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You are here: Home / Archives for Blog

Unlocking Your Google Business Profile’s Secrets: The Power of Knowing Your CID

Last Updated: March 26, 2024

In the digital age, where your online presence is as crucial as your physical storefront, managing your Google Business Profile (GBP) has become an indispensable part of your marketing strategy. But there’s a small, often overlooked detail in the vast sea of digital identifiers that could hold the key to a smoother, more efficient management of your GBP: the Customer Identification Number, or CID.

Illustration that represents, in an abstract manner, the complexities of maintaining a Google Business Profile

What is a CID (in relation to Google Business Profile)?

The CID is akin to a digital fingerprint for your business on Google Maps. This unique identifier is not just a string of numbers; it’s a vital tool for troubleshooting and enhancing your business’s visibility on Google. Despite its significance, many business owners remain unaware of their own CID, mainly because Google does not readily disclose this information. Understanding and accessing your CID can empower you to swiftly resolve issues, such as missing reviews, by providing Google Support with a direct way to pinpoint your listing.

The Power of MapTrax

Imagine being able to proactively manage your Google Business Profile, safeguarding it against suspensions, unnoticed changes, and the myriad challenges that can emerge in the digital realm. That’s where Prospect Genius’s innovative solution, MapTrax, comes into play. MapTrax isn’t just about monitoring; it’s about giving you control and insight into your GBP like never before.

By logging your CID and keeping a vigilant eye on every aspect of your profile, MapTrax acts as your digital sentinel. Whether it’s changes to your business name, URL, phone number, or address, or even the threat of suspension, MapTrax alerts you at the first sign of trouble. This not only prevents potential penalties from Google but also ensures that your online advertising campaigns continue to drive momentum, unhampered by avoidable setbacks.

MapTrax embodies the adage, “forewarned is forearmed.” In a landscape where digital presence can make or break a business, having a tool that provides such comprehensive oversight is invaluable. It’s like having insurance for your online identity, one that saves you time, money, and the headache of navigating Google’s complexities on your own.

In conclusion, understanding your Google Business Profile’s CID and the broader dynamics of your online presence is no longer just an option—it’s a necessity for thriving in today’s market. With MapTrax, Prospect Genius offers you a solution that not only demystifies your CID but also provides a robust framework for managing your GBP efficiently and effectively. Take control of your digital footprint and ensure your business’s prosperity with MapTrax.

The Ultimate Guide to Removing Fake Reviews From Your Google Business Profile

Last Updated: March 26, 2024

Navigating the murky waters of online reviews can feel like an uphill battle for many business owners. In the digital age, a single fake review on your Google Business Profile can significantly impact your reputation, deterring potential customers and affecting your overall star rating. Recognizing and dealing with these fraudulent critiques is crucial, yet the complexity of Google’s review management system often leaves businesses in a bind.

A small business being threatened by a dark cloud full of stars, representing falsified online reviews

The Hidden Impact of Fake Reviews

Fake reviews, whether spawned by competitors or disgruntled individuals, carry a weight that can unjustly tarnish the hard-earned reputation of your business. The authenticity of your online presence is paramount, as it directly influences customer trust and decision-making. With the vast majority of consumers turning to online reviews to guide their choices, the stakes have never been higher.

Identifying the Culprits

The first step in reclaiming your online reputation involves the meticulous identification of fake reviews. This requires a keen eye for detail, as fraudulent reviews often hide in plain sight among legitimate feedback. Signs of a fake review may include vague language, an absence of specific details about the customer experience, or a reviewer you cannot recall ever serving.

The Path to Removal

Once a suspicious review is spotted, the journey to its removal begins—a journey fraught with challenges. Google provides a channel for disputing reviews, but the process demands a thorough understanding of their policies and a persuasive argument for why a review should be considered fake. This path is not for the faint-hearted; it is complex, often opaque, and can feel like navigating a labyrinth without a map.

Why Tackle It Alone?

The intricacies of dealing with Google’s review system can be daunting. For business owners already juggling the myriad tasks of day-to-day operations, adding the role of online reputation manager can be overwhelming. This is precisely where a service like Google Review StarSaver shines, offering a beacon of hope to those navigating these troubled waters.

Graphic showing hands doing CPR on a heart, surrounded by stars. Text reads: Google Review Star Saver

The StarSaver Advantage

Google Review StarSaver emerges as your vigilant guardian, expertly identifying, disputing, and removing unwarranted reviews that mar your business’s online facade. Our team, armed with an intimate understanding of Google’s review policies and a track record of successful interventions, stands ready to defend your reputation. We delve into the complexities of review management so you can focus on what truly matters—growing your business and providing exceptional service to your customers.

In the digital marketplace, your online reputation is an invaluable asset. The battle against fake reviews is ongoing, but with expert assistance, it’s one you don’t have to face alone. Google Review StarSaver offers a comprehensive solution, providing peace of mind and allowing you to concentrate on the aspects of your business that only you can handle. It’s time to secure your online legacy and ensure that your Google Business Profile reflects the true quality and integrity of your service.

