At the time of this post (early August 2023) most local businesses couldn’t care less about anything pertaining to Web3 such as metaverse, virtual lands, NFTs, and AI (other than being scared of it). Most don’t even use or possess any cryptocurrencies or altcoins or digital tokens. Despite the rise of these new technologies, the average local business owner only cares about getting more phone calls, email leads, text messages, walk-ins or newsletter/social media subscribers to help generate new business.
Much like in the first part of the 2010 decade, most local business owners don’t understand the “WHY” they need to spend time, money, or other resources on those new technologies. “Decentralization”, “community”, “DAOs”, and other web3 topics are just nonsense words to them at this point in time… and that is fine! This is because no one yet has explained to the local business owner — all the way from a pizza shop owner to a criminal defense attorney to a plumber to a dentist — how these technologies generate a return on investment of time, money or other resources.
Back in the early 2010’s many local business owners didn’t understand why they needed Facebook business pages, Google Maps pages (even for directions and reviews), Yelp pages, LinkedIn business pages, nor other social media properties. Up until now, web3 topics have no relevance in the mind of the average local business owner. This is because the web3 enthusiasts haven’t yet even explained how such technologies even can do something as basic as boost existing search engine rankings.
That begins to change for you right now!
What Does An Ice Cream Sundae Have To Do With Web3 And Search Engine Rankings?!?!?
Most people at least understand the concept of “fundamentals” and “nice to haves”… and one of the most universally-understood ways to show an example of this is an ice cream sundae!
If you owned a local ice cream shop then chances are you almost never have anyone come into your shop to buy JUST the “nice to haves”. Odds are that no one has ever come in JUST to buy sprinkles, hot fudge, cherries, or peanuts….
… but virtually everyone has come into your shop to buy at least a scoop of ice cream or a cake with ice cream as the main component!
In this case the “fundamental” thing people want from your shop would be the ice cream, and only a certain percentage of people want all the “nice to haves” or “add-ons” like fudge, nuts, whipped cream, etc.
In the case of using new web3 technologies to help any local business owner generate more business from prospective customers and clients, the main focus (as of August 2023) is to give that business owner the “fundamental” benefit of increased search engine rankings for main local keywords. In our example, increased SEO rankings are – for now – the “ice cream” because this can lead to new phone calls and emails.
The “nice to haves” or “add-ons” would be benefits in the future such as:
- The ability to add a 3D building onto the virtual land plot
- Adding Artificial Intelligence (AI) “avatars” to interact with prospective customers inside the 3D building
- Tie-ins with AI tools for automation, local competition analysis, avatar creation, and other AI benefits
- Other “metaverse” interactivity, including paying for local advertisements on 3D buildings for local landmarks
- Increased value of the metaverse/virtual land (as mentioned in this April 2023 article from the Dallas Observer)
- Selling digital t-shirts for metaverse avatars
- Treasure hunts in the metaverse to “mine resources” and otherwise have a “gamified” experience
- Ability to purchase metaverse digital assets with cryptocurrencies
- Etc.
Virtual Land For Local Business Search Engine Ranking Improvements
One thing the average business owner CAN understand is not ranking high enough in the search engines for desired keyword phrases; and, therefore, missing out on prospective phone calls or other leads. This post will introduce one of the first ways that a local business owner can see search engine ranking increases (aka “web 2” searches) by leveraging one of these new web3 technologies which any local business owner can begin to understand conceptually.
That method is virtual land in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT). All this means is that it represents digital ownership on the blockchain, much like the ownership title to your home or commercial property is registered with your local county.
Virtual land represents a piece of the earth where his/her business operates, much like one understands an online map which represents the location of the office or store. At this point in time, there are several “metaverses” which represents either fictional worlds or represent all (or most) of Earth. Our situation requires us to focus on the Earth-based virtual lands; and at this time there are four (4) main metaverse platforms which don’t require any Virtual Reality goggles or headsets of any kind:
- Earth2
- Next Earth (referral code: SEPT049871)
In order to help your local search engine rankings for the last part of 2023 and beyond, we are going to narrow your focus to the virtual land NFTs available in the last two options: Next Earth and MyLand
Why?
