Webinar Wednesday 176 – April 10, 2024

EMAILS: Enhanced Newsletter Features & Analytics 00:02:45

• Enhanced newsletter features and analytics coming soon.
• New features include better stats snapshot, ability to create smart lists based on newsletter interactions, more draggable content blocks, ability to edit newsletters directly, ability to preview newsletters with sample member info, ability to include or exclude smart lists, and ability to schedule newsletters for the future.
• Expected release in two weeks.
• No notable updates since the last webinar.
• Upcoming features mentioned in previous webinars are now close to being released.

TAGS: In Admin, Create Custom Tags to Pin to Members 00:06:45

• Create custom tags in the admin area to manually assign members to.
• Bulk actions allow assigning or removing tags from multiple members simultaneously.
• Search members by specific tags on the search members page.

HOMEPAGE: Display Member with Their Star Rating 00:08:19

• Display star ratings for recent or featured members on the homepage.
• Control the display of star ratings in the settings.
• Option to only show members with a certain star rating level.

MEMBERS: Search & Filter Member IPs by Country Name 00:09:32

• Search members by their country name based on their signup IP or last login IP.
• Check multiple countries for filtering.
• Country names will be displayed next to IP addresses for easy identification.

COMMENTS: Email Alerts for New Comments on Posts 00:11:00

• Email alerts for new comments on posts will be released soon.
• Users can choose to receive email notifications for any new comments, only replies to their own comments, or stop following comments.
• A simple email template will be used for notifications.
• In a later phase, a webhook will be implemented to set up SMS text messages for notifications.

NEW ADD-ON: Instant Business Data 00:12:13

• A new add-on for instant business data will be available soon.
• It will provide access to millions of business records.
• Users can search for businesses by location and category.
• Each BD site will get a minimum of 25 or 50 data records to add to their site.
• Additional data will be available at a nominal cost.
• The add-on will be released after the tagging system is implemented.
• Tagging will allow users to group and manage imported business data.

Difference between Tags and Smart Lists? 00:13:43

• A smart list is dynamic and automatically updates based on criteria, while tags are static and require manual assignment.
• Tags can be used to create smart lists.
• Tagging system will be more versatile with Zapier integration, allowing tagging based on actions like filling out forms on third-party sites.

Downloading of LinkedIn profile to Brilliant Directories? 00:15:34

• Previously mentioned feature to easily download LinkedIn profile information to Brilliant Directories is not currently being worked on and is unlikely to be implemented due to data security concerns.

Verified Profiles? 00:16:45

• Suggestion to add verified check or badges to star reviews.

Autofill Data on Newsletters? 00:17:26

• Members suggested having a feature to autofill member profile data in the newsletter.
• This would allow for easy featuring of members without the need for manual copy-pasting of their information.
• A content block could be created to facilitate this feature, allowing users to change the image, name, and a few other data points while maintaining a consistent layout.

View Passwords while Logging in? 00:18:42

• Members inquired about the possibility of adding a "view password" option during the login process.
• This feature would help prevent typos and frustration caused by forgotten passwords.
• The development team confirmed that this feature is on their roadmap and is not considered a difficult implementation.

How to Create & Sell Event Tickets Through Your Membership Website? 00:20:16

• User asks for an updated video on setting up events and selling tickets through their membership website.
• Link to the requested video is provided.

Where to Make Edits to Optimize Your BD Website SEO 00:21:48

• SEO strategies and tactics are not covered in this video.
• There are many variables that affect search engine optimization for each website.
• The focus of this video is to show users where to make specific changes to optimize their website's SEO using the BD platform.

Why SEO is Important? 00:22:59

• Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for website visibility, organic traffic, and building credibility and trust among users.
• SEO can attract website visitors and new members long-term without continuous advertising costs.
• High search rankings help stay ahead of competitors and increase market share.
• SEO should be part of a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes ads, social marketing, referral programs, and affiliate programs.
• Unique and relevant content is more important than excessive keyword stuffing.
• Key SEO elements include meta titles, meta descriptions, meta keywords, and main headings (H1).
• Use relevant headings and subheadings, and incorporate internal and external links.
• Google may modify website titles and descriptions in search results for user experience.
• Search engines may include an image on the right side of search results to complement the result, which NBD sites account for with the featured image and the OG image in the metatag.

