If you have been wondering why your Google Places analytics data has been light in November, it looks like there is a systemwide data evaporation across the Google network from November 20th thru November 27th.

I also have found this problem being discussed online on this Google support thread.  

This BUG impacts the month of November analysis so don't panic.  It looks like it has been fixed and data is being collected and reported.

This was actually discovered because we got a call from Alex Jefferson from Proctor Honda and it forced us to dive into the situation.  

Thank you Alex for alerting this problem and now we can advise the automotive community.

As much as I try to keep up with things pertaining to Google, any time someone sees something odd, please send me a note to:  brian@pcgdigitalmarketing.com . 

It's great when we all work together to solve what seems to be the greatest puzzle of all time:  Google.

Google Places In Your Digital Strategy

Google Places is a very important aspect of your Page One Defense (POD Score) as well as your online reputation marketing.  If you have not invested in merchandizing and optimizing your Google Places page, this is a wake-up call to get that done.

At the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference there will be specific workshops that cover Google Places optimization, Google Adwords Express, and In-Store Reputation Management processes which are connected with Google Places.  Don't miss the opportunity to stand out from local dealers during the Zero Moment of Truth.

Brian 

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences
Brian Pasch

If you have been wondering why your Google Places analytics data has been light in November, it looks like there is a systemwide data evaporation across the Google network from November 20th thru November 27th.

I also have found this problem being discussed online on this Google support thread.  

This BUG impacts the month of November analysis so don't panic.  It looks like it has been fixed and data is being collected and reported.

This was actually discovered because we got a call from Alex Jefferson from Proctor Honda and it forced us to dive into the situation.  

Thank you Alex for alerting this problem and now we can advise the automotive community.

As much as I try to keep up with things pertaining to Google, any time someone sees something odd, please send me a note to:  brian@pcgdigitalmarketing.com . 

It's great when we all work together to solve what seems to be the greatest puzzle of all time:  Google.

Google Places In Your Digital Strategy

Google Places is a very important aspect of your Page One Defense (POD Score) as well as your online reputation marketing.  If you have not invested in merchandizing and optimizing your Google Places page, this is a wake-up call to get that done.

At the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference there will be specific workshops that cover Google Places optimization, Google Adwords Express, and In-Store Reputation Management processes which are connected with Google Places.  Don't miss the opportunity to stand out from local dealers during the Zero Moment of Truth.

Brian 

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences
Brian Pasch

I want to thank Mario Murgado Jr. from Brickell Honda for sharing this latest update to Adwords formatting which he came across today.  

The ad, automatically populated Mario's gmail address in the form shown in the green box below. If he clicked the "Subscribe to Newsletter" button, his email would be sent to the advertiser.

Do you like this ad?  Do you think consumers will want to sign-up for a newsletter before visiting the Honda website?

I would like to get your feedback here on DrivingSales.

Keeping Up With Google

Is anyone else finding it difficult to keep pace with the changes that Google is rolling out each week?  Is their plan to have every marketing person talk about Google so Yahoo and Bing are no longer part of the discussion?

It's been a wild ride over the past few months with changes coming at a rapid pace, so stay tuned because Google is on a roll.  Speaking of changes, have you seen Google+ articles showing up in search results?

Google+ Posts In SERP Results

I was searching today and I saw Google+ posts from Toyota and my "Circle Name" posted in the SERP result for a search on the word "Toyota".

I had previously placed Toyota in the Circle called "Auto Trade", and since I was logged in, it showed me where that connection was categorized in my Google+ account.

Change is Constant So Your Strategies Must be Nimble

I've been writing on the latest updates in Google to keep the automotive community up to date with changes that can impact their digital marketing strategy.  

Don't forget that aside from reading this articles, you can get hands on training with industry experts at the 2012 DMSC and 2012 NADA Conferences in Las Vegas this February.

Invest in what it takes to stay ahead of your competition!   See you in Vegas.

Brian 

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences
Brian Pasch

I want to thank Mario Murgado Jr. from Brickell Honda for sharing this latest update to Adwords formatting which he came across today.  

The ad, automatically populated Mario's gmail address in the form shown in the green box below. If he clicked the "Subscribe to Newsletter" button, his email would be sent to the advertiser.

Do you like this ad?  Do you think consumers will want to sign-up for a newsletter before visiting the Honda website?

I would like to get your feedback here on DrivingSales.

