Several people have said we don’t explain very well what SearchStation is and what it does for you. We try to on our features and benefits pages. But if those don’t satisfy you, might we suggest changing the frame of reference. We would argue that we do explain plenty, but when you believe one thing, its hard to grasp something that contradicts what you believe.
So here is a little Q&A that might help overcome that impediment (answers below):
Q1: Do you believe you are aware of your website’s performance in local search*?
Q2: Do you believe, by using Google (Search Console, Analytics, Keyword Planner) instead of 3rd party tools, that you are getting adequate and accurate analysis of your local search performance?
Q3: When foot-traffic or sales decline, do you have a way to determine if it is because your Internet visibility has declined?
Q4: If you suspect your website visibility has declined, how do you determine what is causing it?
Q5: Do you believe you don’t need to pay for a service that provides complete visibility of your website(s) Internet performance?
Q6: Do you believe there is another, better way to get accurate local search performance reporting?
Answers
- A1: The truth is, no one knows how well their website(s) perform(s) in local search. The only exception (and you would indeed be exceptional) if you took the time to sit in a target location, and with your mobile device, perform searches for each keyword that is important to your business. Now you’ll need to record each listing on each page. Then compile those results in order to determine who your real competition is in this location. Then you’ll need to do this with some regularity in order to detect trends. You’ll need to compare those results over many weeks (and from other locations) in order to detect any sudden change in your competition’s search rank. That’s right, because 90% of your Internet visibility problems are not due to a problem with your website, but due to something that your competition is doing to their website – that suddenly causes their website to outperform yours in local search.
Thats is what SearchStation does for you.
- A2: The truth is, Google gives you data that they want you to have. This may be news to you, but Google is not your friend or guide. Google is a business that makes more money dependent on your ignorance of your website search visibility. You will not get location specific data from Google. Thats why they provide an Average Position for keyword queries in GSC -> the average position is not from one location, its from all locations – could be from the other side of the planet. What good is that when your customers won’t drive more that 50 miles to visit your location? (but they might give that “average position” to-kinda-mislead-you to the conclusion that you need to spend more on PPC. Ya think?)
SearchStation is your ‘ignorance-be-gone’ tool.
- A3: Most people do not first consider that a decline in sales or foot-traffic is a result of changes to their website’s Internet visibility. Usually only after eliminating all other brick-n-morter possibilities, do they consider that the answer might be search related. That is primarily because checking your website visibility online is not easy. Its also because you need tools for that. Which tool? And then most of those tools are cumbersome to use, with steep learning curves and do not provide clear reporting to specifically detect “why local foot-traffic or sales have declined?”.
It only takes a minute with SearchStation.
- A4: Most people simply have nowhere to go for that answer. SearchStation will tell you.
- A5: What is the cost to your health and productivity in stress, worry, lack of sleep that results from not knowing where to look or what to do when sales decline? Time means money. Nothing valuable it free. etc.
You say there are cheaper/free tools! Seriously? Cheap-free tools are usually too inaccurate, usually not up-to-date, and often report only simple metrics. They are simply not appropriate for serious business purposes.
- A6: Please let us know. We’d like to hear about it. Seriously!
Otherwise, we hope we have overcome the impediment that prevents you from understanding what makes SearchStation different, how it ultimately saves money in real world circumstances, and why its a valuable tool to any local businesses serious about their marketing. We look forward to giving you a demo.
*Are you a global or national business which targets customers from more than 100 miles away? (Unless you are a franchise, you are likely in the wrong place : SearchStation is probably not a product you need)