It’s a simple question but is often left unanswered on a website’s FAQ page, services page and in Google. One of the first items we look for in a local search optimization audit is a menu of services. It helps define your competition, keyword targets, categories in Google and your secret sauce.

Some businesses such as an auto repair shop have a menu of services with 30 unique items. Other businesses are much more selective. One of my clients is a German auto repair business that only works on BMW, Audi and Porsche and no Mercedes!

Whether you offer a handful of services or a smorgasbord, clearly define how customers can buy from you. Be specific, what you offer and how you sell to make you different from the competition and improve search visibility!

One of Globe Runner’s clients is a private school. Which at first glance appears to only offer standard student enrollment. However, after a conversation, we discovered a summer camp, after-school programs for the community, virtual/extended classes, and driver’s ed.

Once You Define Your Services, Simplify and Publish

Menus

Drop your services into a worksheet. Write a title and a short description of no more than a few sentences. Boil down what you offer so it can be listed in a menu. Whether you are a restaurant or a real estate agent, a dedicated menu page on your website or a section within the service page are important. Important, because Google My Business (GMB) is allowing more categories of local businesses to link to a menu URL.

Even if you don’t see the option in your GMB dashboard, simplify your menu because it can help Google and customers better understand your business.

FAQ Pages

Frequently asked questions could be a section on your service page or a dedicated page if you have a lot of Q&A. It’s an area to define what you do, don’t do and the attributes of those services.

Attributes are also available in GMB for managers and owners. Browse the info section, because attributes are appearing for more local businesses. As an example, auto dealerships have the option of certified pre-owned vehicles and new vehicle purchases.

For all local businesses, Google has added a Women-Led highlight feature. While this is the only attribute available for some types of businesses, expect Google to expand this in the near future. In the meantime, plan ahead and think of attributes. Do you offer same day service? Is there a fee for an estimate or quote? Break down the common questions your team hears and answers at the front desk and put it on the website.

Another area to publish Q&A is directly in the knowledge graph of your business. Now available below reviews, Google questions can be posted and answered by the business manager/owner.

As an example, for a surgery clinic, we work with, questions help define the insurance, conditions, and treatments offered. Simply log in as the manager to you GMB account. Go to Google and post a question, it should have your business logo listed. Next, answer the question and voila. You have published FAQ’s directly into your knowledge graph.

Service Pages

The final necessity for a local business that is defining services, is a service page on the website. Service pages should clearly define a menu or link to a menu of services. Go more in-depth on each offering and include testimonials, case studies, and rich media to sell your service!

Next, publish your services directly into Google My Business. Available for owners of a GMB listing, a services section was added in April of 2018. If you don’t see a service menu, you likely aren’t an owner of the GMB listing, being a manager doesn’t cut it!

It isn’t clear as of June 2018, where the service menu will display or be published. Currently, it isn’t showing on a desktop or mobile phones in Google Maps or searches. However, giving Google more information about your business is positive. It will likely display on mobile devices as an extra tab in the knowledge graph.

Note: This was Globe Runner’s 2015 April Fool’s prank.
Contrary to popular belief, Matt Cutts never actually left Google.
You can read more about this on our follow-up post, here.

Matt Cutts and Bill Hartzer from Globe Runner

Globe Runner is pleased to welcome our latest employee, Matt Cutts, as Director of Search. Mr. Cutts, a well-known authority in Search and former head of Google’s Web Spam team, will join Globe Runner effective April 1, 2015.

Cutts brings 15 years of experience in search and is a well-known, respected thought leader in search strategy, search quality, and web spam. Mr. Cutts has been very vocal about search during his tenure at Google. As the lead liaison to webmasters and website owners, he has appeared at numerous search industry conferences, including SMX West, and Pubcon. Mr. Cutts has also appeared in numerous Google Webmaster videos.

Before joining Google, Matt Cutts worked on his Ph.D. in computer graphics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has an M.S. from UNC-Chapel Hill, and B.S. degrees in both mathematics and computer science from the University of Kentucky.

