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  • Design Theory: Upgrading Your Site With a Font Facelift

    SEO tactics work behind the scenes, pulling the Google puppet strings with keywords and coding wizardry.  Congratulations!  Your website traffic has doubled, and your site has more hits than a barroom brawl! However, while getting visitors is great, keeping visitors is better — and a pleasing, non-eye-searing website design can be crucial when you’re trying to win a potential customer’s trust.

    With each installment of SI Design Theory, we’ll talk about a few simple styling tricks that you can implement in order to make your website more inviting.  This week, we’ll be talking about fonts: the most basic element of any web design.

    Difficulty Level: Easy

    If Your Font Has the Word “Comic” In It, By Definition, No One Can Take You Seriously
    Before we get into some of the finer points of typography, here is a list of fonts that will instantly date your site at about… 1998.
    • Comic Sans
    • Verdana
    • Courier New
    • Papyrus

    Stay away!  Yes, a few of these fonts are web standard and browser friendly.  They’ve been around since the fetal stages of the Internet, but that’s probably not what you want your website to say (and the font, quite literally, says everything).

    Here are just a few substitutes that are just as clean and readable as Arial Regular, Verdana, and Courier New:

    Abadi, Gill, and ITC Kabel are fantastic at smaller sizes, and look great within body copy or as H1s (headers or subheaders).  Helvetica Neue, as the name implies, is a modern twist on the old designers’ standby (better in large sizes).  Arial MT Condensed, or almost any condensed, sans serif font, is a bold and eye catching choice for headlines.
    Protip: You can use any licensed true type font on your website with this nifty CSS trick.

     

    Minding the Gaps
    When it comes to readability, spacing is everything.  Let’s take a look at Abadi MT Condensed Light, in its unstyled glory, with no attention paid to its default spacing:

    Perfectly acceptable, but with a little spacing, we can make this much better:

     

    Space between letters is called “tracking.”  Space between lines is called “leading,” or line height.  As a general rule, large fonts need tighter tracking and larger leading.  Small fonts need looser tracking and smaller leading.

     

    If someone can come up with a snappy mnemonic device for remembering this, call me.  But for the rest of us: play with line height and letter spacing until your text reads comfortably.  You’ll also want to mind your margins.  Give your paragraphs plenty of room to breathe on all sides, top, bottom, left, and right.

     

    And never forget!  Always justify (align) your text!

    (Don’t) Paint It Black

    We’ll talk about eye catching vs. eye searing colors in an upcoming post, but for now, a simple lesson: consider bringing your body copy down from stark black to a lighter shade of gray.  Use blacks sparingly to create emphasis where you need it.  As long as your grays are not too light, it will give a more pleasing and more modern look to your copy.

     

    Fun With Fonts!  Drawing With Type

    It’s true that images will attract the eye in a way that simple blocks of text cannot.  However, a well styled page doesn’t need to be bogged down with 100 stock photos in order to get your message across.  The following image was made entirely with type.

     

     

    Try resizing punctuation for a conjunction that is both useful and attractive.  Bringing curling fonts together with tight tracking (as seen with P22 Zaner Three) can create unique borders and stylish separators.  Even webdings (remember those?) have their place, as seen here with Unca Pale.
    P.S.  Never underestimate the impact one good drop cap.
    Next time: Communicating with your visitors through color

  • 5 For Friday — Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend

    Have You Been the Target of a Google Places Hit Job? —Search Engine Land
    If your company is receiving mediocre/poor reviews on your Google Places page, it is possible that a competitor is sabotaging you. In order to determine if your review is spammy, you should check the source, the volume and validity of the reviewer, and the content of the review. Whether it is spam or a legitimate bad review, you should confront it head on.

    We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Unveils Blueprint for a “Privacy Bill of Rights” to Protect Consumers Online — White House
    President Obama released a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” to protect consumers’ rights to privacy on the Internet.  The blueprint allows for users to control their personal information on the Internet, which in turn is supposed to maintain consumer trust in businesses. This “Bill of Rights” includes transparency, access and accuracy, and security.  What does this mean for SEO?

