obvious factual inaccuracy.
• Finally, consider the other local options such as ads that Facebook offers. More here.

4. Claim Other Listings. Google and Facebook may be immensely popular, but they are not the only game in town. There are other places where your business may be listed.

Use the free checker at Moz Local to see how your business appears on various directories such as Foursquare, Bing, and Yellow Pages sites.

Moz Local also offers a cost-effective paid service (currently $84/year) to keep all these miscellaneous listings up to date from one central dashboard. It can save time and ensure consistency.

5. Leverage the Power of YouTube with How-to Videos. One way smart businesses are attracting customers online is through how-to videos. According to Google, how-to searches on YouTube grew 70% year-over-year between 2014 and 2105. So take advantage of the trend and create a how-to video related to your business.

Or turn your video into an ad. Google representative Claire Mudd suggests, “To stand out, include your business logo, a link to your website (or phone number), and a strong call-to-action in your video ad. Having a memorable ‘hook’ at the start of the ad can also capture people’s attention, lead to more views, and increase the chances they’ll search for your business afterwards.”

6. Post on Social Media. Social media keeps you top of mind with customers (or people you’d like to become customers) on the social sites they frequent. Indirectly it can also lead people to your business through search. Take for example, images posted on Pinterest. Very often the pins will appear prominently in Google image search. Tweets from Twitter sometimes appear in search. And other social references may appear in search results.

So, figure out which social platforms are most popular with your audience. Pick one to three of them, and post interesting images or information and otherwise engage there. You can either be found directly on the social platforms or indirectly through search engine references to the social update.

7. Encourage Satisfied Customers to Review Your Business Online. Ask satisfied customers through post-sale emails, comment cards, or simply a spoken message at the cash register, to recommend your business via online reviews.

Social media and the location-based and connection-based elements of search engines today often surface recommendations and reviews of people your customers know. The more reviews online and the more social connections your business has, the more likely others in your connections’ circles will find your business. Don’t fear the online review-;leverage it!

These seven tips, if followed, can dramatically improve your online search findability. What are you waiting for?

Kachikwu Announces Seven Proposed Sub-Divisions

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, has announced the creation of seven sub divisions which the Nigeria National Oil Corporation (NNPC) will be broken into in the coming days.

Dr. Kachikwu said that the NNPC will not be unbundled into 30 subsidiaries as reported in the media, but will rather be broken into upstream, downstream, refineries, gas and power, ventures, finance and corporate services.

He said on Wednesday that five of the units would be focused purely on business ventures and profit making while two would handle service delivery.

The Minster said that the President’s approval has been secured for the final restructuring of the oil corporation.

Dr. Kachikwu, however, explained that the restructuring would not create new companies, but would break the Corporation down into specific areas of functions to move it from administrative to business focused and reduce the turnover periods of each unit.

The Petroleum Minister said that the objections raised by the Oil and Gas Union over lack of consultation, is not necessary as the process is still in the initial stage and consultations would begin when the break-down commences.

He said that seven names of top management staff of the corporation have been penned down to serve as Chief Executive Officers of the seven divisions, most of whom are currently administrative heads of departments in the Corporation.

Dr Kachikwu had said that the NNPC will be unbundled into 30 competitive revenue generating subsidiaries in the coming week.

He made the disclosure at the Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

It was the 25th in the series of lectures aimed at bringing key players in the oil and gas industry together to brainstorm on issues that will ensure profitability and economic advancement through oil and gas.

The House of Representatives mandated a joint committee of the House to prevent the Minister of State for Petroleum from usurping the powers of the legislature by attempting to unbundle the NNPC without legislative approval.

Olisa Metuh lost no-case submission

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Olisa Metuh, has lost his no-case submission filed before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Ruling on the suit on Wednesday, Justice Okon Abang, said that the prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, has been able to establish a ‘prima facie’ case against the defendant, as there were several questions he needed to answer.

While adjourning the trial to March 17, Justice Abang added that there was an urgent need for Mr Metuh to tell the court whether he gave $2 million to the first prosecution witness to source for Naira equivalent and the source of the fund.

Consequently, lawyer to Mr Metuh, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), said that the defence team would take a second look at the ruling while the prosecution said that the coast was now clear for the PDP spokesman to prove his innocence.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is standing trial for alleged money laundering offences preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

With Channel TV

Ocholi’s Accident Interim Report Delivered To FEC

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has received reports on the cause of the accident that claimed the lives of the Minister of State for Employment, James Ocholi, his wife and son on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway on Sunday, according to Channel TV.