Matt Cutts joins Globe Runner in its holistic approach to digital marketing clients across various marketing channels such as search engine optimization, paid search, social media and email marketing. “I’m honored to have joined a very skilled and experienced international team that delivers valuable digital marketing services to its clients. It’s very refreshing to see an agency where the clients are the number one focus,” said Cutts.

Eric McGehearty, CEO of Globe Runner, states, “Matt’s extensive experience not only includes fighting web spam at Google, he understands the various search engine algorithm ranking factors. While we don’t expect Mr. Cutts to help our SEO team game the Google algorithm, he will be heavily involved with training our current SEO staff. Going forward, we will continue to focus on SEO best practices, and Matt will be a big part of this effort. Combined with his search knowledge, Matt has been active on social media channels such as Twitter, which will help him consult on client accounts that have search and social media accounts.”

Mr. Cutts had the following to say about joining Globe Runner: “I have been in the search industry for several years, and, after a lengthy period of time away from Google, the internet, and social media, I felt it was time for a change. While I have enjoyed my time at Google, by joining an industry-leading Search agency, I felt that I can make much more of a difference in the search industry over the long run.”

If you are interested in working with us here at Globe Runner, feel free to use our contact page on the site.

For more than forty years the June Shelton School and Evaluation Center, a center famous for its unparalleled curriculum, dedicated its resources and highly trained staff to helping those who learn differently engage and empower themselves for the future. By doing this, they encouraged all students with learning differences, such as dyslexia, to work toward a common goal and reach educational milestones successfully.

Among its staff are various Alumni including the reputable entrepreneur and Globe Runner CEO Eric McGehearty, a man who proudly credits a large portion of his success to the time he spent studying with the professional staff of the Shelton School. As a means to give back some of that amazing success he gained from attending this school, Eric, along with his SEO and online Marketing Company, decided to once again represent the amazing talent found at Shelton School.

During this event, parents and guests are invited to see some of the Shelton School’s best artists showcasing their work. Among the pieces to be shown, expect to see artists of all age groups and backgrounds, as well as a variety of learning differences. Through differences come unique perspectives, and guests might just leave with a renewed sense of wonder.

The student showcase begins on Monday, February 20^th and will run until Friday, February 24^th. On opening night, Monday, February 20^th, parents are invited to come see the talent of their children and their children’s classmates firsthand.

In total, roughly 20 art pieces of all mediums will be viewable at Gallery 550, located inside Globe Runner’s Addison office. This is only the second time in the school’s history that students will show in one of Addison’s few art exhibits, as well as the city’s second business and gallery combination.

“As a sculptor and MFA graduate of the University of North Texas, supporting and encouraging future artists is as close to my heart as the Shelton School itself,” Eric says, “The goal of Gallery 550 was always to make meaningful contributions to the Addison community through art. I’m so pleased to have found a way to support both the community at large as well as the invaluable work and enormous talent of the Shelton School.”

Linda Kneese, Head of Shelton School, says, “The arts are a very important part of the education students receive at Shelton.  We are proud to be able to highlight their talents in this show.”

About Globe Runner

Globe Runner is an Addison, Texas based search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing and digital advertising agency. It has over 60 local, national and international B2C and B2B clients in consumer-packaged goods (CPG), beauty, credit repair, fashion, healthcare, home and interiors, jewelry, legal services and sports. Globe Runner sits on the boards of the Dallas Fort Worth Search Engine Marketing Association (DFWSEM) and the Social Media Club of Dallas (SMC Dallas). The agency’s staff and work have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Adweek.

About June Shelton School and Evaluation Center

The June Shelton School and Evaluation Center was founded by Dr. June Ford Shelton in 1976. It has since grown over its 40 years into an international demonstration, resource and research center. With a staff of almost 250 the Shelton School serves close to 915 students with learning differences, including dyslexia and related disorders. The school provides specific instruction/remediation for students in pre-school (3 years of age) through 12th grade in a supportive and nurturing atmosphere. Drama, music, art, library and PE/athletics enhance the total school program.

Shelton’s Evaluation Center provides psycho-educational assessments for clients from the Dallas area and beyond. The Teacher Education department provides teacher training in a variety of programs including SEE, Alphabetic Phonics, the Association Method and Montessori Applied to At-Risk students. Other private services offered at Shelton include Occupational Therapy and Sensory Integration and Social Skills Therapy. Both services are provided through Integrative Pediatrics.

