Our Strategy

We are focused on local search solutions and believe that our technology is well-positioned to provide a solution to the issues faced by Internet users and content publishers in their use of the Internet, which we believe can increase their search engine results pages (“SERP”) position for searches conducted within a certain proximity of their business’s core operating location. One of the challenges faced by SMBs is that around 81% of local searches are unbranded, which means that consumers are looking for a product or service but do not have a specific brand in mind, thus making highly ranked local products and services important. It is anticipated that mobile searches will influence around US $1.8 trillion in sales by 2023.

The goal for many content publishers (i.e., business owners) is for their own website or other online presence solutions to appear in the first SERP for related keyword searches. For example, a plumber may want to feature in searches where the keywords are “hot water systems” or “leaking tap.” Accordingly, a website’s keyword ranking is very important because the higher a website ranks in the SERP, the more likely Internet users will view the website. Given that more than 90% of all websites receive zero organic traffic and a further 5% receive less than 10 visits a month, the value of having an online presence optimized for search engines is self-evident.

Where a business can achieve more than one result in a SERP this is likely to lead to more calls, map views, requests for directions or form fills. This means the business can be expected to acquire more leads, which could generate more revenue. The importance of ranking well in an organic search is emphasized by the fact that around 97% of consumers that search online will search for local business.

Search engines, like Google, have developed a series of algorithms to determine what content is best served for a particular keyword search. While search engines do not publish specific details about how their search algorithms operate, SEO is the method used to increase the likelihood of obtaining a high ranking (ideally first page) for relevant keyword searches. One market example that demonstrates performance was when a Yellow Pages online directory company provided GMB Local Ranker with listing data for a services business in a major US region. GMB Local Ranker utilized the same data as the Yellow Pages business listing and within less than 30 days, the GMB Local Ranker powered landing pages were ranking higher than the Yellow Pages listing using specific service and location keywords.

A common SEO strategy involves paying an advertising fee to a search engine to appear in keyword search results. Google Ads (formerly Adwords) is an example of such a program. The major disadvantages to a business of implementing such a strategy are cost, complexity and a behavioral phenomenon coined “banner blindness,” which describes the phenomenon of users having learned to ignore content that resembles ads, is located in close proximity to ads, or that appears in locations traditionally dedicated to ads.

Given the challenges with paid advertising, there are a number of widely accepted SEO principles that can be applied to websites to positively influence search results. We have determined that there are eight key factors, what we call the “8S Factors,” which, when implemented collectively, we believe create a compelling local search solution. The “8S Factors” can be broken down into three core categories, in each of which we believe we have a competitive advantage in the market: