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After theexcellent interview with eldar three weeks ago, I’m pleased to welcome a professional meeting with 2024, a partner for business e-reputation. There are people like that where everything just happens, and trust is built step by step… And such is the case with Sébastien Schuller, CEO of the Karedess agency. Here’s the proof: we don’t have the same price positioning on many services we have in common, but that’s okay, I’ll let him announce them here… It’s not competition. No! it’s an enlarged offer… ;-) Come on, Sébastien, let’s start the interview!

Hello Sébastien, delighted to welcome you (in writing) on business-ereputation. Thank you for accepting this interview. Can you introduce yourself and your various digital references?

Sébastien Schuller - karedessHello everyone, my name is Sébastien Schueller, and I’ve been passionate about web design since I was 14. In 2006, I launched Karedess, a web agency based in Mulhouse, to help companies, whether local or international, make their digital transition.

Karedess is much more than just a web design agency. We specialize in designing dynamic, responsive sites optimized to guarantee a fluid user experience on all devices. But our expertise doesn’t stop there! We also offer search engine optimization (SEO) services and digital marketing support, so that every site we create is not only beautiful and functional, but also visible to as many potential customers as possible.

We’re passionate about understanding each company’s unique needs. Whatever their industry, we tailor our strategies to enhance their local visibility while aiming for international growth. Every year, we support between 30 and 40 companies, providing them with customized solutions that meet their specific objectives.

Sébastien, the market for tools linked to google business profile (ex google my business) is exploding, with prices that I sometimes find indecent. I know that you have various products and offers in this sector, can you describe them to us and especially your positioning?

The market for tools linked to Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is booming, and for good reason! These tools are super-important for businesses, offering increased visibility and an effective way to interact with their customers. Basically, they allow you to manage business information, collect reviews and analyze online performance. By optimizing their profile, businesses can not only stand out in search results, but also attract more local customers and boost their credibility. This is crucial in today’s competitive world!

At Karedess, we understand the importance of this tool. We offer an initial intervention to optimize Google listings for €190 plus VAT. Then, for regular follow-up, we set up a monthly management contract at 100€ HT. And best of all, there’s no short- or long-term commitment!

But what really sets us apart is that we do all the work by hand, for our customers. Indeed, many competitors have developed tools that lead customers to manage their optimization themselves. With us, we prefer to take charge of the whole process, enabling our customers to concentrate on their core business.

If you would like to find out more, please visit our website: https: //referencement-local.site/

You’re also integrating GMB community management and social networks, aren’t you?

Absolutely! For the past four years, we’ve been managing both the Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) and social networks for our customers. There is of course a difference between these two aspects, but they are complementary in a successful digital strategy.

Community management is above all the art of managing interactions between a brand and its community on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn (mainly). With our qualified team, we can offer you effective solutions, such as publishing posts based on your activity on several networks, defining a persona, choosing the most relevant network, and so on. Thanks to our online quotation tool, you can easily choose the number of weekly publications, the networks to be managed, and even the length of commitment…

On the other hand, Google My Business is essential for optimizing your local visibility. We take care of managing your business listing, publishing updates, and responding to customer reviews. This attracts potential customers and provides clear, up-to-date information about your business.

Our mission is to create a consistent, high-performance digital presence on all fronts to help our customers stand out online.

Let’s get down to tips and tricks: what are your 4 top tips for an effective google my business listing and a good profile that will fly under the google radar and its suspensions?

So, when it comes to Google Business Profiles, it’s essential to stick to an approach that’s both rigorous and strategic. Here are our four key tips that we systematically apply for our customers:

  1. Comply with Google’s rules: The first thing, and probably the most important, is to always comply with Google’s guidelines. There are very specific rules to follow regarding business categories, addresses, opening hours and even photos. If we don’t follow these rules, Google can quickly suspend a listing. We make sure we understand and apply these guidelines to ensure that the listing is always active and performing well. This also helps avoid untimely suspensions, which can damage a company’s reputation and visibility. At Karedess, we spend a lot of time training ourselves on the latest Google policy updates.

  2. Don’t drown the form with too much information: It’s a common mistake to want to cram everything into a form right from the start, but in reality, it’s far more effective to keep it simple and to the point. We believe that a listing should be clear and relevant, without overloading it with unnecessary information. This allows Google to better understand what the company does and rank it correctly. Too much information at once can confuse the listing and affect its effectiveness. We’ve learned that adding details gradually and thoughtfully produces better results in the long run.

  3. Respect the current algorithm: Every change made to a Google Business listing must be in line with Google’s algorithm. This means constantly monitoring changes in practices and adapting the listing accordingly. The algorithm is there to help filter information and offer users an optimized experience. For us, this involves intelligent optimization of the listing, whether in terms of keyword choice, review management or the addition of visual content. We never change too many elements at once, as this can attract negative attention from Google.

  4. Rigor above all: And finally, rigor is our watchword. A well-managed listing relies on continuous attention to detail. By regularly updating information, adding quality photos, responding to customer reviews, and staying active on the platform, we ensure an effective presence. It may seem obvious, but in a world where everything evolves so quickly, this rigor really makes the difference.

To cut a long story short, we understand that these elements are hyper-important to maintaining a healthy listing and avoiding any suspensions from Google. It’s all part of our methodology to ensure optimal visibility and lasting performance for our customers on Google Business Profile.

What about local seo for Karedess customers?

When it comes to local SEO, it’s worth noting that our agency has a national, and even international, reach. However, when it comes to targeting the Haut-Rhin (for example), we implement local SEO strategies that work very well in this region. Local SEO is an important lever for reaching local customers, especially for companies that want to attract a clientele that is geographically close by. In the Haut-Rhin region, our approach is to optimize companies’ local presence through a number of techniques: listings on local directories, careful management of Google My Business listings, and the use of keywords specific to the region, and it works for every geographical area.

On the other hand, for the rest of our customers located elsewhere in France, or even internationally, we adopt a more traditional SEO approach, based on referencing strategies that adapt to broader markets. Here, it’s all about positioning our customers on competitive queries and optimizing their visibility on a larger scale. Local remains an essential pillar for some of our customers, but we are just as adept at national and international SEO to meet the needs of a wider audience.

This dual expertise means we can adapt to both local and wider strategies, depending on our customers’ objectives. This is part of our strength at Karedess: being able to offer tailor-made SEO solutions, whether targeting a local market in the Haut-Rhin, or conquering a national or international audience.

And it works for you too?

That’s a good question. Well, yes, it is. It works very well for my business.

We are fortunate to work with companies with a wide range of needs, and this versatility in our services enables us to adapt to every situation. From customers looking to expand locally, to those aiming for a national or even international presence, we have the tools and skills to support them.

What’s really motivating is to see the extent to which our strategies, whether focused on local or more global SEO, are producing concrete results. We get very positive feedback from our customers, who tell us that their visibility has improved, their traffic has increased and, above all, that they’re seeing a direct impact on their sales. To me, this is proof that our approach works and is sustainable.

It’s by keeping our finger on the pulse of market trends, adjusting our methods, and being proactive in the face of constant change in the digital sector that we succeed in offering our customers the right solutions, while helping them evolve with us. So, yes, overall, we’re doing very well indeed!

What are your plans for Karedess in 2025?

We have already begun to take major initiatives to strengthen our strategy, particularly in terms of local SEO. One of the key developments has been the integration of SMS Avis, a tool that makes it easier for our customers to collect reviews from their customers, thereby strengthening their online reputation. This system perfectly complements our local SEO efforts, because today, customer reviews are a determining factor in business SEO, especially at local level. The more positive reviews a company has, the more likely it is to rank at the top of search results.

Looking to the future, we’ve also taken another big step: joining a national BNI (Business Network International) group. This allows us to expand our network and collaborate with other entrepreneurs across the country. This opens up new opportunities, not only for us, but also for our customers, who can benefit from this synergy.

But my greatest ambition for Karedess is to integrate national franchises. It’s a huge project that requires meticulous preparation, but that’s where I want to take the agency in the next few years. The idea is to have a model that can be duplicated across several regions, while retaining the quality of service and personalized approach that are our strengths today. We’re already well established in the Haut-Rhin region, but I want Karedess to be able to extend its services on an even wider scale, while remaining true to our values and expertise. That’s our roadmap for 2025, and I’m very excited to see it all come to fruition.

Thank you very much Sébastien for your time and this excellent interview.