🔍 2019's Top Stories in Local Search

Plus, Adam Dorfman’s Pro Tip on why you shouldn’t give up on Google Posts. Dec 27, 2019 Good morning search marketers, let’s look back on local search, As we head into a new year, we are taking stock of the changes and trends of 2019 that will help shape marketing in 2020. Today, we focus on local search with a selection of influential stories and a Pro Tip from the community. Enjoy, Ginny Marvin Editor-In-Chief 1. [Google brings personalized Shopping, local inventory and better checkout to U.S]( by Greg Sterling The redesign and new features aim to lure shoppers away from Amazon. 2. [Google expands Local campaigns inventory, BOPIS offers for Shopping campaigns]( by Ginny Marvin New Local inventory includes Promoted Pins in Maps and catalog-style ads in Display. 3. [Local Inventory ads rolling out of beta in Microsoft Advertising]( by Ginny Marvin Show ads when relevant products are in-stock nearby. 4. [Google now showing competitor ads on local business profiles]( by Greg Sterling The unit is from Local Campaigns and businesses cannot pay to remove them. 5. [Survey: 97% of online adults transact with businesses they find on Yelp]( by Greg Sterling The survey of more than 6,000 adults is a follow up a study conducted by Nielsen in 2016. 6. [Review counts matter more to local business revenue than star ratings, according to study]( by Greg Sterling Womply also found businesses claiming their listings on multiple sites generated 58% more revenue than the average. 7. [Local SEOs mixed, some peeved at idea of paying for Google My Business services]( by Greg Sterling They recognized the logic but many had strong criticisms. Pro Tip Throwback Here’s why you don’t want to give up on Google Posts Despite Google Posts appearing to have lost their prominence, there are still some good reasons to use them says Adam Dorfman at Reputation. He offers these suggestions for managing the tool. “1) Leverage content you’re already creating and posting in all the other places that customers find you. Repurposing content is a far more productive way to attract customers with brand consistency. 2) Use strong calls to action with URLs that will attract customers to do business with you. 3) Make sure you complement your Google Posts with accurate location data such as your address and phone number, as well as compelling content such as customer ratings/reviews. Keep your knowledge panel up to date, accurate, and compelling. I suggest businesses calculate the lifetime value of each customer they attract against the cost in productivity required to keep the content fresh. Is the trade-off worth it? I suspect it will be.” [Learn more »]( Report: The State of Local Marketing Sponsored by BrandMuscle The State of Local Marketing Report reveals the success formula that is enabling 2x the level of growth that most local businesses achieve. Learn about best practices and the associated competencies that are differentiating those who are more successful with local and channel marketing. [Read more »]( Resource Spotlight Digital Agency Survey 2019 Digital agencies have been on the leading edge of digital transformation, but they are not immune to the challenges of adapting to changing technologies, advances in automation and evolving client capabilities and staff skill requirements needed to evolve. Strategic services will become a greater priority as campaign execution and management becomes increasingly automated. Agencies are also sensitive to client in-housing trends, however, most agencies surveyed in our report were planning to add services in the coming year and hiring — or trying to. Many reported having trouble filling positions in a competitive market. [Learn more and download the full report »]( Leftover 2019 budget? Put it to great use! Register for SMX West before the year is over and join us February 19-20, 2020 in San Jose for a fabulous training and networking experience! Discover actionable tactics that can help you achieve your search marketing goals and connect with a thriving community of like-minded professionals. The experts at Search Engine Land have redesigned the agenda just for you, featuring 85+ unique sessions on SEO, SEM, and digital commerce marketing. Sharpen your skills, broaden your horizons, and prepare for what’s next: Register for SMX today! [Register now »]( [Search Engine Land] [( [Want to advertise?]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. [Unsubscribe]( [We respect your privacy.]( This email was sent by: Search Engine Land - a Third Door Media, Inc. publication with headquarters at 279 Newtown Tpke. Redding, CT 06896 USA © 2006-2019 Third Door Media. All Rights Reserved.