    Facebook Launching New Premium Ads — Social Media Today
    Facebook plans to launch its new approach to advertising next week.  This innovative style of social advertising incorporates user generated content by creating ads of posts from businesses.  These ads will target the friends of individuals who “like” that post.  Others will be able to “like” and comment directly onto these ads. Increased brand interaction will increase brand authority and visibility.

    It’s Our First Pandaversary! — SEOBook
    Happy Pandaversary! Before Google’s Panda Algorithm, low quality link building farms increased site rankings.  As a result, content farms have dropped severely in rankings and YouTube, mainstream media, and big retailers have benefited greatly.  The infographic on SEOBook breaks down the impact, winners, losers, and recovery strategies post-panda.

    Pinterest Marketing Tips & Tricks to Drive Targeted Traffic — Search Engine Watch
    You’ve probably heard that recently Pinterest surpassed Google+ as a traffic source. Marketers, such as Steam Driven Media, are learning how to incorporate Pinterest into their marketing strategy. Through actively participating on Pinterest—pinning and repinning pictures regularly, using creative board names, repinning others images—companies can show new products and interact with their consumers.  What do you recommend for optimal Pinterest use?

  • The Importance of Online Reviews: What Your Customers Really Think

    You might be very surprised by what your customers really think of your business, especially if you haven’t looked before. Go ahead. Take a second and go Google any business. I googled sandwich shop reviews New Orleans.

    All business owners know a businesses online presence is important, but to what extent might not be fully appreciated. Consumers continue to evolve the way in which they research and buy goods or services. Online shopping is a multi-billion dollar industry and continues to grow every year. Recognizing its importance is vital to the success of any business. No longer can businesses ignore what its customers are saying about them. Much like word of mouth, online reviews are growing in popularity and trustworthiness.

    Online Reputation Management ReviewsAs social media and technology continue to root themselves in peoples daily lives the value of a well managed online presence continues to grow. The ability of a customer to express themselves freely and anonymously on the Internet can be a scary thought to many business owners, but proper monitoring of the top channels can result in very valuable advertising.

    In the automotive industry, dealers blanket the air waves with television commercials, radio spots, direct mail pieces, billboard advertisements, and many other forms of advertising. But the decision process does not end there. There is a negative stigma related to the auto industry that makes people tend not to trust car dealers. If the money spent on advertising is met with an overwhelming number of negative reviews it is safe to assume potential buyers see this information and that the money was probably wasted.

    In response to this dilema, people flock to online reviews to get an opinion. According to a Nielsen study in April 2009, consumer opinions posted online was the second most trusted form of advertising.

    Reputation Management of Online Reviews

    Why not use that to your advantage?

    In theory, every single customer becomes a brand ambassador either positively or negatively expressing their opinions. For a minimal investment a dealer can leverage the word of mouth of all of their satisfied customers to enhance their businesses reputation. You can not control what they say, but you can take the following steps to help maintain your online reputation.

    The three most important things someone can do to improve their online reputation are:

    1. Maintain and Monitor a list of the top review websites in your industry
    2. Treat all comments seriously and respond quickly and courteously. Use the channel where the review first appeared to respond.
    3. Take the conversation offline, this does NOT mean get the comment removed. It means reach out to the reviewer with another way to contact you. Give them your phone number, set up a meeting, or send the person a direct message asking what can be done to help resolve or rectify the issue. Not all issue can be resolved but by reaching out to them you show everyone that you care what people have to say or think.

    Reputation Management Online Reviews
    As food for thought, Where would you eat? I know where I would…

  • What the Father of Facebook Can Learn from SEO About Conversion Optimization

    Everyone has heard of Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Founder, but he owes much of his success to his father Edward Zuckerberg, DDS. Zuckerberg describes himself as the actual “Father of Facebook”, teaching Mark the ins and outs of computer programming on their Atari 800. In an effort to promote his Westchester, NY dental office he turns to Facebook and other social media tools. According to Zuckerberg, “It’s a tremendous marketing tool for business. It certainly is the biggest bang for your marketing buck”. So how exactly does Zuckerberg use Facebook and other social media you might ask?