Briefing the Council on their finding on Wednesday, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, said that beyond the burst tyres, the driver of the Minister sped excessively, his application of brakes was bad, there was no trye maintenance and he also didn’t use his seat belt.

Investigations also showed that the Minister’s driver’s licence was not found on the data base of the Road Safety Corps.

President Muhammadu Buhari, while paying tribute to the Minister, narrated his experience with the Minister, his contributions towards his emergence as President.

He described him as a humble chap that would be missed in the cabinet.

While the Minister of State for Niger Delta described Ocholi as a strong minded, lovely and fearless being, the Minister of Water Resources urged his colleagues to imbibe the lessons learnt from his death.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in her tribute, described Ocholi as a family man whose exit is tragic.

The Federal Government also extended sincere condolences to the people of Kogi State and prayed that the memories he left behind would always be a legacy.

The burial has tentatively been fixed for March 16, 17 and 18.Briefing the Council on their finding on Wednesday, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, said that beyond the burst tyres, the driver of the Minister sped excessively, his application of brakes was bad, there was no trye maintenance and he also didn’t use his seat belt.

Investigations also showed that the Minister’s driver’s licence was not found on the data base of the Road Safety Corps.

President Muhammadu Buhari, while paying tribute to the Minister, narrated his experience with the Minister, his contributions towards his emergence as President.

He described him as a humble chap that would be missed in the cabinet.

While the Minister of State for Niger Delta described Ocholi as a strong minded, lovely and fearless being, the Minister of Water Resources urged his colleagues to imbibe the lessons learnt from his death.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in her tribute, described Ocholi as a family man whose exit is tragic.

The Federal Government also extended sincere condolences to the people of Kogi State and prayed that the memories he left behind would always be a legacy.

The burial has tentatively been fixed for March 16, 17 and 18.

Maria Sharapova's failed drugs test was "reckless beyond description" - Dick Pound

Maria Sharapova's failed drugs test was "reckless beyond description", according to former World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound.

Sharapova, 28, revealed on Monday that she tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in January.

A number of sponsors have already distanced themselves from the Russian five-time Grand Slam winner.

"Running a $30m business depends on you staying eligible to play tennis," Pound told BBC Sport.

Meldonium, which Sharapova said she has taken since 2006 for health reasons, became a banned substance on 1 January.

It is on the banned list now because Wada started seeing it in lots of samples and found it does have performance-enhancing properties.

"You are taking something on a list. I am sorry, that is a big mistake - of course she should have known," said Pound, who was head of Wada from 1999 to 2007.

"She is taking something that is not generally permitted in her country of residence [USA] for medical purposes, so she says, so there must be a doctor following this.

"Anytime there is a change to the list, notice is given on 30 September prior to the change. You have October, November, December to get off what you are doing.

"All the tennis players were given notification of it and she has a medical team somewhere. That is reckless beyond description."

The ability to increase oxygen movement to muscles has seen meldonium used as a supplement for athletes, as it could have a positive affect on stamina and endurance.

Pound said: "A drug like this over a long period of time is contraindicated. It means you would not take it over a long period of time. That is why there was an urge to put the drug on the list. A lot of people were taking it for performance enhancing.

"Most of the drugs of choice for dopers were built for therapeutic reasons - like EPO and others. That was supposed to regenerate blood if you had cancer treatment or surgical intervention if you needed to increase blood supply.

"Someone has said: 'Hmm, more oxygen in the blood? Hmm, very interesting. Let's see if we can use it for that purpose.'

"There is a side effect to every drug, somebody must be monitoring this."

The International Tennis Federation said Sharapova will be provisionally suspended from 12 March. She faces up to a four-year ban.

"We have now increased the basic penalty for a first offence from two to four years," added 73-year-old Pound.

"If there is absolutely zero fault on the part of the athlete, where you can get a reduction of half of that suspension period, you are looking at a couple of years.

"That is for the tennis association to propose. If Wada does not agree, it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for an increase."

Sharapova made her announcement at a hotel in Los Angeles on Monday and her admission has polarised opinions.

World number one Serena Williams, who had beaten Sharapova in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on 26 January before she tested positive, has said the Russian has shown "a lot of courage" for accepting responsibility.

However, Jeanette Kwakye, 100m finalist for Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has criticised Sharapova and feels she may be given a light sentence.

"What we have in Maria Sharapova is a media darling. She knows how to work the world of media, she knows how to spin and put things in her favour by breaking her own news," said Kwakye.

"For somebody like her, it may be a lenient slap on the wrist. There seems to be a different rule for her."