Lately, I have been talking about the importance of social business to business. Whether you opt to focus on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, there are some tips you need to follow as posted on 4 Tips in Promoting Your Facebook Page and 4 More Tips in Promoting Your Facebook Page.

However, that’s not all. Aside from the helpful tips, you should also know what NOT to do you are on social media. As a business owner, you should always strive to be active, and at the same time, follow the proper etiquette on social media.

To foster positive relationships, here are 4 things that you shouldn’t every try doing on social media especially if you are representing a business.

No Concrete Plan

• Like any business venture, you need to plan. Just because you are online now, it doesn’t mean that social media can right away transform your business immediately. You just go into battle without a plan.
• You just don’t plunge into the social media realm just because everyone is doing it. Before anything else, I think you should define your specific goals. What do you want to achieve? So, you have to research the steps to do in order to achieve your goal. Carefully planning your actions will ensure that you aren’t exhausting any valuable reason. After all, haste makes waste.

No Lies

• In social media, there’s no need to deceive people. Sadly, there are brands that would go as far as misleading their customers in order to gain money. They lie to be popular, to gain a huge following, and to be on top of the game.
• Yes, it may help you gain followers quickly, but it won’t help you acquire loyal customers. Don’t be tempted to create false statements and fabricate stories in order to please everyone. If you do that, everyone will not love you. There will always be haters lurking in every corner. At the end of the day, lying will not hurt your customers, but it will only hurt your brand’s reputation.

No interactions

• Social media was not made to be a one-way street. After all, it’s called “social” media so you need to socialize with people. To succeed in strengthening your social media presence, you need to start talking. Post your thoughts and add your own personality when you interact with your audience. That will make you unique from the other brands!
• So, even if you will just say thank you, do it. Reply to positive comment. Start a conversation. Failure starts when you neglect all the likes, shares, retweets, and comments you are getting. No one will talk to you if you ignore everyone. Hence, start helping people, share what you know, and bring happiness to your social media profiles.

No Spam Messages

• Lastly, please do not flood the news feed of your followers. No one likes to see spam messages. In social media, it’s easy to block off annoying profiles. Of course, you would not want you followers to block you, right?
• It brings us back to item #1: PLAN. Think of what you are going to post. Successively posting several messages may seem as spam for many people. So, don’t be careless on publishing status updates.

Previously, I defined Google Penalty. This time, I will take to the steps on what to do when received a penalty from Google. The important thing is here is that you will be able to correctly address the issue at hand. So, continue reading if you wish to know the about most common problems when it comes to Google penalties.

What to Do Now? 

First, check your Google Search Console account and see you have gotten a manual penalty. If you have, then start the resolution process immediately. Once you have dealt with it, you can now ask Google to re-index your website. Hopefully, resolving the problem can reverse the damage.

In this process of finding a fix, it is crucial to address the correctly. Pretty sure that there are comprehensive guides you can read online. Below, I have only listed the typical problems that a website encounters.

What are the common causes?

• Inferior Content:
  • The most common would probably be content issues. If you want this resolved, then get rid of any content that has NO value. Always asses if your content is useful to the users. Google values value. For your website to have better rankings, fix your content and provide a more helpful information to your audience.
• Free Hosting:
  • The thing with subscribing to a free host is that you are exposing your website to a lot of unwanted ads. Rather than risking your website to advertisements you have no control of, I think it is wiser to go for a paid hosting service. For sure, it will save you from all the trouble.
• Keyword Stuffing:
  • If you mention specific keywords too many times, this will not give you higher rankings because Google can clearly tell that this is a blatant attempt of keyword stuffing. Keywords are supposed to be a natural part of your article, and you should NOT just add them to boost your rankings.
• Virus Spreading:
  • If your website spreads any malware or spyware viruses, then Google will do something about it. It’s always a huge NO to be infecting your web visitors with unwanted files and viruses on their computers. If you suspect your website is infected, clean it up immediately.
• Content Plagiarism:
  • If you plan to copy someone else’s work, do not. If you are guilty of outright copying a copyrighted material, expect a penalty from Google. There are content duplication tools you can use like Copyscape. So, remember to write your own thoughts and never copy because Google is always ready to strike.