    Check out his Facebook page. Going by the name of “Painless Dr. Z”, he believes “Facebook is a brilliant marketing tool, which targets young people and spreads the word about local business”. While it’s great to see him using the site his son created to maximize his business there are definitely a few changes he could make to his Facebook page as well as his website. Let’s start with how to improve SEO for his Facebook:

    Facebook Conversion Optimization
    Exhibit A — Which one is more compelling?

    Exhibit A: The “Like” iframe
    Graphically, this iframe needs a fair amount of improvement. The “Call to Action” can be more clear and bolder. It needs to make people want to click the “Like” button. There needs to be less words and more bold graphics.

    Exhibit B: Website

    As all SEO professionals know your website is one of the top tools for busting your SERPs on search engines, especially Google. Optimizations of keywords, meta data, img alt tags, and internal linking all play a part in increasing your rank on Google. Let’s take a look at how Zuckerberg could boost his on-site SEO.

    Facebook Conversion Optimization
    Exhibit B — Where is the Focus? How Do I Do Anything?

    1. Title Tags: These provide the user and search engine the content of the page. Currently, Dr. Z’s title tags give very little detail to what the page is about. The use of keywords is essential for rankings.

    Example:
    Current: Edward J. Zuckerberg, D.D.S., F.A.G.D. | High Tech Dentist in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York

    Update: Dentist Dobbs Ferry | Edward J. Zuckerberg, D.D.S., F.A.G.D. | Westchester County, New York

    2. Internal Linking: Looking at the Services page, there does not seem to be internal linking between other pages on the site. Here is where Dr. Z’s site could benefit from some good ol’ internal linking. So what’s the benefit of internal linking you ask? It helps boost a sites site performance in the SERPs and keeps visitors on the site for a longer period of time.

    3. Optimizing content on-site: This is a simple step. For the best results insert the keyword 3 to 4 times on desired page. Looking once again at the Services page it’s clear Dr. Z does not use keywords for any of his procedures. Also, the procedures do not have their own separate pages. With a page for each service, this can boost the site’s rankings.

    Just a few tips on how Dr. Z and anyone with a website can improve their rankings online.

  • 5 For Friday — Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend

    How Twitter Can Improve Your Management (in 140 Characters or Less) — Inc.com

    It’s said that brevity is the soul of wit, and nowhere is that more apparent than the mandatory 140-character limit of Twitter messages. Inc.com’s Frank Addante takes you how the confined space can actually help you structure your management style and clarify your goals.

    Elections, The Olympics and the End of the World: What’s Next for Social Video — Marketing Pilgrim

    With political campaigns being broken on the strength of dislikes alone and views of adorable owls skyrocketing to unprecedented levels, it seems evident that Youtube is here to stay. Get the skinny on what leveraging its inherent shareability can do for your social media presence.

    SEO: A Force for Good — Search Engine Watch

    While the search engine optimization industry certainly has its monetary side, its ideal functionality is helping search engines discover and rank content in a way that is intelligible and relevant to the user. Check out this foray through the brighter side of optimizing and targeting!

    Variety: The Spice of Life, and Your Blog — Small Business SEM

    While writing a “home run” post every single time seems great on the outside, it can get wearing on your readers after a while. Check out this article to find out how to mix and edit your blog in order to get the maximum benefit out of your writerly efforts.

    Promoting Your Old YouTube Videos — ProNet Advertising

    While sharing your videos upon release is important, their productivity never really expires when you follow these easy tips to keep your archives working for you.

  • Newsletter Marketing 101: Why Your Customers are Ignoring You

    Do your email newsletters never get opened? Do your fans often ignore you on your social media outlets? Many small business have trouble figuring out how to engage their customers and potential customers. How you communicate with them is important, and newsletter marketing is a big part of that.

    Whether you send a monthly or bi-weekly email newsletter, the likelihood of a user clicking the link to “unsubscribe” from your newsletter is 67%, according to an ExactTarget study. Here are some helpful tips of direct marketing via newsletters and how to leverage your newsletters through social media.

