Working remotely for the first time can be a scary prospect. And yet, the world has changed. So, how can you continue to help your customers stay connected to your team? Many people are turning to video conferencing tools, like Zoom, which we've been using for years here at InVerve.

Whether your business is a handful of people or hundreds, you have company data that is in a constant state of being updated, changed, or deleted in different computer systems, spreadsheets, and software packages. No wonder discrepancies occur and mistakes are made when information you thought was correct isn’t.

It’s never been so important to harness all company data or “digital knowledge,” clean it up, and maintain that cleanliness. It’s a big, important job, especially when it comes to sharing company information online. And incorrect information that’s already posted online also needs to be dealt with if your company wants to improve SEO rankings and keep up with the competition. If digital knowledge management isn’t on your radar, it should be. Here are five compelling reasons why:

https://blog.invervemarketing.com/is-digital-knowledge-management-part-of-your-marketing-strategy-5-reasons-it-should-be-for-the-sake-of-your-online-business-listing

There’s something insidious happening on the internet right now, and it’s affecting your business and your bottom line. You may be aware of it but haven’t found the time or the means to make it stop. Meanwhile, every day that it continues, you are losing business. This sinister beast is the duplication of your business data on business listing platforms like Yelp, Google My Business, Superpages, as well as on social media, maps, and apps. 

Unless you’ve been off the grid, you know that today’s intelligent services (think voice search, mobile, augmented reality, etc.) have been accelerating change in technology and data. Today, when consumers seek out information, they receive fast, relevant answers from listing publishers and intelligent search. Do you know what you would find if you asked Siri about your business? How about a social media site search, or a search on maps? Yext knows that search engine and intelligent service algorithms find results based on a diverse set of information types, which can often lead to duplicate and conflicting information online. The expansion of these intelligent services makes it less likely that a consumer will travel to your business’s website – many Google searches now generate a knowledge graph answer ahead of any website links. This also means that you need to up your search engine optimization (SEO) game, to appear in these intelligent searches.

Have you ever searched “food near me” to find a potential lunch spot? Or googled a business to see if they’re open? Did you find these knowledge cards? Now, what happens when you search terms related to your business?

With Google knowledge cards’ direct answers to searches and the rise of voice search and AI technology like Siri and Alexa, more and more information is available without ever needing to visit a website. In fact, a study by Yext, a data management company, found that 73 percent of high-intent traffic happens outside of company websites. With this trend on the rise, it’s important to understand what information potential customers are finding so you can make it easy for them to get the information they’re actually looking for.

Have you ever googled something and seen an overview of information about the topic show up next to or above the standard search results? If so, you’ve seen a knowledge graph. These graphs are Google’s way of answering searchers’ questions directly so no one needs to surf the web for answers. These graphs, when they’re about businesses, can contain contact information like location, hours, phone number, and web address, reviews, menus, and more. So how can you make sure you’re showing up when people are searching, and when your knowledge graph does appear, that it’s showing the correct information?

Do you know how your business appears to people searching on Google? Google My Business can help you put your best foot forward for potential customers. With this service, you can ensure that your correct contact information is listed, see helpful reviews, and answer potential customers’ questions. You can also post interesting featured pictures and topics that will be prominently displayed where people are looking for them. Here’s some beginning steps to using your Google My Business listing most effectively.

You have an incredible website, totally maximized to serve your customers’ every need, and it looks amazing too! Not surprising for all the work that went into it. But even as your website shines like a beacon of truth, dozens of other websites and apps may be offering out-of-date or just plain wrong information about your business.