Brilliant Directories Sites are SEO-Ready 00:28:41

• BD sites are pre-equipped with essential elements for Google to recognize and rank the site and its content.
• As members and pages are added to the site, the SEO value continues to grow.
• Dynamic creation of profile pages for members and search results pages eliminates the need for manual creation.

General Areas to Edit SEO Settings 00:29:36

• There are familiar areas to edit SEO settings on the Brilliant Directories platform.
• Some lesser-known gems for SEO editing may be discovered.

Edit SEO Settings: Homepage 00:29:52

• The meta title, description, and keywords of the homepage can be edited in the SEO settings tab of the webpage builder.
• BD sites are pre-filled with variables for SEO elements, which can be dynamically adjusted by changing the variables in the general settings.
• The OG image can be set in the SEO settings tab and is used for social media sharing and may be displayed in search engine results.
• Social media sharing settings allow you to customize the title, description, and image that will be displayed when your homepage or other pages are shared on social media.
• The OG image set in the SEO settings tab is also used for social media sharing.

Edit SEO Settings: Static Web Pages 00:33:09

• Edit SEO settings for static pages like the about page.
• The page title is the H1 heading and should be user-friendly.
• The meta title can be more creative and clickbait-worthy.
• Google no longer values the comma-separated list of keywords in the meta keywords tag.
• BD automatically creates the H1 heading for blog posts, pages, and other content.
• BD takes care of most SEO aspects, but this section shows where to make further enhancements.

Dynamic Pages and SEO Templates 00:36:29

• Dynamic pages are automatically created by the system, such as a page for a specific location when a member joins from that area.
• SEO is automatically handled for dynamic pages.
• The SEO templates section in Brilliant Directories allows for editing of dynamic pages.

Demo: SEO Templates 00:37:22

• To optimize your website for SEO, edit the SEO elements such as the title, description, and keywords in the admin bar.
• Customize SEO templates to enhance the search results page by changing variables like the profession name and adding subheadings.
• Edit post types like the website blog to control the main heading (H1) and subheading (H2) for search results pages.
• SEO templates provide control over the meta title, description, keywords, and social media share image, even for post types.
• The SEO template powers the member search results page and handles combinations of locations, including countries, states, cities, and categories.
• Customize the H1 title, meta title, and description on the member search results page to further optimize the page for search engines.
• Keep variables in place for dynamic pages like city searches, but inject keywords to improve overall website ranking.

Demo: Convert Pages into Static Pages 00:45:37

• To improve SEO, convert dynamic pages into static pages on your website using the pretty URL (canonical URL).
• Customize the static page's SEO elements, such as the meta title and description, without relying on dynamic values.
• Use breadcrumbs to easily find the canonical URL for a specific location.
• All the SEO changes mentioned in the video are done for the user's benefit.

Member Profiles SEO 00:50:24

• Customize SEO template 100 for member profile pages.
• Each member profile page has its own meta title and description.
• Edit the meta title and description by clicking on the "Edit" button on the member profile page.
• Use variables to add dynamic information to the meta title and description, such as the member's location or industry.
• Modify the URL structure of the profile pages by going to "Advanced settings" and searching for "member profile URL structure".
• Add or remove slugs to change the order of the information in the URL.
• Changing the URL structure will not affect existing member profiles unless they resave their information or new members sign up.
• The same principles for editing member profile page SEO can be applied to post URLs, including blog posts, events, and coupons.
• Go to "Post URL structure" in "Advanced settings" to make changes.

Custom SEO for Member Profiles 00:53:58

• Custom URLs can be created for specific members and offered as an upsell opportunity or a premium feature. These can be set by the admin in the member's profile under "Advanced options."
• Meta titles, descriptions, and keywords can be customized for individual members and posts using dynamic SEO templates. When customizing SEO templates, use variables instead of hard-coding specific values for flexibility and relevance.
• The system automatically excludes author information for hidden profiles or members with restricted visibility.
• You can modify SEO information for your photo album page and single post pages using the SEO template.
• Customize the URL structure for your posts by including elements like the post author's name, location, category, etc. Further enhance a specific post's URL by customizing it in the "Customize URL" section.
• If you change the URL of an existing page, create a corresponding 301 redirect to forward traffic from the old URL to the new one. You can create 301 redirects in the Developer Hub under "301 Redirects."