Keeping Up With Google

Is anyone else finding it difficult to keep pace with the changes that Google is rolling out each week?  Is their plan to have every marketing person talk about Google so Yahoo and Bing are no longer part of the discussion?

It's been a wild ride over the past few months with changes coming at a rapid pace, so stay tuned because Google is on a roll.  Speaking of changes, have you seen Google+ articles showing up in search results?

Google+ Posts In SERP Results

I was searching today and I saw Google+ posts from Toyota and my "Circle Name" posted in the SERP result for a search on the word "Toyota".

I had previously placed Toyota in the Circle called "Auto Trade", and since I was logged in, it showed me where that connection was categorized in my Google+ account.

Change is Constant So Your Strategies Must be Nimble

I've been writing on the latest updates in Google to keep the automotive community up to date with changes that can impact their digital marketing strategy.  

Don't forget that aside from reading this articles, you can get hands on training with industry experts at the 2012 DMSC and 2012 NADA Conferences in Las Vegas this February.

Invest in what it takes to stay ahead of your competition!   See you in Vegas.

Brian 

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences
Brian Pasch

At times I feel like a newspaper reporter on the Google "beat" just trying to stay up with the latest changes in Google search, Google Places, Google paid search, and their social strategy.  

This week I noticed that Google is exposing the details of the Google Places listing on a search that matches the business name.

This is an important change that dealers and their marketing agencies need to understand.  There are MANY searches a month for a dealer's business name.

Why Care About This Change?

The audits I completed on hundreds of Google Places pages for car dealers show that over 50% are incomplete and many do not have photos, videos, and proper categories selected.  They are not merchandized properly.  It's like having a crappy ad in the Yellow Pages, back in the day when that mattered.

Dealers should login to their Google Places account to see that it is "100% Completed" and also that they have:

• - 5 standardized business categories (needed to optimize impressions)
• - 5 Videos (I recommend three testimonial videos)
• - 10 Photos (Not more than one photo of your building)
• - A Compelling business description on your Home Page META Description
• - Set The Proper Service Area Radius
• - Completed the additional details section of the listing.

Google Places SERP Display

Red Box

In the example above, the basic address, phone number, and reviews are listed in the red box.  I will not rehash the importance of reviews and their impact on direct referral traffic.  Increase your review counts and traffic will increase.   

Your goal should be to have at least 100 more reviews than any competitor in your market.  The more you differentiate your Google Places listing from your peers, the more clicks your listing will receive. 

Green Box

The green box now expands the visibility of the photos that have been loaded on the Google Places listing.

This change should be an immediate call to review your photos.  I do NOT recommend that you load up photos of your building or your OEM logo.  Load photos of HAPPY people getting delivery of cars, your staff, and any photos that draw the consumers to click through to your website.

Orange Box

The orange box lists reviews on 3rd party websites and in this format, the reviews have high visibility.  Once again I will remind business owners that they need to have a comprehensive review strategy that covers the 3rd party websites that appear on Page One or in Google Places as a summary.

For this dealer, they should be actively managing reviews on Insiderpages, Dealerrater, and SuperPages since they are highly visibile on Google Places when a consumer searches for their dealership name.

Google Places Directory Listing Changes

Google has also changed the way it lists businesses on Google Page One.  For example, I did a search for "Toyota Dealers" with my browser set for Plano Texas, and this is what was displayed:

This is a change from the old listing format that looked like this:

The new format also exposes more of the content on your Google Places page so your FIRST sentence in your Home Page META DESCRIPTION now plays a marketing call to action role in Google Places business lists.

Do, you know what this means.  Get to work on making sure that your Google Places data and listing is optimized for connecting with consumers during and after the Zero Moment of Truth.

Did you enjoy this update? If so, please share it and click on the +1 button below.  

And I hope to see many DrivingSales members at the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference just prior to NADA in Las Vegas. 

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences
Brian Pasch

At times I feel like a newspaper reporter on the Google "beat" just trying to stay up with the latest changes in Google search, Google Places, Google paid search, and their social strategy.  

This week I noticed that Google is exposing the details of the Google Places listing on a search that matches the business name.

This is an important change that dealers and their marketing agencies need to understand.  There are MANY searches a month for a dealer's business name.

Why Care About This Change?

The audits I completed on hundreds of Google Places pages for car dealers show that over 50% are incomplete and many do not have photos, videos, and proper categories selected.  They are not merchandized properly.  It's like having a crappy ad in the Yellow Pages, back in the day when that mattered.