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, gratitude has been on my mind a lot lately. While the list of things I am grateful for is extensive, working with amazing, local companies run by incredible people is pretty high on the list. I wanted to take a little bit of time out of my day to say thanks to one of our partners here at Globe Runner, so I made my way to Old World Stoneworks.

Old World Stoneworks is a pioneer in the cast stone fireplace mantel industry that began in Dallas over twenty years ago. Yellow, red, and brown leaves lined the streets of the gorgeous Vickery Place neighborhood on my drive there. General manager Mike Jung and his company have a breathtaking storefront that displays what you should expect when ordering a cast stone fireplace mantel with them.

I got a chance to sit down and talk with Mike about some of the exciting projects him and his company recently wrapped up. Their artisan stonework was featured on the long-running home improvement show “This Old House” on PBS, and the episode will air this season. The showrunners reached out to Mike about installing one of their fireplaces for the house in Arlington, Massachusetts they were renovating. Another exciting development is a partnership with La Madeleine to do cast stone fireplace mantels for some of their locations such as the restaurants in Austin and Fort Worth.

One of the collaborative efforts between Old World and Globe Runner was the updated platform of their website. They sought to make it more retail friendly and Mike told me, “We are excited from a business perspective to see how e-commerce does” in 2017 and beyond.

Old World prides itself on designing and creating their mantels locally. The production of the fireplaces are all done in the Dallas suburb of McKinney. The passion for the product that the entire team shares was infectious. On days like these I can’t help but express how thankful I am thankful for the privilege to work with companies like Old World Stoneworks. I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving, too.

On Thursday, October 13, Globe Runner held its third official Gallery 550 exhibition at its Addison, Texas, offices and it was a resounding success.

Clients, members of the public and employee family and friends flooded into the office to see what artist Alejandro Castanon cooked up (the open bar didn’t hurt either). What they found were inspired, vibrant paintings depicting some of Dallas’ most iconic landmarks, from the Old Red Courthouse to the city skyline, as well as a host of pieces dedicated to musicians such as Amy Winehouse, The Beatles and Kurt Cobain.

Alejandro and the Globe Runner team decided the best way to spice up the event would be to raffle off a live painting. A portion of the proceeds from the raffle was donated to Breathe Boldness, a foundation created by Dallas Cowboy Joshua Thomas with the goal of feeding 100 million homeless people.

Alejandro and the Globe Runner team decided the best way to spice up the event would be to raffle off a live painting. A portion of the proceeds from the raffle was donated to Breathe Boldness, a foundation created by Dallas Cowboy Joshua Thomas with the goal of feeding 100 million homeless people.

Huechteman Photography

You represent your brand, but if your brand doesn’t offer anything to the public, you’re not likely to attract customers. It needs value. Fortunately, your brand most likely began with a good idea, and it can provide real value to clients. The trick is communicating that to your audience and being there, armed with credible information, when they need you most.

But how exactly do you do that? Here are a few things to consider when building brand value and customer loyalty.

• State what you do: Before you communicate what you do, you need to know it. Take some time to hash out what you truly offer and how it differs from the rest of the market. For example, if you own an ice cream parlor, you can state that you offer dozens of delicious daily flavors within a family-friendly environment. It shows both value and what sets you apart.
• Create real content: This is more than just mindless fluff or keyword optimized text. This means content that will be genuinely helpful to your audience. It should be meaningful and useful, and as a result—almost incidentally—it will show that you have the skills and experience to provide real solutions to your clientele.
• Be consistent: If your hodge-podge online presence could be safely compared to Frankenstein’s monster, you need to make some changes. Keep your branding and tone consistent across all platforms, both digital and real-world. This includes blogs, social media posts, videos, logos, website aesthetics, etc.
• Stay connected: Social media marketing allows you to connect with your audience in a way that has never before been possible. However, to reach its potential, it must be used correctly. Take the time to put out engaging posts that will get responses—then respond in kind to your audience. Staying actively engaged in relevant conversations can make a real difference and increase customer loyalty in a genuine, organic way–plus, if you are absent from the conversation, you aren’t very likely to hear what clients concerns, issues, and needs are.