Sent Messages / Outbox 01:02:47

• An 'Outbox' feature is coming soon, which will store replies sent to form submissions on the platform.
• The 'Outbox' will help virtual assistants easily copy and paste recurring responses.

Stars Rating 01:03:43

• Users can star rate members when leaving a review.
• Star rating criteria can be missing for two reasons:
• Empty text labels: These are dynamic text that can be cleared out, removing the entire line from the review criteria.
• Custom form: If the review form is not a default form, it might be the cause of the missing star rating criteria.
• Star ratings can be hidden under the membership plan settings.
• Go to Membership Plans > Profile Page > Review Settings.
• Ensure the "Hide Review Star Rating Option" is turned off.
• Troubleshooting was done for Dwayne's website, reviewlocalbiz.com, to fix the missing star rating criteria for member reviews.
• The issue was identified as a hidden star rating option under the membership plan settings.
• The "Hide Review Star Rating Option" was turned off to resolve the issue.

Email Variable Link for Direct Profile Login Link 01:07:36

• User requests more robust variables for newsletters, including a direct profile login link.
• Additional suggested variables: profile photo image or logo, and a module to display recent members or dynamic content.

Post Notifications for Admins 01:09:44

• Currently, admins do not receive notifications for new post comments.
• An admin setting will be added to enable email notifications for new post comments.

Dedicated IP 01:10:49

• Dedicated IP can be purchased through the BD support team.
• The cost of a dedicated IP is approximately $35 to $100.

Review Counts 01:11:54

• There is a way to link members to a separate page that shows the number of reviews they have.
• The format of the link is: yoursite.com/reviews?user_id=memberID.
• The profile statistics add-on should be updated to show the count of reviews a member has, in addition to profile views and clicks to their website.
• Veronica is new to Business Directory and created a directory for the spa industry.
• She received an offer of $15,000 for her domain name.
• She has a question about how to add a contact form to her website.

SEO Keywords 01:16:15

• The website aims to be a comprehensive directory for the spa industry, including professionals, suppliers, and designers.
• When approaching companies to join the directory, consider the number of decision-makers involved and the length of the process.
• To attract major manufacturers, add links to their competitors' decorated profiles and leverage that during pitches.
• Create profiles for the top five categories of shows and expos related to your business and post upcoming events for each one.
• Feature a competitor's expo on each show's profile to create a competitive environment.
• Develop a professional one-pager media kit outlining the benefits and costs of featured advertising on your website.
• Offer webinars to showcase additional upsell opportunities for members.
• Focus on creating a sense of urgency (FOMO) for Expos.
• Use a strategy of leveraging one profile over another to generate interest.
• Create a one-pager that showcases what potential clients can purchase, similar to a media kit.

Current Members Online 01:26:57

• Display member online status on their profile.
• Link online status with the private chat system.
• Repurpose the verified badge to indicate online status.
• Add a toggle option for members to control their online status.
• Update the text labels around the online status feature.
• Create an average response time badge based on private chat messages.
• Calculate the response time by subtracting the time the message was created from the time the member first responds.
• Set a threshold to only display the badge if the average response time is less than 15 minutes.
• Consider displaying the average response time even if it's longer than 15 minutes.

Quality Brilliant Directories Updates 01:31:19

• Brilliant Directories' updates tend to be glitch-free, unlike other websites.
• The website's roadmap rollout usually has some glitches.
• Jeffrey Wyatt, the chief of operations, deserves credit for the smooth updates.
• The development team has a thorough QA process before pushing out updates.

Debugging of Social Media Links 01:32:15

• Google Alerts can be used to monitor website and organic traffic.
• Changes to SEO settings may not immediately appear due to social media platform caching. Use the Facebook debugger tool to reset the cache and rescrape the website.
• Check the website's source code to verify if the correct OG title, description, and image are being pulled from the SEO settings.
• If changes are still not reflected, incorrect settings or issues with the share links may be the cause.
• The speaker addresses an issue with a member's website where search results for the "member directory" are incorrect. Check the website's robots.txt file to ensure it is set up correctly.
• Create a support ticket and ask in the Facebook group for further assistance.
• The next webinar will be in two weeks, and the replay of this webinar will be posted shortly after in the Facebook group.
• The speaker expresses gratitude for the insightful questions and the privilege of interacting with the audience.