Dealers should login to their Google Places account to see that it is "100% Completed" and also that they have:

• - 5 standardized business categories (needed to optimize impressions)
• - 5 Videos (I recommend three testimonial videos)
• - 10 Photos (Not more than one photo of your building)
• - A Compelling business description on your Home Page META Description
• - Set The Proper Service Area Radius
• - Completed the additional details section of the listing.

Google Places SERP Display

Red Box

In the example above, the basic address, phone number, and reviews are listed in the red box.  I will not rehash the importance of reviews and their impact on direct referral traffic.  Increase your review counts and traffic will increase.   

Your goal should be to have at least 100 more reviews than any competitor in your market.  The more you differentiate your Google Places listing from your peers, the more clicks your listing will receive. 

Green Box

The green box now expands the visibility of the photos that have been loaded on the Google Places listing.

This change should be an immediate call to review your photos.  I do NOT recommend that you load up photos of your building or your OEM logo.  Load photos of HAPPY people getting delivery of cars, your staff, and any photos that draw the consumers to click through to your website.

Orange Box

The orange box lists reviews on 3rd party websites and in this format, the reviews have high visibility.  Once again I will remind business owners that they need to have a comprehensive review strategy that covers the 3rd party websites that appear on Page One or in Google Places as a summary.

For this dealer, they should be actively managing reviews on Insiderpages, Dealerrater, and SuperPages since they are highly visibile on Google Places when a consumer searches for their dealership name.

Google Places Directory Listing Changes

Google has also changed the way it lists businesses on Google Page One.  For example, I did a search for "Toyota Dealers" with my browser set for Plano Texas, and this is what was displayed:

This is a change from the old listing format that looked like this:

The new format also exposes more of the content on your Google Places page so your FIRST sentence in your Home Page META DESCRIPTION now plays a marketing call to action role in Google Places business lists.

Do, you know what this means.  Get to work on making sure that your Google Places data and listing is optimized for connecting with consumers during and after the Zero Moment of Truth.

Did you enjoy this update? If so, please share it and click on the +1 button below.  

And I hope to see many DrivingSales members at the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference just prior to NADA in Las Vegas. 

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences
Brian Pasch

You may have seen this button on a Google Places page when you attempted to write a review for a business while you were not logged into your Google account.

Up until recently, if you didn't have a Google account you could not post a review on Google Places.  Inside sources are saying that this is going to change!  Read current policy.

For business owners, the current policy meant that only about 25% of their happy customers could post an in-store review if they were asked to share their positive experience online.  

The Google Places App simplifies review collection right at the point of experience for Google account holders but it left many people unable to participate.

In the automotive industry, Google Places is the #1 free source of referral traffic for car dealers.  Our busiest automotive clients have Google Places listings with over 40,000 impressions a month with the average around 15,000 impressions a month.

Properly configured and merchandized Google Places pages drive thousands of clicks per month to the dealer's primary website.  Google Places is an important part of a digital marketing strategy; it is the yellow pages meets consumer reports.

Change In Review Posting Policy

A respected industry source has started telling clients that Google will drop the gmail account requirement and allow anyone to post a review.  

This change, according to this source, will be happening over the next week.

What does this mean for Google Places?  What does this mean for third party review platforms? 

In the automotive industry there are popular platforms that include Dealerrater.com, PrestoReviews.com, and CarDealerCheck.com so what will this change mean for them?

I will have a follow-up article on how this change, when confirmed, will impact 3rd party review platforms.

When this change is confirmed,  it will be a great opportunity for business owners and especially car dealers who have strong customer service processes and have implemented iPads in their store for review collection.

Of course, you don't need an iPad to post a review, any device can be used for Google Places; this was confirmed recently by Scott Falcone with an email from the Google Places team.

Don't Put Your Review Eggs In One Basket

When Google changes their review posting policy to allow non gmail accounts, I still recommend that business owners spread out their posts to the review website that are dominant in their market on Google Page One.

I especially want business owners to identify existing YELP users because Apple's Siri assistant uses Yelp.com reviews in listing local businesses.  

If you have not tested this feature, ask Siri on your Apple 4s this question: "Chevrolet Dealers" and you can see the output Siri gave me in New Jersey.

I also recommend business owners use review platforms that allow the business to own their review content.  These platforms allow business owners to syndicate reviews on their blogs, websites, and even to create custom profile pages for the sales professionals.

A solid reputation marketing strategy must acknowledge that many review sites can impact buyers during the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) and thus you can't just focus on Google Places.