Solely for the SEO benefits, at least in the short-term.
Next Earth has partnered with another company in order to have a “1-2” approach:
- The virtual land (NFT) allows for a description which permits links to your website and other web properties
- Generate new “business layer” pages which can be indexed by the search engines AND help push up your local search engine rankings
Later in 2023, and into 2024, the business layer component also will allow access for 3D buildings, AI automation tools, and other “nice to haves” mentioned earlier in the section on ice cream!
MyLand doesn’t have the partner company, nor the AI integrations, yet. You can place a link, however, in the description of your land and begin the link building/SEO benefit. Integrations for 3D buildings, digital avatars and more already are available for the platform should those be of interest to you.
So What Is The Real Use Of Virtual Land, And How Does It Make My Phone Ring Within The Next Month Or Sooner?
Great questions!
When it comes to local search engine rankings, the search engines have their own algorithms for what they deem to be A.R.T. or R.A.T. or T.A.R. The combination doesn’t matter as all that those letters mean are:
- A = Authoritative
- R = Relevant
- T = Trustworthy
Links from authoritative websites, surrounded by relevant and geographic-specific content, will help your search engine rankings improve in most cases. When you purchase digital real estate (virtual land) which represents the land where you operate some or all of your business, then you have to add important content to the pages which can be read (and crawled/indexed) by the search engines.
There are several steps to this, so if you aren’t familiar with the following then be sure to contact us for help (email us here):
- NFTs and OpenSea.io
- Web3 wallets like MetaMask
- How to format links
- Synchronizing one’s virtual land (digital real estate) NFT with a partner business layer for the SEO benefit
- Link building to the NFT URLs in order to get them indexed by the search engines and pass along more authority
- Formatting the SEO title and description tags properly
If done properly, hopefully you soon will notice an increase in your search engine rankings for keyword phrases most relevant to the SEO title, SEO description, links, and other content you added to your virtual land.
So How Does This Differ From Just Another Online Maps Listing Like Google Maps Or Waze Driving Directions?
Another great question!
At its most basic level, virtual land (digital real estate) which represents land where you operate a business is actually LESS functional than Google Maps. Some will permit reviews, some won’t, and you have less control and flexibility than Google Maps (aka your Google Business Profile listing).
Additionally, one of the prominent SEO authority websites (Backlinko) recently updated its list in 2023 to include roughly 170 ways to generate backlinks and traffic to a website.
So why would anyone spend money on this virtual land?!?
Yet another fantastic question too!
Your goals when it comes to online marketing, besides generating new business, are to accomplish any combination of the following:
- Save time
- Save money
- Increase precision
- Generate new revenue / profit avenues
- Scale your business quickly
- Reduce liability
- Improve brand awareness and turn customers into loyal “fans” like a sports team’s loyal fan base
Unlike practically all of the 170+ current backlinking and traffic-generation methods mentioned in the Backlinko article, virtual land (digital real estate) and other web3 links (POAPs, NFT profiles, and even web3 websites) are the only ones which offer the “add-ons” like the ice cream sundae mentioned earlier!
These “add-ons” to virtual land/digital real estate NFTs and their associated SEO business page functions can help you achieve your “big picture” goals about saving time, increasing customer awareness and engagement, generate new revenues, being on the cutting edge of technology, and other benefits. In particular you either right now can, or very soon will be able to:
- Get Artificial Intelligence (AI) content generation tools which can automate your blogging & content marketing efforts to save you time and/or scale the amount of content you can share with prospective customers/clients
- Add in 3D buildings where you then can design a virtual office in whatever manner you want with interactive images, galleries, and more.
