Many online marketing experts are recommending the increased use of social services alongside other plans such as search engine optimisation. Other online marketing experts would argue that search optimization is now a lost cause, and reactions from social services have a more significant impact on a website’s natural search engine positioning than any action performed by search engine optimisation consultants. The newest extension to social services is based on location. Facebook is launching Facebook Places as an alternative to Foursquare, a social outlet that is not as well recognised in this country but does already have some fans. It is expected that Google will introduce a similar programme.
The basic premise of a location programme is that when a location client arrives at a location registered in the programme, he “checks in” so that the location operator is aware that a programme member is present. Thus, loyalty bonuses may accrue based on the number of times the client has checked in, or on the number of programme members are present. There is also the assumption that the first thing a client does on entering a bar is use his phone instead of using the location for its primary purpose. For organisation operators who cannot appreciate the benefits of such a location loyalty programme, Foursquare includes case histories documenting how companies have made use of the service.
The sort of organisation that could gain from this has to be social location, such as a nightclub, and it is difficult to appreciate how any other type of organisation location could profit. For example, the home stadium of an ice hockey team has been registered as a location in Foursquare but why? It does not own the an organization on a social network will have a significant search engine positioning on a search query, but they are unlikely to include keywords that have been used for the search query – it will probably be a reference to the organisation name. Similarly, if check-in references appear on a search results listing, how informative will they be? search engine optimisation is more concentrated on the selected keywords that a possible consumer will use who is not aware of your business name. Using search optimization plans will make your organisation more prominent to anyone using a search regardless of their social outlet preferences.
Facebook Places and Foursquare seem to represent alternative ways of operating loyalty programmes if your typical consumer is someone permanently attached to a mobile device and could be interested in your nightclub and feels compelled to inform all his social friends where he is at that exact moment. By providing incentives to location programme members it could be a way of attracting buyers on what would be a quiet night. To many people, these location schemes are just a further invasion of privacy. Online marketing experts have even noticed the opportunity for misuse of these systems. To everyday buyers who prefer to stay away from the social services for whatever reason, and companies that can see no need for a social presence, conventional search optimization plans will still have a bigger impact through an increased natural search engine positioning on a conventional search facility.