Streamline Your Email Marketing Efforts with EmailStream: A Game-Changer for Small Businesses

Last Updated: February 27, 2024

In today’s digital age, small businesses face the constant challenge of staying connected with their customers amidst a sea of competitors. Email marketing remains a vital tool in this endeavor, offering a direct line to your audience’s inboxes. However, the complexity of creating compelling content, assembling campaigns, and scheduling sends can be daunting. This is where Prospect Genius’s EmailStream steps in, offering an innovative solution that streamlines the entire email marketing process, making it more efficient and effective.

A minimalistic landscape illustration that represents a small business sending out a steady flow of emails. The scene includes a small, stylized business establishment on the left, with a stream of paper airplanes representing emails flowing out from it towards the right.

The Power of EmailStream

EmailStream is not just another email marketing tool; it’s a comprehensive service designed with small businesses in mind. It understands the unique challenges you face and offers a seamless solution to engage your customers without overwhelming your schedule. Here’s how EmailStream can benefit your business:

  • Simplified Email Creation: With EmailStream, the daunting task of crafting engaging email content becomes effortless. Propsect Genius’s team of highly experience copywriters will take on the task of creating compelling emails that resonate with your audience.
  • Efficient Campaign Assembly: Gone are the days of juggling multiple tools to assemble your email campaigns. Once your email content is ready, we will build the campaign on your behalf, fully optimized to net you maximum engagement. This not only saves time but also ensures consistency across your campaigns.
  • Automated Scheduling: Keeping up with the optimal sending times can be a puzzle. EmailStream’s automated scheduling takes the guesswork out, ensuring your emails reach your customers when they are most likely to engage.
  • Enhanced Customer Engagement: At its core, EmailStream is about building and maintaining a connection with your customers. By providing a streamlined way to communicate, it helps small businesses keep their audience informed, engaged, and interested in what they have to offer.

Why EmailStream is Essential for Small Businesses

In an era where personalization and engagement are key, EmailStream provides small businesses with the tools to tailor their messages and build meaningful relationships with their customers. It offers a way to regularly update your audience about new products, services, and promotions, keeping your brand top of mind.

Moreover, EmailStream’s efficiency in managing email campaigns frees up valuable time and resources. Small businesses can redirect these towards other aspects of their operations, fostering growth and innovation.

In conclusion, EmailStream by Prospect Genius is more than just an email marketing service. It’s a partnership that empowers small businesses to harness the full potential of their email marketing strategies, ensuring that every campaign is a step towards greater customer engagement and business success. Embrace the future of email marketing with EmailStream and watch your business thrive.

SEO Audit Tools Are Mostly A Scam

Last Updated: February 23, 2024

Our customers often inquire about the results of a free SEO audit tool they’ve utilized on their website. Usually, these audits report numerous issues, from improper setup to sluggish performance, all demanding immediate attention. The way that these tools present their insights with an authoritative tone often convinces users that they are all indeed valid concerns. However, the strategies that these tools use are not always honest. The underlying issue normally lies in the tool’s maker, driven not by altruism but by a profit motive. Their strategy is clear: they attempt to overwhelm their users with data, and then offer to fix the myriad of perceived problems for a fee.

These experiences with our customers have lead us to be skeptical of these tools by default. As a way to better understand these experiences, and in an attempt to provide you (our readers) with some relevant insights, we decided to delve into three of the most popular free SEO audit tools available online. We ran the same website through each tool and meticulously compared the results. Here’s what we discovered: Not only did these three audits fail to concur on the overall assessment of the site, but they also contradicted each other on fundamental points. If these reports are to be trusted, one would expect them to agree on basic and easily quantifiable metrics like, for example, the presence of an SSL certificate.

You can read our detailed review of each report on these previous blog posts:

  • SEOptimer
  • SEO Site Checkup
  • SEOmator

Here are some of the glaring contradictions we uncovered:

Overall Grade

While one might assume these tools would provide somewhat similar evaluations, our findings were quite the opposite. This suggests that rather than objective assessments, these reports reflect subjective opinions.

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOmator

Report from SEOmator

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEO Site Checkup

Report from SEO Site Checkup

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOptimer

Report from SEOptimer

 

Use of HTTP/2 Technology

Despite being adept at detecting specific text or tags, these tools couldn’t even agree on the presence of basic metrics like HTTP/2.

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOptimer

Report from SEOptimer

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOmator

Report from SEOmator

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEO Site Checkup

Report from SEO Site Checkup

 

HTTPS Redirect / Use of SSL

Detecting whether a site renders on HTTP or HTTPS is a straightforward task. Yet, these tools couldn’t reach a consensus on this fundamental feature.

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEO Site Checkup

Report from SEO Site Checkup

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOptimer

Report from SEOptimer

 

Title Tag and Meta Description Length

Determining the optimal length for title tags and meta descriptions isn’t an exact science. While there are recommended character limits for display purposes, exceeding them doesn’t necessarily render the content ineffective. This discrepancy underscores the subjective nature of these tools’ assessments.

