News and Analysis
Jump of 0.1 in Five-Star Review Averages Can Make the Difference on Conversion
When customers are looking for a quick fix and do not intimately know the shops around them, star-rating averages are crucial. A new report by location-based marketing firm Uberall indicates they are so influential in consumer decision-making processes that a mere 0.1-point jump in a store’s average rating can increase its conversion rate by 25%.
How Can Brands Capitalize on Google’s Latest Ads Update?
Almost a month has passed since Google officially killed its ‘average position’ metric. The metric was retired on September 30, and marketers using Google Ads have been encouraged to transition to using ‘prominence metrics’—made up of the search top impression rate and search absolute top impression rate—instead. Google’s announcement was designed to give brands the opportunity to update their strategies before the average position metric was axed to hopefully make the transition a seamless process.
To understand how that transition is actually working in the real world, and how brands are adapting to the change from one metric to another, we connected with Walker Sands Digital’s Ryan Sorrell. A digital marketing expert with experience deploying competitive content analysis for B2B clients, Sorrell shared his thoughts on how Google’s decision to axe the average position metric will impact brands going forward and which new opportunities are at play as Google shifts its sights toward automated bidding strategies.
Report: Text Messages, Online Chat Essential Channels for Businesses
More than 70% of US consumers polled in a survey commissioned by business messaging platform Quiq had engaged with businesses via text messaging or online chat two or more times in the previous month.
That should be a signal to businesses that email and phone are no longer sufficient; messaging will be key to survival for consumer-facing businesses of the future.
Latest Posts
Leader of Reuters Institute’s Bleak News Report: ‘We Can Do It’
A recent report had mixed emotions about the future of community news. So should publishers despair, or is there promise of sunlight behind the lowering clouds? We spoke with Nic Newman, digital strategist at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and author of the report, to find out more.
Sponsored Content: Enterprise Totally Trounces Hertz in a Battle for Local Marketing Presence
Vehicle rental companies Enterprise and Hertz battled their branding strategies in a Brand Battle that analyzed data accuracy, local search and advertising, reviews, and social engagement. In an industry where service can make all the difference to customers who are often stressed and rushed, Enterprise influenced its consumer base in positive ways, supporting loyalty and growth…
Street Fight Daily: The Location Data Sharing Boom, Google Enables Call Campaign Attribution
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Marketers Don’t Need Pokémon Go to Track You: Inside The Location Data Sharing Boom… Google Empowers Businesses to Establish Attribution for Call Campaigns… Uber Rival Gett Enjoys a Lift from Brand Filter on Hot App, Prisma…
5 Self-Serve Platforms for Location-Based Mobile Campaigns
Although there’s still debate within the ad tech community over whether SMBs are best served by self-serve platforms, the demand is certainly there. With limited budgets and a strong desire to get the most bang for their buck, local business owners are searching for self-managed advertising and marketing solutions.
Street Fight Daily: Zenreach Emerges from Stealth with $50M, Uber Partners with DigitalGlobe
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… WiFi Startup Zenreach Emerges from Stealth with $50 Million and Peter Thiel on its Board… Uber is Partnering with a Satellite Imaging Company to Help Drivers Find You… IBM’s Watson and Macy’s Team Up to Make In-Store Shopping Assistant…
Survey: Many Opportunities to Connect Local Media With National-to-Local Marketers
National brands and retailers remain wedded to traditional media and marketing for their local branches, franchises, and resellers. However, they are increasing their spending on digital channels, and over half of them feel it’s important to associate their campaigns with local media and content.
Streets Ahead: Google Chat, and Instagram Reels