Of course, these methods are all far more nuanced than they appear on paper. Online marketing specialists can help you build your brand, create real content, and stay connected. For the assistance you need, contact us today at Accelerate Online Marketing.

When trade show booths turn out just perfect

Last week we got an early present from our client National Trade Shows Displays: The new Globe Runner trade show booth. It will be making its debut at this month’s Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace trade show.

For anyone who’s ordering a booth for the first time or replacing their current one, we feel your apprehension. Choosing the right structure, then the right design, and then practicing dismantling and erecting it can be an intimidating exercise. Fortunately NTSD’s David and Cherie Ostermann (here flanking Globe Runner CEO Eric McGehearty) made the process easy and enjoyable. We have to admit the booth is making us pretty excited for the show.

We chose a 10 foot Coyote curved Pop-Up and, to stand out from other exhibitors, decided to go for a whimsical illustration as the backdrop. Hence this fun cow jumping over the moon, one of several illustrations commissioned from artist, illustrator and muralist Jen Carnes of Little Cloud Design.

Thank you National Trade Show Displays, for making this awesome booth. We promise to pack it up properly and not kink it or anything.

And thank you Jen, for this fab drawing. We think it captures the spirit of Globe Runner perfectly.

Globe Runner will be at the Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace event on June 28-29, 2015. Visit us at Booth 1210 if you are attending. Eric will also be speaking at the Technology Pavilion about how to get found on Google. Plus: Check out this infographic on Texas food that we created in honor of the occasion.

The Texas Restaurant Association’s annual Marketplace is one of the largest and most prominent food and beverage industry events in the Southwestern region of the United States. Over 300 exhibitors from the restaurant, food supply and food services sector will be at the trade show which will be held at the Dallas Convention Center on June 28 to 29, 2015.

Globe Runner will be exhibiting for the first time at Marketplace, and CEO Eric McGehearty will be speaking at the Technology Pavilion about how to improve your local search rankings. If you are at the event, do drop by our booth or attend Eric’s talks. We have a lot of experience in marketing, branding and SEO for the food and beverage sector, so feel free to pick our brains over these two days!

In the spirit of the occasion (and since Marketplace is making us think about food), we created this short infographic about Texan food stats and famous food brands. Feel free to share it or embed it in your own blog.

Okay all you doubters, here is Matt Cutts posing with the rest of the Globe Runner team.

Bet you didn’t think we could pull all these illustrious names to our humble agency. Fellow newcomer Darth Vader summed up this disappointment best: ‘I find your lack of faith disturbing’.

Seriously, we had no idea that Matt Cutts was a worldwide celebrity — until our site crashed on Saturday. Here’s a three-day snapshot of the traffic spawned by the infamous blog post which, by the way, was written by Bill Hartzer:

After we picked ourselves up off the floor seeing the 10K+ visits to a single blog post, we ran to check out where all this traffic was coming from. Based on that one blog post, here is a list of Matt Cutts’ top 10 fan bases worldwide:

1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Germany
4. France
5. India
6. Japan
7. Canada
8. Australia
9. Netherlands
10. Sweden

Twitter was the foremost social media contributor to this deluge of visitors at 25%.

Not everyone was impressed with our miraculous hiring of Matt Cutts. There was the ritual knocking of Texas:

Now now Gabriella, Texas happens to have great steaks and no income tax.

Blackhatters were divided. Some thought it was a good stunt.

Others: Nope.

Matt’s German admirers raised an eyebrow, but it was all good-natured.

Our Japanese friends, on the other hand, were horrified. Matt, you’ll have to buy a round of sake the next time you’re in Tokyo.

Perhaps two of the best comments came from Jill in one forum:

Jill could do with a cookie, don’t you think?

If you see the humor in this as much as we do, we’ll buy you a drink the next time you’re in Dallas. Thanks for joining what has been a mighty entertaining conversation (we’ve collected some of the best comments on Storify).

Check out more momentous news announced today, like Virgin moving its headquarters to Missouri, Samsung’s release of the first ever smart phone and smart knife in one, the Galaxy Blade Edge, and our newest employee’s launch of AutoSEO.