Google Local Service (GLS) Ads have been out for a while now. It launched in beta in 2015 and expanded to 17 cities late 2017. While I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel with another "How to" guide. I thought I'd share my experience with the product. I signed up a local client of mine on the early-access list. When the program rolled out to Denver, they were accepted. Due to some internal delays, the company didn't...
We've heard of Google as your home page for local business. The idea being your website is no longer the most sought-out representation of your business online—the Google search for your business is. This concept has been around for years. We embrace at Classy Brain, but I personally don't think it goes far enough. I think you should think of the Google search for your business as your primary landing page. This is because if you rank organically,...
A Brief History I don’t like to write. It takes nothing short of an act of Congress to get me to write. When I do write, I have a couple rules: be thorough, be fair, and be helpful. It’s simple. Last November, I wrote about a problem Birdeye had with it’s platform. For those who didn’t read, a massive amount of Google reviews went missing from Birdeye customer’s Google My Business profiles. A lot of small businesses...
This industry changes fast. To keep up, we read a lot of articles--not all marketing-related. Sometimes we come across really interesting tech news. With that in mind, here are some of the things we found interesting most over the last week. High School GMB Porn Link https://gizmodo.com/prankster-swaps-high-schools-website-with-porn-link-on-1822831401 Some high school students influenced their high school's Google My Business page link. We assume they did this by “Suggesting an Edit” in the businesses knowledge panel on Google Maps or Google Search....
The Starbucks Trick There is an urban myth about an ingenious marketing scheme Starbucks supposedly uses. The myth starts with a barista purposely misspelling your name. The idea behind this is that the customer, seeing the misspelling, will post a photo of their drink on Facebook. Friends & family who saw the misspelling would like, laugh, love (pick your favorite emoticon) the photo. Boom. Like magic, everyone in your Facebook network who saw the photo is then thinking about Starbucks. I’ve...
Chatter at Home I love my job. I don’t mean to play favorites, but I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for people in the trades (plumbing, electricians, carpet cleaners, HVAC, etc.). Their general candor and skepticism about Google is amusing/understood. So when I received a phone call from a client of mine, who began using colorful language to explain a chunk of his Google Reviews disappeared, my interest was piqued. In early October, I...
The internet changes often and it’s hard to keep up with these changes. Especially as a small business owner, keeping up with the latest technologies and search engine algorithms is the least of your worries. However, the digital age is here, and people are utilizing the internet now more than ever before to find businesses, buy services, and research products. That’s why we make it our mission here at Classy Brain to help you learn about...
Google is getting more interactive than ever. Now, as a business owner, you can post news, events, products, specials and more all from your Google My Business Listing. This new feature offers a real time communication channel to reach your customers, give them a call-to-action, and hopefully gain their business. Here at Classy Brain, we love keeping you updated on all of the latest trends and updates in the SEO world, so we have decided to tell...
Colorado Springs is a rapidly growing area, both in terms of population and small businesses. There are so many opportunities for small business owners to succeed in the Springs, as it has spans a gigantic area and has a wide variety of consumer groups that are in need of many services. Whether you are a Lawyer in downtown Colorado Springs or a Dentist by Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs is your business’s home, and we...
As a small business owner, you value the personal relationships that you have with your customers. There’s something so much more personal and intimate when you are a small company, and that often is the difference between you and the big box conglomerate in your industry. That being said, getting positive reviews from your customers can make a huge difference in terms of your search engine rank and your overall SEO profile. Getting reviews is a very...