SweetIQ, Yelp Integration Closes Online-Offline Attribution Gap

by , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, November 17, 2016

SweetIQ, Yelp Integration Closes Online-Offline Attribution Gap

 

Local marketing technology company SweetIQ has launched an integration with local recommendations directory Yelp to help brands optimize and monitor the impact of business listings on in-store foot traffic. 

Businesses claim online listings and manage content in those listings through SweetIQ’s platform, but the partnership is significant because it taps into data and gives retailers and brands with multiple physical locations insight into how their business listings impact the foot traffic in physical store locations. The connection, made through an API, closes the online-to-offline attribution gap, according to Mohannad El-Barachi, CEO and co-founder of SweetIQ.

The recommendation in the platform provides data on channels to target, when and what type of campaigns to launch campaigns, and the expected results in terms of the SEO implications and in-store foot traffic.

Advantages to the SweetIQ-Yelp partnership for businesses, per the companies, include access to an in-depth level of local analytics, ability to analyze return on investment metrics, and launch advanced campaigns and improve revenue-generating opportunities via SweetIQ’s platform.

SweetIQ also integrates with other platforms. El-Barachi plans to announce a network of providers, with more than 75 directories, in the near future.

Similar to Moz Local, the network focuses on supporting retailers that have multiple physical locations and in some cases, hundreds of thousands. Brands can make more than 20 updates weekly, but multiply that by the number of stores and locations from where consumers can find that information in directories and the number becomes exponentially.

When companies make one update to its main business file on SweetIQ, in theory, the platform will update the business listings in all directories and store locator pages on search engines and in the directory on the network. It will monitor for duplicate listings, and if a store closes the platform removes the entry.

“People predominately use Google to come up with ideas on where to go, such as a restaurant, but once they hit Yelp they’re looking for something very specific, such as recommendations,” El-Barachi said.

 

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

(17)