- You can give prospective customers a better understanding of your business/office/store location such as proximity to major roads and highways, where to park, and more. That way the person can get a better understanding, using his/her digital avatar, of what is around your business location.
- Soon you will be able to create AI avatars of yourself – or a spokesperson for the business – in whatever voice you would like. You then will be able to put that digital representative for the business inside a 3D building and answer commonly-asked questions, much like the “FAQ” pages you see on many websites.
- You can convey information in a different format in order to make it easier for a prospective customer or client to understand the problem you are solving and/or to visualize and “experience” the final outcome. For example, a local tax professional can create a “relaxing spa day” in the virtual land metaverse — and attach that to his/her 3D office building — in order to convey the benefits of tax savings and deductions which the tax professional might be able to provide.
- Soon people even will be able to place online orders for customized items, like custom furniture, after having visited the metaverse 3D building on your virtual land. The prospective customer can mix/match colors, flooring, wall colors and see his/her digital avatar sitting on the digital furniture in order to “test” how that person might look to others when he/she invited friends or family to the house.
- Much more to come soon
All of the above are current, or soon-to-be-released, “add-ons” or “toppings” to the main goal (the “ice cream”) of getting increased leads coming from the search engines. No other existing SEO backlinking methods offer this range of additional benefits in the short-term and longer-term.
The associated business pages which are synchronized with the main virtual land page (NFT) also can be used to test new areas of town if you buy virtual land plots in new areas. This might work if you need to test an online market and want a lead generation website or other web property. Click this link for more on that topic.
This Sounds Great…. But Do You Have Any Proof That Any Of This Has Worked?
Yes!
In late July/early August 2023, a chiropractor in Dallas needed help. He wanted more search engine exposure for one the wealthy Dallas suburbs which was just under five miles away from his office. He ranked #10 (bottom of page 1) in Google for the keyword “chiropractor SUBURB TX” as well as #10 for “chiropractor SUBURB Dallas”.
Within 5 days he jumped up 5 spots in Google for both keywords as a result of the search engine optimization on the virtual land NFT, the business page and land page associated with the underlying virtual land NFT, and link building efforts to boost all 3 of those properties. Yes, he even got a phone call to schedule a consultation from the suburb he wanted when he hadn’t heard from anyone in that suburb previously.
This is considered a good “win” from the search engine perspective for several reasons:
- Not only are there numerous chiropractic clinics in the Dallas area, each with their own websites, there also are potentially dozens of social media properties, local business directories, chiropractic / medical directories, Yelp and similar review sites, and blogs which all are competing to be #1.
- There are many SEO professionals serving these Dallas area chiropractors who all want to be #1 as well!
- The city has over 2 million people plus the neighboring suburbs, so the competition is fierce for first-time phone calls or emails for such a service.
Over time there will be more case studies added to this website and the LinkedIn page.
What Is My Next Step?
If you are comfortable taking action on your own then start with the Next Earth and MyLand links mentioned earlier, and use the promo codes if provided to save on your first virtual land purchase. Then learn more about how to format the links & SEO tags and then how to synchronize your land with any third-party business layer pages like Next Earth has. Once all are live and look good, then do your social sharing and link building (or even tiered link building) to the new properties in order to get them indexed in the search engines.
You then can study the mechanics and strategies for the “add-ons” such as 3D buildings, AI automation tools, and adding digital avatars. You also can join the various Discord communities or follow your preferred virtual land platform on the major social media sites + read their respective white papers.
If all of the above seems too daunting, or you just don’t have time, then schedule a consultation with us. We can discuss the real world situations you are facing including competitors’ recent online marketing actions, how your prospective customers think and what they need, and where you are in local search engine rankings for your most appropriate keywords. After that we then can customize a game plan which is appropriate for your specific needs, budget, and any constraints.
Thank you for reading all of this and feel free to contact us with your questions either via the email contact form or the LinkedIn company page.
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