Summary

Our Sprint #48 focused on a few smaller, maintenance-related updates.

Details

Translations
This release represents the kick-off an effort to extend the platform translations to cover the recently releases enhancements. We started with the Dashboard and Performance modules and will work through the balance of the sections over the course of the next few releases.

We're committed to providing multi-lingual experiences for clients throughout the world. Several additional languages will be added in Q4.2023.

Yelp Code Updates
Our friends at Yelp made a platform change recently that caused an issue with the indexing of reviews for some locations. This update keeps the reviews flowing.

Image Management, out of Beta
Recent updates to our processes for image and video management have progressed to the point where we're comfortable removing the beta designation for the Image Management Module.

Apple Business Connect
LocalClarity has passed the next validation stage with Apple. The Development team is now working to send initial data files (both listing details and media assets) along our path for full listing control.

Miscellaneous Bug Fixes
A number of small issues were addressed to solidify user experiences across modules.  

What's Next

The team is already working on Sprint #49 updates for new account administration controls, Apple Business Connect, a Facebook API update, translations, customer reporting options, and new review sources. As always, let us know you your wish list at support@localclarity.com.

Summary

LocalClarity has implemented an update to our Google attributes list in order to incorporate the new "Pets" attribute recently introduced by Google. This enhancement now empowers businesses to specify their pet policies in terms of indoor and outdoor dog accessibility.  

Details

Google's newest attribute, "Pets" allows businesses to express their pet policies comprehensively, detailing whether dogs are allowed indoors, outdoors, both, or none. LocalClarity's system seamlessly syncs with Google to gather and present this information to your clients and display it with the following badge on your Google Business Profile: 

This update guarantees that clients have the means to stay current with the latest attributes introduced by Google, this time, surrounding their businesses pet accessibility. 

What's Next

As Google continues to introduce new categories and attributes, LocalClarity will continue to assess, adapt, and integrate them into our platform.

If you have any questions about this update or how it applies to your LocalClarity experience, feel free to reach out to us at support@localclarity.com- we're here to assist!

Summary

LocalClarity is excited to roll out multiple quality of life enhancements in our Sprint #47. 

Details

Quality of life updates include:

Real-Time Review Notices for API Reviews: We've taken real-time review monitoring up a notch by expanding our exception handling. Now, if Google fails to trigger an intra-day notice trigger we can pick up the details in the overnight API processes. This exception handling is place for both Reports and Automations. 

Keyword Request Downloads contain StoreCode: Our keyword download data now includes a StoreCodes column. If you have multiple locations with similar names, this addition streamlines data analysis and saves you valuable time.

Improved Review Synchronization, Including Deleted Reviews: To provide a comprehensive view of your online reputation, we've enhanced our review synchronization process to include deleted reviews from the App Store and Play Store. This improvement complements our existing Google review synchronization, allowing you to keep track of your removed and updated reviews. 

What does this mean for you? If you have review synchronization turned on, LocalClarity will reindex your reviews every month to tag those that have been removed from Google but kept in our system for your visibility. We will also reindex reviews monthly to show you which of your business reviews have been updated since their original posting. We are excited that this feature is now inclusive of the App Store, Play Store, and Google Business Profile. 

And on the backend, we're working on: 

Apple Business Connect Integration: We're actively integrating with the Apple Business Connect API. This step in the process of bringing Apple Business Connect into LocalClarity is pivotal in ensuring your data flows seamlessly. 

Dashboard Improvements: We're rolling out enhancements to both our main account Home Screen and throughout your user experience. 

AWS S3 Security Compliance: Your security and your businesses security is paramount. Our commitment to staying up to date with the latest online security measures and data protection updates underscores our dedication to protecting your info.  

What's Next

If you have any further questions about any of these updates or any current efforts, feel free to reach out to us at support@localclarity.com- we're happy to help!

Summary

All users can now download the set of local search keywords Google used to trigger local listing and map exposure for all profile locations for the past 18 months.