However, if this change in policy is confirmed this week, this will be a big boost for Google Places relevance.   Dealers who want to increase traffic to their website can focus on increasing their total reviews on Google Places.

It will also allow Google to better monetize the Google Adwords Express program which allows business owners to run ads with their current review counts, as shown below for Norman Jeep Chrysler Dodge in Oklahoma City.

These special Adwords Express ads really stand out from the normal Adwords ads and they have some very interesting ROI, which I will cover at the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference in Las Vegas, Feb 1-3rd.

So I'll keep you posted when we can get an official response this week to this insider tip.

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

You may have seen this button on a Google Places page when you attempted to write a review for a business while you were not logged into your Google account.

Up until recently, if you didn't have a Google account you could not post a review on Google Places.  Inside sources are saying that this is going to change!  Read current policy.

For business owners, the current policy meant that only about 25% of their happy customers could post an in-store review if they were asked to share their positive experience online.  

The Google Places App simplifies review collection right at the point of experience for Google account holders but it left many people unable to participate.

In the automotive industry, Google Places is the #1 free source of referral traffic for car dealers.  Our busiest automotive clients have Google Places listings with over 40,000 impressions a month with the average around 15,000 impressions a month.

Properly configured and merchandized Google Places pages drive thousands of clicks per month to the dealer's primary website.  Google Places is an important part of a digital marketing strategy; it is the yellow pages meets consumer reports.

Change In Review Posting Policy

A respected industry source has started telling clients that Google will drop the gmail account requirement and allow anyone to post a review.  

This change, according to this source, will be happening over the next week.

What does this mean for Google Places?  What does this mean for third party review platforms? 

In the automotive industry there are popular platforms that include Dealerrater.com, PrestoReviews.com, and CarDealerCheck.com so what will this change mean for them?

I will have a follow-up article on how this change, when confirmed, will impact 3rd party review platforms.

When this change is confirmed,  it will be a great opportunity for business owners and especially car dealers who have strong customer service processes and have implemented iPads in their store for review collection.

Of course, you don't need an iPad to post a review, any device can be used for Google Places; this was confirmed recently by Scott Falcone with an email from the Google Places team.

Don't Put Your Review Eggs In One Basket

When Google changes their review posting policy to allow non gmail accounts, I still recommend that business owners spread out their posts to the review website that are dominant in their market on Google Page One.

I especially want business owners to identify existing YELP users because Apple's Siri assistant uses Yelp.com reviews in listing local businesses.  

If you have not tested this feature, ask Siri on your Apple 4s this question: "Chevrolet Dealers" and you can see the output Siri gave me in New Jersey.

I also recommend business owners use review platforms that allow the business to own their review content.  These platforms allow business owners to syndicate reviews on their blogs, websites, and even to create custom profile pages for the sales professionals.

A solid reputation marketing strategy must acknowledge that many review sites can impact buyers during the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) and thus you can't just focus on Google Places.

However, if this change in policy is confirmed this week, this will be a big boost for Google Places relevance.   Dealers who want to increase traffic to their website can focus on increasing their total reviews on Google Places.

It will also allow Google to better monetize the Google Adwords Express program which allows business owners to run ads with their current review counts, as shown below for Norman Jeep Chrysler Dodge in Oklahoma City.

These special Adwords Express ads really stand out from the normal Adwords ads and they have some very interesting ROI, which I will cover at the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference in Las Vegas, Feb 1-3rd.

So I'll keep you posted when we can get an official response this week to this insider tip.

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

I had an great call today with a successful car dealer that was spending over  $150,000 a month on cable TV for three same brand stores in one state.    

Their three store budget had no allocation for PPC, Retargeting, Chat, Reputation Management, Video Marketing, or  Mobile Marketing.

The dealer is leading his market and is profitable so his internal processes and execution are outstanding. This dealer was passionate and a refreshing pleasure to speak with today.

The TV commercials he designed branded the names of the dealerships and their current promotion. The dealer principal has set his TV budget to be omnipresent and it seems that he has achieved his goal for high frequency Cable TV messaging.

Opportunities For Continued Success

The dealer did not see the need to have PPC ads, marketing videos, or retargeting banners in front of consumers during their online ZMOT shopping research.  

I felt that this was an opportunity he was missing for continued and sustainable market leadership. I had a lot of convincing to do..and at times the conversation was heated.  

Why would a successful dealer need to change anything?

One part of the answer is that consumers use broad keyword searches, that are not easily optimized by SEO, paid search (optimized for conversion) should be a part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.  