    • When should you send out your newsletters? According to Mashable, don’t send your newsletters on Monday — customers usually get a blast of emails at the beginning of the week and will ignore your emails. Don’t send on Friday afternoons because it’s closing time and the last thing a customer is thinking at 5 pm is your email.
    • What is the main focus of your email? Will your newsletter include promotions or will it be informative? You want to set these guidelines so that your customers know what to expect. In your newsletter, you can discuss a new product and/or service you are carrying or even how you resolved a concern with a customer. Deals and freebies for subscribers can also be effective.
    • Do you have an opt-in or unsubscribe option? The top three reasons users “unsubscribe” from email newsletters are overfrequency of your emails, repetitious or boring content, and the number of emails a user gets from several companies.
    • Is the newsletter content boring? The first way to engage a “subscriber” is having an enticing subject line. If the subject is drab, the user will not even open your email. Keep the content concise. If your newsletter can’t be scanned in five minutes, you might as well not send it out.

    • How do I market my newsletter? Now that you have sent out your newsletter, you can also reach people who do not subscribe already. You can post a link to your newsletter on Facebook and Twitter. You may have fans who aren’t aware of or do not subscribe to your newsletter but still like you, and marketing to them is a good way to boost subscribers.
    • How do you measure the success of your newsletters? Some services, such as Mailchimp, provide metrics for your efforts. It’s important to gauge if a subscriber opens your email or what draws them in. Without metrics, it’s hard to visualize what you are doing wrong or right.

    These helpful tips will get your business on track for performing effective newsletter marketing. How do you interact and engage with your customers?

  • Infographic: New Orleans Hotels on the Parade Route

    The Mardi Gras Survival Guide and New Orleans Hotels on the Parade Route, Courtesy of NewOrleans.com

     

    It’s your first time in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, you say? Oh, dear. It’s likely that you’ll be overwhelmed by the spectacle, even if you’ve seen many celebrations in many other countries before. After all, everywhere you look there are parades, costumes, beads being hurled, and all other manner of unfamiliar customs. You know, like women taking their shirts off at a moment’s notice in exchange for small trinkets. Yes, hide the children (or at least be prepared to shield their eyes at the speed of light!)

    Jokes aside, New Orleans is a fantastic destination for adults and children alike, and your experience of celebrating carnival here can vary quite a bit depending on where you camp out. For instance, the Mardi Gras experience in the uptown area of New Orleans, near Napoleon Avenue is considered more of a family-friendly spot to watch the parades, and it’s where locals like to hang out as well.  At the start of the parade on Napoleon, parade goers can expect light to moderate throws, as most float riders are still too sober to be generous. If you can find a cute baby, you may be able to convince riders to throw you a stuffed animal or two. A little past Napoleon on St. Charles is where most younger locals catch the parade. These include college preps and high school kids who think they are in college. Drink of choice: Red Bull.

    If you want to catch the parade in this area, New Orleans hotels such as the Royal St. Charles and Avenue Plaza Resort offer all the charm one would expect from the sound of the names, but are also conveniently located within walking distance of the routes of the most spectacular parades, such as Bacchus and Orpheus.

    Venture further down the parade route, between Louisiana and Jackson, and you’ll come across a more family oriented area. Young local families and young adults will occupy most of the area. College freshman who are too afraid to get drunk in front of their visiting parents will carry around a flask, usually filled with Captain Morgan. In this area, float riders primarily throw to their friends and family, in order to save throws for later in the parade.

    Between Jackson and Lee Circle are a variety of locals. Hipsters, food cart vendors, and grumpy bike commuters who didn’t leave work early enough to avoid the congestion. The locals are relaxed and enjoying locally brewed Abita beer. The float riders begin to panic that they didn’t buy enough throws to last until the end of the parade, and they get conservative. New Orleans hotels on this part of the parade route are close to the action. Avenue Plaza Resort and the Prytania Park Hotel can offer an area of refuge for bathroom breaks and to rest your feet.

    If you prefer to be situated closer to downtown so you can easily access uptown and downtown on foot, The Hotel Modern (formerly Hotel Le Cirque) and Maison St. Charles are excellent choices for New Orleans hotels. All the parades you want to see will be within walking distance, and it’s an ideal way to situate yourself near all the excitement without jumping feet first into the middle of the French Quarter, just on the edge of crazy town. While this area will mostly be tourists exploring the area, you’ll still see a few courageous locals sporting their costumes and dancing in the streets. You can also explore the city’s central business district and enjoy food and cocktails at some fantastic spots. Float riders have now become so drunk, that they lose their inhibitions and begin tossing throws overboard.

    But wait — you say you came here because you couldn’t resist the call of Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras day? Well, Lord help you, but it’ll be interesting at the very least. As long as you don’t value sleep, you can stay right in the middle of the action at well-known New Orleans hotels like Royal Sonesta, Hotel Monteleone and W French Quarter. You won’t have to walk a few blocks to find the action if you stay here, as it’s more likely happening right outside the hotel, or possibly on your neighboring balconies. Be warned that this is the heart of the Mardi Gras debauchery, so be ready for anything.

    Whether you’re in need of New Orleans hotels uptown or downtown for your first time celebrating Mardi Gras, or you do it every year, there’s plenty to choose from. Just make sure you come prepared with a stomach of iron if you plan to keep pace with the locals!

    For more information on New Orleans hotels on the Parade Route, please see information below:

    Avenue Plaza Resort
    2111 Saint Charles Ave.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Hotel Monteleone
    214 Royal St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Maison St. Charles
    1319 St. Charles Ave.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Royal Sonesta
    300 Bourbon St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Royal St. Charles
    135 Saint Charles Ave.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    The Hotel Modern
    936 St. Charles Ave.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    W French Quarter
    316 Chartres St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Inn on Bourbon
    541 Bourbon St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Prince Conti
    830 Conti St.
    New Orleans, LA 70112
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    W
    333 Poydras St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Westin New Orleans Canal Place
    100 Rue Iberville
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Best Western
    3636 St. Charles Ave.
    New Orleans, LA 70115
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Doubletree
    300 Canal St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Sheraton
    500 Canal St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Harrah’s Hotel & Casino
    8 Canal St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    LaFayette Hotel
    600 St. Charles Ave.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Hilton Riverside
    2 Poydras St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Bourbon Orleans Hotel
    717 Orleans St.
    New Orleans, LA 70116
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Hotel Royal
    1006 Royal St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Prytania Park Hotel
    1525 Prytania St.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

    Parc St. Charles Hotel
    500 Saint Charles Ave.
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    NewOrleans.com Reservation Hotline: 1-855-639-6756

  • Why We Share: It’s Going Viral!

    Everyone out there is sharing and talking about the latest crazy thing they saw online.  “Did you see that video?” “Have you heard about that picture of [so and so]?”  We’ve all heard it.  We’ve all said it.  Viral sharing is so ingrained in our cultural subconscious that one may not even realize that this is just the beginning of 21st century marketing.

    Through websites such as YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg, Pinterest, and Facebook, we are seeing that average people, not just celebrities, are providing worldwide commercial and “niche” entertainment. Independent artists are getting their visions seen.  Video bloggers are getting their voices heard.  Little moments in life that would normally be forgotten are now being shared with the world.

    But this is not just for entertainment value anymore. It can be a new jumping off point for small to big businesses that provides the opportunity to create value and ROI through the means of social sharing.

    Just another Awkward Family Photo

    So let’s start with the simplest question: “why?”  Why is viral marketing spreading the way it is?  Why is it that some things explode with popularity while other things are left in the world of the blind?  Instead of going through a sociological breakdown of it all, let’s just keep it simple.

    1.   It’s Hilarious

    • Embarrassing Content – the worst human condition possible.  However it is always funnier when it happens to someone else.
    • Cute Content – Whether it be furry animals dancing, silly babies yapping, or an owl being petted.
    • Outrageous or Satire – Comedy skits such as Derrick Comedy and Shit Girls Say that delve into the absurdly funny.

    2.  It Can Connect

    • Political Content – Videos, blogs, or pictures that represent what side of the political line we fall under
    • Personal Content – What it’s like to go through a breakup, the struggles of quitting smoking, or being insecure about one’s image are quite universal and people can relate to it.
    • Religious Content – A sharing of spiritual beliefs in a world of a thousand religions. Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus received almost 12 million views in just 5 days.
    PostSecret allows people to share their secrets anonymously.

