Getting noticed is one thing, but getting people to purchase your products is another. However, for most marketers the old saying, ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity’ still holds true. It may be associated with something negative, but if it gets the attention it is craving then it has succeeded.

This is seen nowadays through the way that many companies will now advertise their products using adverts which rely on annoying people to make their products more memorable.

However, what you have to ask if you use this tactic is whether the people who remember the advert will actually turn into customers. Even if everyone is talking about your advert, if no one is buying the product then what have you achieved?

The whole point of marketing is to remind the viewers that there is a purchase that you want them to make. You can annoy them to get your point across and to make it memorable, but this should be combined with a mention of the benefits of your product to encourage them to purchase it.

If you have ever been onto an online forum then you may know about trolls. These are users of forums who go out of their way to get into arguments with other users and then vanish.

If your advert is a troll then you should do something about it, otherwise you will be irritating a lot of people and getting no benefit from it yourself. If you go down the pester power route, then at least make sure that you get some reward for your efforts.

Thanks for reading – Now please let me know what you think?

1. The new layout puts greater emphasis on Google user reviews as opposed to third party user reviews.

Thought: Makes sense, logical evolution, of course Google want to push their own wheel barrow.

2. Implemented easy to see 'Write A Review' button.

Thought: again, logical given focus on Google user reviews, encourage people to use the Google interface to leave their thoughts, over other directories.

3. Removed Citations at the bottom of the page.

Thought: Not ideal, but it's not make or break. Encourages you to continue working to build the overall authority of your website but keep getting other 3rd party appearances, so Google continues to recognise your business domination online.

4. Description & Working hours has disappeared.

Thought: The one certainty in life is change. Google has stopped showing this info. So be it, it's their bat and ball.

Keyword Phrase
People often ask, whether to put the keyword phrase in the title...or not.

We have made a number of listing and I am not seeing it as an issue. That does not mean it will or will not become an issue, but right now as long as it relates to the business, then Google appears to be allowing it.

For example, search for 'Dentist Leeds' (UK) and take a look at the listings there.

Search for 'Dentist Chicago' (US). And 'Dentist Sydney' (Aus) and you will see listings in the top 7 with the keyword phrase.

These changes are not major, in how it affects your ability or your businesses ability to get into the 7 pack.

But watch out for more changes once the mighty G gets started with this sort of thing they often have a few more tricks up their sleeve.

The Basics Still Hold True
Build authority for your website(s), build a quality experience for your sites visitor and your listing will hold firm.

A simple thing you could do immediately, is to ensure that the title of your website reflects the keyword phrase you are targeting in Google Places.

Showing consistency in Google's eyes is of massive importance. Make sure your website and your Google Places listing are both singing from the same sheet.

One last tip!
We've noticed an increased in incidence of 'anomalies' meaning listings that are showing that they are 100% complete, no negative message from Google, yet they are not showing.

If after several weeks, you are still experiencing this. We have found that deleting and starting again with the listing can be the best bet to get it fired up again.

However, despite the fact that advertising on the Internet is so important, you cannot deny that it is also getting very crowded. This makes it increasingly difficult to find space to get your products and services seen by your customers.

In short, it’s getting harder to let them know that you exist.

For this reason, you should focus some of your efforts on creating a solid offline marketing strategy. Whatever size your business, it is important that you can promote your product offline as well as online.

However, financial limitations will usually affect the way that you set about achieving this.

Some larger companies have no problems because even if the Internet were to disappear overnight they would be able to afford to pay for advertising in newspapers and on television. However, many companies cannot take advantage of such opportunities.

So what more can you do? Plaster flyers up around your home town? You may find in this case that you are carrying out an illegal activity which isn’t going to help anyone. Should you post flyers through doorways? It might get your brand some visibility, but many people discard such flyers as soon as they see them, so maybe it won’t help much.

So instead you will need to use your imagination and get creative with your offline marketing. You need to focus on catching the attention of your target customers in a way that will encourage them to check out your product.

The trick is to make yourself visible in a positive way without managing to annoy them at the same time. Of course that is easier said than done, so it’s a good idea to spend some time coming up with a good tactic rather than spending all your budget on in something that’s just not going to work.