Google — so establishing a clear pres- ence on Google is a shop’s first line of protection, says Mark Subel, owner of Two Wheels Marketing, a boutique firm in Columbus, Ohio, that works with florists. Here are steps any florist can take:
Bid on Your Brand Name: If a customer searches for your shop by name, it doesn’t mean that your website will automatically appear first. Deceptive order gatherers often purchase search result ads tied to florists’ names, allowing their ads to appear above the actual shop in search results. To protect against that, Subel recommends running a Google Ads campaign on your own business name (known as a branded pay-per-click campaign) as well as checking for common misspellings and variations. While paying to advertise your own name may seem unnecessary, it can help ensure customers looking specifically for your shop find you first rather than a third-party intermediary.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile: Data shows that up to 70% of search users go straight to the map, says Dan McManus of TeamFloral, a floral consultancy. To improve visibility, keep your Google Business Profile complete and up to date with accurate hours, contact information, delivery areas and website links. Regularly add photos, respond to reviews and publish updates about your business. These signals help Google recognize the shop as an active local business and can improve its ranking in map results.
Automate Trademark Monitoring: For larger operations facing a high volume of infractions, manual tracking can be overwhelming. McCarthy uses The Search Monitor, a service that automatically monitors Google Ads, identifies trademark violations, and sends complaint notices directly to Google for rapid takedowns.
Optimize your website Florists can also guard against deceptive order gatherers by focusing on mak- ing their websites uniquely local, says Renato Cruz Sogueco, AAF, PFCI, a floral business educator and consultant. “This also helps educate customers,” and lets them know they’ll get the most value from ordering from you, he says.
Update Web Verbiage: Local visibility, Sogueco says, requires explicit website copy such as: “order directly from us” or “independent local florist.”
Showcase Local Authenticity: Enhance local search visibility and SEO by consistently posting photos of your staff at work. Photos of the shop operating in the community — at popular spots or events or making deliveries in local neighborhoods — are just a few options, Sogueco says.
Post to Social Media: Keeping active social channels that tag and showcase the community also further bolsters the online presence of a florist’s local operations, Sogueco says.
STAY VIGILANT When something doesn’t seem right, Tricia Upshaw, AIFD, AMF, encourages her team to ask questions. Recognizing suspicious calls and deceptive tactics is one of the first steps in protecting customers and local businesses.
The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF) 25
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