Remember: You CANNOT always blame the Google penalties for any decrease in rankings. 

If your website plunges in the SERPs, it could be possible that it’s NOT because of any penalties from Google. There is also a huge chance that your competitors are developing better SEO efforts. You know, their content could be new and updated. Perhaps, they also were able to catch up with the latest algorithm updates while you haven’t yet.

So, always aim to create and publish the best content you can. Of course, promoting it also needs to be part of the plan. This way, you are definitely sure that you will maintain your current standings. If you notice any decline, always go back to the basics. Carefully take a step back and analyze where it all went wrong. Most of all, let the Google’s Webmasters Guidelines be your guide.

Did you know that Twitter users who follow a brand or site are most likely to visit the company website as well? Yes, that’s true. Around 47% of Twitter users follow this practice. Moreover, 3/4 of the active brands online are using Twitter for their company’s promotional activities.

In my previous article, I talked about 4 Tips in Promoting Your Facebook Page. Now, let me discuss the Twitter side of things. Indeed, you are losing business opportunities if you aren’t on social media platforms especially Twitter. However, you have to remember that Twitter can’t magically transform in a snap. Like any business venture, you need to give it time and give the proper care.

If not, you won’t be able to tap on the right people. Use it correctly and Twitter can lead you to places you never thought would reach. Here are 3 reasons why you should make Twitter your ally.

Reason 1: Twitter Can Help You Serve Your Customers Better

• One apparent use for Twitter would be posting details about your company. This includes all your products and services. Aside from that, you can get feedback from your customers.
• Whether they like it or not, Twitter is their channel to share their option. Of course, you need to listen for it to benefit your business. Remember, you don’t always do the talking. Take time to assess what your customers feel about your brand.
• First, you can ask a question through the Twitter Polls. It could be as simple as what is their favorite product. They would reply with their personal reasons why and you get nuggets of information about their insights as your customer.
• Second, Twitter is also an avenue for you to inform potential clients. You can guide them to your website, or introduce your products. Overall, Twitter is a friendly environment. So, be the initiate conversations and share what you know.
• Of course, don’t overdo it. Too much self-promotion can negatively affect your business. Besides, you don’t want to be tagged as “spammer” by many of your loyal followers.

Reason 2: Twitter Can Promote Brand Awareness

• For most companies, they use Twitter as a customer service platform. People can tweet their complaints anytime, and this is evident in some businesses such as Paypal, BookDepository, Hootsuite, and many more.
• Twitter is a venue for you to broadcast your solutions, alleviate your customers’ concerns, and promote positive customer service experience. Once you decide to provide help and support, be consistent. Don’t shut out other customers that are giving negative comments. Instead, assure them are you are taking their suggestions seriously.
• Meanwhile, other companies choose to use Twitter as their announcement board. As part of their followers, you get a chance to know the latest deals, join special giveaways, see new products first, and get the juiciest details.

Reason 3: With Twitter, You Can Easily Track Your Competitors

• In Twitter, you mean business. Of course, you are not here to relax. Part of the reason why Twitter is a great place for business is because your competitors are most probably on Twitter too.
• You get to hear what people are saying about their brand. Using Twitter Search, you search about specific brands, and you will see tweets about it. So, you can keep an eye on what people say about your business and your direct competitors.

Just when you thought it’s over, nope, I’m not yet done sharing tips in improving Organic CTR. Before you read the finale, catch up on 3 Tips to Increase Organic CTR (Part 1) and 5 Tips to Increase Organic CTR (Part 2).

 Feed their curious minds

• Humans are curious beings, and we all find ways to resolve our inherent curiosity. You can leverage curiosity in your meta descriptions. You can say something like, “Shop now and get a FREE mystery prize.” In this statement, 2 words will trigger the user: free and mystery. Oooh, what could be the mystery gift be? And who doesn’t like a free gift?

Add a sense of urgency

• If you are selling something, it helps to add a sense of urgency in the description. Mention that there are only a limited number of products left. Adding words like “Shop now”, “Last 30 pieces left”, or “50% off today” will make people run faster than Usain Bolt.
• Nowadays, people have this fear of missing out. When something is selling out fast, they would immediately want a piece of it too! It must be good, right?

