Franchise SEO Strategy
Franchise SEO Strategy
Customers are increasingly making their decisions based on what they see on Google and Yahoo. A business with a good search engine ranking will have more visitors to its Web site and hence greater success. Many companies rely heavily on paid campaigns to get desired results. But managing these campaigns can be expensive and time consuming.
An effective method to increase your ranking on search engines is through Search Engine Optimization. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" (organic) search results.
Franchising is a business model in which many different people can open a branch of the parent company. A parent company allows these owners to use the company's strategies and IP; in exchange, the franchisee pays an initial fee and royalties based on revenues. Franchising allows a business to grow geographically.
However for franchise organizations to be successful online they need to be aware of digital media marketing and SEO techniques. Planning an SEO strategy for a franchise organization is usually very different when compared to a single company SEO strategy. The parameter that drives this is "locations" because a franchise organization could have hundreds of locations worldwide.
Here are some SEO points to keep in mind
a) Some franchise organizations like to have a single corporate web site and list all franchisee locations on the website. The main advantage of a single corporate site is that a company has complete control and any SEO effort focuses on a single site. However we recommend that franchise organizations allow their franchisees to have individual local websites. This has an added advantage because it will help both to achieve higher ranking locally and nationally.
b) Geolocation SEO is vital for franchise owners. Most franchisees are location specific. So by having a local and individual website they can expand their local reach. Every franchisee should ensure that they are listed in local directories.
c) By having a local website it becomes easier for local owners to integrate social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc . It also becomes easier to engage users at a local level which generates more trust.
d) Franchisees can have their listings on major local search engines like Google, Yahoo!, Meta Search Engines, CitySearch, Yelp, Internet Yellow Pages (superpages.com, yellowpages.com etc..)
e) The parent franchise organization will benefit by using the power of multiple location specific websites from a SEO and brand awareness angle.
According to comScore's Local Search Usage Study, (as reported by Clickz) "69% of consumers are more likely to use a local business if it has information on a social networking site." 22% contacted a business after finding them on a social network and 67% of those consumers went on to make a purchase.
Since many franchise organizations want to have complete control now it is possible to monitor what the franchisees are doing online using some of the below tools
Engage121 : Engage121 provides marketing and communications professionals with social media and public relations software solutions.
Engage121 is an integrated social media monitoring and engagement application that helps businesses identify and respond to conversations in valuable ways. Engage121 includes components to monitor, engage, and evaluate all communications across multiple social media networks and blogs.
Engage121 has a service specially designed for national brands with local franchises.
Valuevine - The leading social media software for franchises and retailers. Valuevine's marketing software and services help enterprise retailers and franchises easily create and manage multi-location marketing programs over social networks and location-based services
Expion - Expion provides Enterprise Social Media Management Software that manages multiple social profiles to monitor, communicate, and engage customers. After the holiday in Mauritius Hotels, Three Couples Got Engaged A Trip to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur External Building Inspections In Australia Annuity A Big Financial Backup For Retirees Holidays in Cape Town Memorable Holidays At Cape Town Internal Builders Inspections In Australia The Unmistakeable Charm Of Rajasthan Tours Avoid the rush and start planning Christmas deliveries early Water Conservation In Australia Save Money While You Shop For The Festive Season Picking The Perfect Christmas Gift--nike Basketball Shoes How Do You Know About Christmas