Paid search campaigns should include specifically designed mobile ads and strategies. Retargeting leverages the existing traffic generated by years of stimulus, brand recognition, and amplifies your PPC investments.  

Since this dealer believes in constant name recognition, retargeting banners are the digital equivalent to offline branding. 

Chat is a great tool to allow consumers to engage in a communication channel that they prefer.  Leaving chat off a website minimizes the ROI of stimulus investments.

Great Stimulus Does Not Pave a One Way Road

Stimulus for new and used car sales is constant in the USA.  When a consumer is ready to purchase a car, there is no lack of stimulus on TV, Radio, and print.  

Stimulus will always be needed, however the bigger question is should the dealer by doing it?  And if so, is the budget sufficient to achieve the needed frequency to be effective.

Successful digital marketing strategies have to acknowledge that consumers go to the Internet to research and prepare before they contact a dealership.  

A TV commercial is just one influence of many that drive consumers to look into a particular brand, model, dealership. No matter how strong a TV campaign is designed, it will not bypass the Internet ZMOT process for most people.

No matter how many times a dealer's name is broadcast on TV, consumers do not limit their searches to the dealership name.

A dealer with a strong stimulus investment must have an equally strong digital presence during ZMOT.  If not, competitors will leach off that stimulus for their own benefit.

Dealers need to be omnipresent during ZMOT which includes great online reviews, compelling video assets, social engagement, great website content, and even paid search ads.

It is no surprise that dealers who are heavy on stimulus and light on ZMOT investments can be successful and a market leader today.  

The bigger question is whether that is sustainable.

The good news is that we negotiated a budget for some of the recommended digital strategies which is a great opportunity to build a partnership of success based on testing and measurement.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

I had an great call today with a successful car dealer that was spending over  $150,000 a month on cable TV for three same brand stores in one state.    

Their three store budget had no allocation for PPC, Retargeting, Chat, Reputation Management, Video Marketing, or  Mobile Marketing.

The dealer is leading his market and is profitable so his internal processes and execution are outstanding. This dealer was passionate and a refreshing pleasure to speak with today.

The TV commercials he designed branded the names of the dealerships and their current promotion. The dealer principal has set his TV budget to be omnipresent and it seems that he has achieved his goal for high frequency Cable TV messaging.

Opportunities For Continued Success

The dealer did not see the need to have PPC ads, marketing videos, or retargeting banners in front of consumers during their online ZMOT shopping research.  

I felt that this was an opportunity he was missing for continued and sustainable market leadership. I had a lot of convincing to do..and at times the conversation was heated.  

Why would a successful dealer need to change anything?

One part of the answer is that consumers use broad keyword searches, that are not easily optimized by SEO, paid search (optimized for conversion) should be a part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.  

Paid search campaigns should include specifically designed mobile ads and strategies. Retargeting leverages the existing traffic generated by years of stimulus, brand recognition, and amplifies your PPC investments.  

Since this dealer believes in constant name recognition, retargeting banners are the digital equivalent to offline branding. 

Chat is a great tool to allow consumers to engage in a communication channel that they prefer.  Leaving chat off a website minimizes the ROI of stimulus investments.

Great Stimulus Does Not Pave a One Way Road

Stimulus for new and used car sales is constant in the USA.  When a consumer is ready to purchase a car, there is no lack of stimulus on TV, Radio, and print.  

Stimulus will always be needed, however the bigger question is should the dealer by doing it?  And if so, is the budget sufficient to achieve the needed frequency to be effective.

Successful digital marketing strategies have to acknowledge that consumers go to the Internet to research and prepare before they contact a dealership.  

A TV commercial is just one influence of many that drive consumers to look into a particular brand, model, dealership. No matter how strong a TV campaign is designed, it will not bypass the Internet ZMOT process for most people.

No matter how many times a dealer's name is broadcast on TV, consumers do not limit their searches to the dealership name.

A dealer with a strong stimulus investment must have an equally strong digital presence during ZMOT.  If not, competitors will leach off that stimulus for their own benefit.

Dealers need to be omnipresent during ZMOT which includes great online reviews, compelling video assets, social engagement, great website content, and even paid search ads.

It is no surprise that dealers who are heavy on stimulus and light on ZMOT investments can be successful and a market leader today.  

The bigger question is whether that is sustainable.

The good news is that we negotiated a budget for some of the recommended digital strategies which is a great opportunity to build a partnership of success based on testing and measurement.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch