Episode 518 CopyWriting With Todd Jones Once Piece Of Content You Need

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Show Summary

The SDM show, featuring Rob Cairns and Todd Jones, underscores the critical importance of readily available contact information for small businesses. This “NAP” data, encompassing name, address, phone number, email, and social media links, should be prominently displayed on websites, especially on mobile versions, above the fold and in the footer for ease of access. The speakers emphasize the importance of ensuring consistent NAP data across all platforms, including Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, and other relevant directories. They suggest that businesses ask new clients how they found them to focus marketing efforts. They urge business owners to treat a complete and consistent contact block not as an extra, but as an essential element of successful local SEO and brand-building. Finally, they advise businesses to include schema markup on their websites for enhanced search engine visibility of their contact information.

Show Notes

This is a great discussion between Rob Cairns and Todd Jones about the importance of NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) for local businesses. Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways:

Why NAP is crucial:

• It’s the most important content: People often visit a website specifically to find out how to contact a business. Making your NAP prominent fulfills this need immediately.
• Mobile-first: With a large percentage of users browsing on mobile devices, having a clickable phone number and easily accessible address is essential for capturing leads.
• Consistency is key: Ensure your NAP is consistent across your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, and other relevant directories. This builds trust and improves your local SEO.

Beyond the basics:

• Include everything in your contact block: Don’t forget email addresses, social media links, and hours of operation.
• Location, location, location: For brick-and-mortar businesses, prominently displaying your address helps customers find you quickly.
• Ask customers how they found you: This valuable information helps you understand which marketing efforts are most effective.
• Consider schema markup: This helps search engines understand your business information, further boosting your local SEO.

Additional tips:

• Prioritize user experience: Don’t make users hunt for your contact information. Place it above the fold and in the footer.
• Leverage Google My Business and Bing Places: Keep these profiles updated and consider linking your Bing Places profile to your Google My Business profile to save time.
• Don’t forget other directories: Yelp, HomeStars, and industry-specific directories can be valuable sources of leads.

By following these tips, local businesses can improve their online visibility, attract more customers, and ultimately grow their business.