Background

This feature greatly expands the capability of teams to identify which keywords are (and aren’t) generating local search and map exposure on a consistent basis. Importantly, the data is organized into monthly buckets so it's ready for historic and seasonal trend analysis of the actual keywords.

Details

The data download includes the following columns: 

• PlaceID
• Month
• Year
• Location Name
• Full Address
• Count of keyword usage for the month and location*

These columns offer a comprehensive snapshot of key details associated with the provided keyword data. 

To access your unique search keyword data, navigate to "Data Downloads" within your settings module. You can filter by month, as shown below:

The date selectors are set to Calendar months to make it easy to select the time range. It's important to note that the downloads might be substantial in size due to the nature of the data being provided. The number of rows expected will be the number of unique keywords, for each month, for each location.

For example, a business with just 10 locations might expect to trigger a data download of 36,000 rows (10 locations x 200 keywords * 18 months). An enterprise with 500 very active locations might trigger a file with 4.8 million rows (500 x 600 x 18). Depending on your data capabilities, users should explore a few months worth of data before triggering a full-history download.

*One data quirk to understand is that Google inserts a numeric placeholder for low-volume search counts for a specific location. The smallest number that Google presents for a specific term is 15 in order to limit the ability for any businesses to combine data points that might identify an individual searcher. 

What's Next

We're thrilled to be expanding into the full Local SEO space by the addition of these keywords and have already begun the process of creating new in-platform reporting that allows for immediate analysis.

If you have any further questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us at support@localclarity.com.

Summary

Several enhancements have been released today to what was previously known as our Local Insights module in order to better align with Google's current Performance data set, add new data points for each location, and set the stage for aggregate reporting in an upcoming release.

Background

Google updated its Local Performance reporting data set in February 2023 to add granular visibility to desktop vs mobile views. At that time, LocalClarity was updated to present the new information.

Unfortunately, Google also decided to remove daily metrics for searches, post views and clicks, and images views and clicks. Instead of simply removing the data from accounts, the platform continued to provide access to all historic data points. This update refreshes the tables and charts to present current Performance reporting KPIs.

Details

This update encompasses several changes to enhance the performance reporting for brands of every size: 

Chart Updates
The Local Performance charts now focus on the current data sets.

Depreciated Google Data
We've removed the deprecated data from Google, including daily local searches volume, Google Posts views and clicks, brands image views, and public image views.

New Google Data
We now provide granular visibility to the new metrics insights for the different impressions for each local listings:

MSearch - the number of impressions the location received in the time range on a Google local SERP on a mobile phone.

MMaps - the number of impressions received on Google maps on a mobile phone.

DSearch - the number of impressions on a Google local SERP via a standard web page presentation.

DMaps - the number of impressions received on Google maps via a standard web page presentation .

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Positive Word Ratio

You will now see your positive word ratio (displayed with the icon #) for each location. This unique KPI shows the ratio of the word count contained within 4-star and 5-star reviews versus the total word count in all the reviews over a specific period. This metric quantifies the potential impact of customer comments (not just ratings) on future purchase decisions - both negatively as positively.

Local Conversion Rate (LCR)
This metric is quite possibly the most important KPI you aren't tracking. LCR calculates the productivity and efficiency of your listing in converting views to actions, such as site visits, directions, and phone calls. LCR typically ranges from 1% to 5%, and provides a vital metric for monitoring and measuring your listing's ability to drive user engagement.

Your Local Conversion Rate is calculated through the following formula: Total actions / Total impressions 

- Total actions include driving directions, phone calls, and website visits. 

- Total impressions encompass Maps-mobile, Maps-desktop, Search-mobile, Search-desktop, as well as legacy views in maps and search (if you look for data prior to February, 2023).

What's Next

We are very excited about what's next for Local Performance reporting. First, we will be providing new aggregate tables so users can compare Performance at the group level similar to the current geographic breakdown. Second, we will be adding a Sentiment analysis column to the table.

If you have any further questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us at support@localclarity.com.