Mention someone famous

• Like the fear of missing out, people would like to do what other people are doing especially if a famous person is doing it.
• They would most likely do it themselves, and that’s the power of social proof. If you say something like, “Find out why Beyoncé is having about this water.” I know it’s just water, but the mention of Beyoncé changes the game. When you mention Kylie Jenner’s favorite, or Ariana Grande’s favorite, I’m sure people would rush and immediately click.

Don’t forget to apply and test what works for you!

All the tips mentioned in part 1, part 2, and part 3 will be useless if you don’t test what you now know. Always check the progress… does it work for you? should you just scrap it? Only you can answer that. You can always go to your Google Analytics account to check if there are improvements in your CTR. Aside from that, you can monitor how the users see your page titles and meta descriptions. Below are the 2 tools I suggest for you to use:

1. Yoast SEO

   • For WordPress users, I’m sure you all are familiar with Yoast SEO. Just install the plugin and it will help you a lot because Yoast SEO will provide a preview of your page title and meta description. Yes, it will how it will look like in the actual Google search results page.
   • Aside from that, you will have an idea if your texts are too long or too short. Yoast SEO will give you a heads up if your snippet gets cut and have reached the maximum limit.

2. Google AdWords

   • Google AdWords Preview Tool is the other option aside from Yoast SEO. According to SearchEngineLand, s of September 2016, Google has updated the ad preview tool, and it has been optimized for both mobile and desktop users. You can see how the different titles and descriptions would look like in various platforms.  Like Yoast SEO, it also gives you suggestions if it is fitting or not. Just type your preferred title and a brief description, then the Google AdWords Preview Tool will do its thing.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, SEO is not just about the technicalities. You don’t have to go into the technical jargons. In fact, marketing concepts also help gaining more views and clicks. You don’t have to fear because you don’t a thing or two about SEO. Knowledge in copywriting and marketing will go a long way too!

When creating a website, most business owners wonder if they should add their location or not. Others indicate it others don’t. As much as it’s a matter of preference, adding your location on your website actually brings in various benefits.

Your location affects your rankings, ad placements, and more. If you’re wondering why you should add your location on the website, here’s what you need to know:

It’s important for local ranking

For local businesses, adding your location on your website is an added way to be found by your customers. Take note that most customers will search for local businesses nearest to them. If your website doesn’t have any hint of its location, you’ll miss a great opportunity to be seen.

Using your location on your business website also complements with area-specific keywords. It’s a simple addition that will make a big difference in terms of ranking.

It’s an added brownie point from search engines

Search engines love it when you provide as much information as possible. It makes indexing easier, plus it increases the credibility of your business page.

Using your location actually makes your website more geo-friendly. You can use your postal address or a Google Map widget aside from location-specific keywords on your headers.

Although it’s not one of the leading ranking factors, a verifiable address boosts your credibility which will trickle down to your rankings.

It adds customer trust

Your business location gives customers the perception that you’re actually legitimate. This will be much easier if you put yourself on your potential customers’ shoes.

You’re searching for a specific business on Google. With that, you came upon this online store that also has a brick-and-mortar store. It says it has a physical store located in your locality. However, since the full address isn’t included, you decided to look for another option – the one that you can actually visit.

With this, your location also corresponds to customer trust, much so if you have a physical store or office.

It helps your customers

Another benefit of adding your location on your website is it helps customers get more accurate search results. Aside from increasing your business’ visibility, you’re also giving potential customers more options.

Also, it will help down gauge the business nearest to their location. This is very much important if you have multiple branches.

It’s ideal for businesses with multiple locations

For businesses with more than one location, adding the specific locations of your branches is a big plus. It will help Google crawlers index your pages better. Also, it will help customers identify if you’re servicing their area. It’s a win-win situation for every stakeholder.

Although you can’t place individual Google Map widget for each, you can use the location to update your business citations, GMB pages, and other business listings.

Final words

Adding your business location on your website is more important than what you think it is. It’s just basic information that will increase your ranking, customer trust, and searchability.