    3.  It’s Shocking and or Interesting

    • Shocking – Cars flipping on the interstate, old ladies hitting police officers, or rioters being maced.  Things that we don’t normally see that prove that this is no ordinary world.
    • Interesting – Whether it be scientific research like the marshmallow test, or the broadening of a subject matter, interesting topics can keep us deep into research for hours on end.

    So what does this mean for SEO?  Not only can a viral marketing piece entertain and have a mass audience buzzing,  it can be a great way to promote brand awareness and link sharing through authoritative sites.  By creating a share-worthy piece of content, companies can expect that more and more views can be achieved, thus placing their product or services deeper into the human awareness.

    “Did you see that video?” “Have you heard about that picture of [so and so]?”  So the next time you hear it, the next time you say it, ask yourself why.  What’s the last thing you shared?

  • 5 For Friday — Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend

    Google’s home entertainment foray: Why the Motorola deal may work – ZDNET
    With the acquisition of Motorola, Google is developing a home-entertainment system to take on Apple TV. Google has failed in this market before with Google TV. Google TV, to many users, was too much, too soon to succeed. Motorola has the technology in their already-existing cable boxes to help expedite this process. Will you try out this new software?

    Survey: People Largely Negative About Google’s Personalized Search Results – Search Engine Land
    In survey of 400 people to see what their thoughts were about Google’s personalized search tactics, 45% of the people surveyed said they would not like Google search results to be personalized at all. Would you prefer your results in an objective worldwide form, or should they cater to your history?

    Paid Search Ad Copy Auditing – Whiteboard Friday – SEOMOZ
    First-time Whiteboard Friday contributor Brian Rauschenbach explains how to optimize your ad copy on your paid search ads. Some great ideas from this video are testing shorter ad copy, creating multiple ads to compete with each other, and creating localisation to target certain cities.

    How to Take Advantage of Apple’s Rise to Mobile Market Dominance – Search Engine Watch
    With consumers using fewer and fewer personal PC’s, mobile marketing is considered the next big thing to many experts. By 2014, mobile Internet usage will overtake desktop internet usage. Can Apple’s iAd service get it together to start making money like Google is pulling in on the Android platform?

    What is your SEO Social Signals Strategy? – Imedia Connection
    Krista LaRiviere goes over how important social signals are to get Google to see your content as relevant. Social signals include Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+. Fresh content published to these platforms will improve this strategy.

  • Why You Want to Claim Your Business on Google Maps: An Object Lesson

    Recently, I decided that life would be simpler if I got a Mohawk — but a nice Mohawk, one carefully mown and primped into shape by a professional.  I looked up my options with Google maps. This way, I could see where the salon my friend recommended me was located, how far it was out of my daily route, and what other closer options were. Google Maps gave me a pincushion map of the New Orleans area, and I started browsing each salon along my route from work to home.

    Some listings had scant information and required me to turn to a Yelp page for the pertinent information. It’s not a huge inconvenience, but really, there aren’t many reasons you shouldn’t claim your business on Google Maps and fix up the listing with all the basic information. Most people turn to this tool for directions from point A to point B, and many take it for granted that whatever they need to find in the world will somehow be notated accurately on there already.

    For example, Osama Bin Laden’s Hideout got its own little thumbtack on Google Maps’ canvas almost instantly its location was revealed to the public (yes, Google finds everything). Its corresponding Places page, though not a business, has acted as the Internet’s gathering point to gaze upon the building in question and post roughly 1600 snarky reviews about its interior and past owner.

    However, if Osama’s hideout had been a business of inviting snipers to give their best go at him, he would have had a tough time getting any visitors to his locale.  Here is a side-by-side comparison of what his location tag looks like compared to a bonafide business listing.

    comparison

    Three things to note. First, Osama’s hideout does not have his street address listed. This would make (and did) him very hard to find. Second, he has no contact information. How would potential customers ever know his business hours or rates? They can’t even visit his website, since that is the third thing he does not have listed.

    If Osama had felt like optimizing his search results, he would have probably endeavored to go through the admittedly involved process of claiming his business on Google Maps.  The effort is worth it, since most people looking for a business will inevitably want to know your location and get driving directions. Might as well make it convenient for your potential clients before they even set foot through the door.