By Patricia Thibault
If there’s anything we can count on in the dynamic, digital world in which we live it’s CHANGE. At a recent northAmerican® Moving Services webinar, ChoiceLocal shared strategies for agents in response to recent digital trends. These strategies are helping our northAmerican partner clients stay relevant and dominant in their local markets. Here’s a recap:
Trend: Residential and Commercial search volume is the Inverse throughout the year
Residential Searches:
Commercial Searches:
Strategies: Agents can supplement revenue and retain key talent during the slow months by implementing strategies to drive commercial quote requests leading up to and during the slow season.
Trend: Lead Aggregators are Investing Heavily in Digital and are Driving up the Cost per Click
According to SpyFu research, moving industry aggregators are spending upwards of $185,000 per month in Paid Search (Pay-Per-Click/PPC). Aggregators then in turn sell leads to multiple agents. This heavy investment leads to increased Cost Per Clicks (up to $20 per click in some markets) and puts agents in competitive bid situations.
Strategies: Agents can self-generate and supplement current lead sources by implementing their own digital strategies. Strategies not only include Paid Search, but also:
- Search Engine Optimization
- Online Reviews
- Content Marketing
- Social Media
- Local Listings
- Online Reviews
Such self-sufficiency helps agents improve their brand recognition and minimizes competitive bid situations.
Trend: Google’s Possum Update
Google added another animal-themed update to their recent algorithm change: Possum. The main purpose of this update is to diversify and decrease the presence of spam in local search results (the map portion of search engine results pages). We are finding that many businesses are being filtered out of results, especially when they share an address or have a suite number. Also, the location in which the search is occurring is an important factor. Here you will find a good article written by Search Engine Land on the Possum update:
Strategies: Make sure your agency is properly listed across local listing sites (check for NAP consistency – Name, Address, Phone). Generate legitimate reviews, especially Google reviews. And simply put, be mindful to play by Google’s rules and stay on top of Google’s updates.
As Nido Qubien aptly said, “Change brings opportunity.” These digital marketing changes represent opportunities for agents to stay relevant and capture local market share. As your competitors sleep and ignore such trends, you can snatch away their lost opportunities.
About the Author:
Patricia Thibault manages Business Development at ChoiceLocal. She brings over 20 years of digital marketing experience to the table. She specializes customizing marketing programs which help Moving/Logistics companies and Commercial Cleaning companies dominate their local markets. Patricia’s hobbies include music (flute and blues harmonica), boating, fishing and working with her dog, Roscoe. Roscoe is the official goose abatement dog at their local community park.