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOmator
Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOmator

Report from SEOmator

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEO Site Checkup

Report from SEO Site Checkup

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOptimer

Report from SEOptimer

 

Canonical Tag

Despite the simplicity of detecting the existence of a canonical tag in HTML, these reports couldn’t agree on its presence.

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEOmator

Report from SEOmator

Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEO Site Checkup
Screenshot of SEO audit report from SEO Site Checkup

Report from SEO Site Checkup

 

In conclusion, while these SEO audit tools may offer insights, their accuracy and reliability are questionable. Relying solely on their assessments could lead to misguided decisions. It’s essential to approach such tools with a critical mindset and, when possible, seek expert guidance to ensure the best outcomes for your website’s SEO strategy.

SEO Site Checkup: A Valuable SEO Audit Tool or Another Sales Pitch?

Last Updated: February 23, 2024

SEO Site Checkup offers an intriguing approach to website analysis, spotlighting both strengths and areas where its methodology may not fully serve the average business owner’s needs.

A simplified landscape-oriented scene of a person standing in front of a large, abstract representation of a computer screen displaying various SEO factors as simplified icons (e.g., gears for technical SEO, magnifying glasses for keyword research, and charts for analytics). The person is thoughtfully examining the screen, holding a magnifying glass to look closer at specific icons, symbolizing discernment in choosing SEO strategies.

For this evaluation we used https://rainbowplumbingnj.com/ and the tool is located here: https://seositecheckup.com/analysis. You can view the PDF of the report here.

Here’s an overview based on specific sections of its report:

Poor

  • HTTP/2 Utilization: Conflicting reports on HTTP/2 usage suggest inaccuracies in the tool’s analysis, indicating a potential oversight.
  • Distorted Images Advisory: Flags a non-existent issue of distorted images as a priority, despite no evidence on the site, highlighting a misdirected focus.
  • “Rel=noopener” or “rel=noreferrer” Advice: This detail, while technically sound, is overly minute and unlikely to significantly impact site performance.
  • HTML Page Size Concern: Marks the site down for exceeding a seemingly arbitrary data limit by 20.89kb, a difference imperceptible even on slow connections. This casts some doubt on the test’s relevance.
  • Page Objects Count: Criticizes modern websites for having over 20 resources, not considering the common use of CDNs, which doesn’t align with current web practices.
  • CDN Usage Recommendation: Questions the necessity of CDNs for all sites, ignoring cases where direct hosting may suffice, especially for sites with unique visitor profiles.
  • Render Blocking Resources Critique: This common fail point for many websites, including major ones, suggests an unrealistic standard for most, particularly WordPress sites.

Fair

  • Meta Title Test: The advice to limit title lengths to 70 characters is noted but overstated. Exceeding this limit with less crucial text doesn’t harm SEO, but the way that SEO Site Checker’s test displays this information makes it seem more important than it really is.
  • Keywords Cloud Test: Lacks substantial value, serving more as an aesthetic filler than a practical SEO tool.
  • Responsive and Alt Image Tests: This test highlights minor issues without specifying the quantity in which these issues occur, which makes it difficult to actually gauge the severity of the issue, or formulate a plan to fix it.
  • Load Speed Metrics: Essential metrics like First Contentful Paint are undervalued by their placement in the report. This strikes us as a poor choice, because these insights color how other metrics will be evaluated,  and therefore, prioritizing these metrics could better guide optimization efforts.

OK

  • Issues to Fix Section: The concept of highlighting high-priority items is commendable, yet its execution falls short by not accurately prioritizing the most impactful fixes for optimizing inbound leads.
  • Social Media Test: Grants a pass for merely linking to Facebook. We find this to be a more pragmatic approach than other online SEO analysis tools we’ve reviewed. However, the direct impact of a business’s social media activity on their website’s search engine rankings is questionable, calling the relevance of this text in to question.
  • Image Metadata Test: Delves into detail with image metadata optimization, a task not immediately crucial for beginners but valuable for deep optimization.

Great

  • Common SEO Issues Section: Showcases meta title and description evaluations directly, offering a transparent and helpful view that is easy to understand.
  • Google Search Results Preview: The visual representation of how information appears in Google search is an excellent tool for illustrating the impact of meta tags.
  • Most Common Keywords Test: Provides a nuanced explanation of keyword relevance, moving beyond simple density calculations to more sophisticated analysis.
  • Keyword Usage Test: Delivers actionable insights on keyword placement. We particularly like how this test focuses on genuinely relevant keywords.
  • Site Loading Speed Test: Highlights site speed as a critical performance factor. This is a crucial inclusion for comprehensive SEO analysis.
  • URL Canonicalization Test: Addresses common missteps in URL management and ensures users are aware of best practices for canonicalization.

We find that SEO Site Checkup’s approach offers some valuable insights, but also risks overwhelming or misleading users with the way it prioritizes and interprets some SEO factors. We think it could be more effective if it took a more holistic approach, analyzing the entire  website as opposed to only one page. We’d also like to urge our readers to be skeptical of the upsell prompts utilized in this report. Like navigating an auto repair shop’s recommendations, discernment is key to identifying truly beneficial SEO strategies.

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