Besides those suffering from Covid-19, some the biggest impact is felt economically. And within that segment of economically-impacted entities, SMBs are near (or arguably at) the top of the list. The SMB portions of CARES Act funding (PPP program), look great on paper but are rife with red tape and executional failings.
Putting aside those forced to shut down — a worse fate — we recently had an on-air discussion of tactical measures for essential businesses that remain open. During a guest spot on the Small Business Digest podcast (embedded below), we had the chance to bat around SMB action items like updating dynamic business info.
We’re talking things like adjusted hours of operation, new service & fulfillment protocols (e.g. pickup only) and other “new-normal” SMB dynamics. Having this information updated is important in normal times, hence the robust chorus of narratives coming out of the local SEO world. But it’s even more critical now.
That’s mostly the case because more local searches are happening as local consumers rush to online outlets like Google to see when stores are open. In even more critical situations, information on things like drugstore hours of operation can help elderly and immuno-compromised individuals avoid peak store hours.
This makes updating info in all the right places more vital than ever. As we discussed on a recent webinar with Soci (see below), that includes Google My Business most prominently. But a common mistake is to sidestep other influential channels such as Yelp and Facebook. These local data sources shouldn’t be ignored.
Beyond the impact the Yelp and Facebook have in users accessing them directly, they’re likewise a source of data for Google. Presence and care on those channels can confer authority to Google, thus impacting rankings where they matter most. By “care” we mean things like responding to reviews and engaging users.
The discussion continues on the SBD podcast which you can hear below, starting at 28:30. As a bonus, we’ve included the aforementioned webinar from Soci and Localogy to unveil the Localized Marketing Benchmark Report. Like a lot of things, the report was initiated before the pandemic but gains outsized relevance now.
We’ll continue to monitor and report back on all of these topics as the story unfolds for Covid-19’s impact on local commerce and SMBs. Meanwhile, see all of our coverage to date here.
Small Business Daily Podcast Episode (start at 28:30)
Localogy Webinar: 2020 Localized Marketing Benchmark Reveal
