localsearch

Local search engine optimnization is now required for your business.

Google has changed the way they are displaying search results. They are using Pin Point accuracy displaying results that make local search optimization extremely important.

This change will be a huge benefit to brick and morter businesses. It used to be that a searcher had to enter a search sting like "carpet cleaner Phoenix" or "Iron Gates Phoenix" in order to find localized results. No more, as Google has changed the game.

Now if you just enter a term like carpet cleaner or iron gate, the 4th position is now local results based on your location. This does 2 things, first it makes the top 3 positions much more valuable as the map locations are displayed, forcing a longer page with results five through 10 ending up below the fold. Visually the map results seem to be a stopping point and give me the illusion that I don't need to go further down the page.

This is  good news for anyone running a brick-and-mortar business or a geographically specific Web business but it does open the doors to additional map spam.

The SBS Interview: Brian Gil, Yahoo Local

Link: The SBS Interview: Brian Gil, Yahoo Local.

Nice article giving more information and insight into what information is used to get found local in the Yahoo local search engine. Brian spoke of focusing on long tail keywords and not so much on the consumer comments. This is very good information for small business owners that want to do well in Yahoo local search. I suspect that this is true for all of the engines and local search sites.

Local Search - Why your business needs to be listed

This is a nice video explaining local search.

Sam's Club as an SEO Company? Should you trust it?

Sam's Club is now a search engine optimization company that is targeting the local search market aggressively. The fact is this isn't something new; it's just recently come to the forefront. Sam's Club has partnered with a company called Innuity to offer a program that is primarily targeted at small businesses looking to get noticed in the local search results.

What They're Offering

For $25 a month for Sam's Club members (and $39.95 a month for non-members), people can sign up for the LeadConnect service from Innuity. You'll get access to a dashboard that you can update with all of the necessary details about your business – name, address, phone number, description, etc. Once you've completed your dashboard, Innuity will submit your site to various local search engines such as Yahoo! Local, YellowPages, Metrobot, Google Local, and more. Then, if you update your dashboard at any time, Innuity will update your information at all of those local search sites, just like any search engine optimization company being paid a retainer fee might.

Why This Is Good for the SEO Industry (The Pros)

Having a large, recognizable chain like Sam's Club acting as a "search engine optimization company" and offering this type of service has several benefits for the SEO industry. People in the SEO industry often forget that most people do not even know what SEO is, so this initiative is bringing awareness of the industry as a whole, even if it is focused on local search. So, not only is that good for Sam’s Club, but it is helpful to all search engine optimization companies. Additionally, the Sam's Club name gives SEO a bit of respectability. This may help the mainstream accept the idea of hiring a search engine optimization company in general.

Having a large, recognizable chain like Sam's Club acting as a "search engine optimization company" and offering this type of service has several benefits for the SEO industry. People in the SEO industry often forget that most people do not even know what SEO is, so this initiative is bringing awareness of the industry as a whole, even if it is focused on local search. So, not only is that good for Sam’s Club, but it is helpful to all search engine optimization companies. Additionally, the Sam's Club name gives SEO a bit of respectability. This may help the mainstream accept the idea of hiring a search engine optimization company in general.

The problem with this particular offer is that it is rather limited in scope, focused only on local search initiatives for local businesses. Because it is more common for people to use the general search engines over the local search engines, this may not bring in a large volume of new business. Yet at the same time, it is advertised in such a way as to seem to the average person as full-service search engine optimization. Nothing in the description online or in any of the literature I've gotten my hands on indicates that Innuity is letting people know that local search is just a part of a larger, more disciplined approach that another search engine optimization company provides.

What Sam's Club is offering cannot directly compete with the services provided by a search engine optimization company. SEO companies specialize in what they do which is search engine optimization; they are not a grocery store trying to do something totally out of their league. This program can be reasonable for a company with a small budget looking to boost its local exposure, but there are plenty of small business SEO companies that would provide a better service. Research needs to be done to find the right company.  Unfortunately, it could give people a false sense of what SEO is and what it can do for them. And it remains to be seen if people really want to buy an SEO package from the same vendor that sells them giant jars of mayo and bulk toilet paper.

About The Author
Scott Buresh is the CEO of Medium Blue a SEO company.

Why your business can no longer ignore local search marketing

Local Search is getting a lot of attention lately. Local search is experiencing explosive growth, and both merchants and marketers are getting vocal about going local. 

Businesses spend $90 billion yearly on local advertising and this amount is growing rapidly.

 Local search is replacing the Yellow Pages as the preferred way consumers find local businesses and services and is the natural evolution of Yellow Pages directory advertising moving to the internet. Local search is important because it can help businesses dependent on local customers to be found by local prospects and by appearing in more than one local search engine’s results pages. Local search is intended for a brick and mortar business with a physical address that people in the community will search for and visit. 

Local Search is a pivotal part of the small business online marketing arsenal. However, it isn’t only for local companies. Many big companies are using local search to increase their brand and build local relevance. Franchises and chains are advertising individual locations in the local search engines. The real action in internet local search is in getting national advertisers and small service-oriented businesses that don't advertise in newspapers or on TV stations.

Local search marketing gives companies the ability to have a very targeted top listing without paying for it. For businesses wanting to connect with consumers, networking through local search is a great opportunity because it targets users while they are shopping. In fact as local search and business reviews become more widely used and spread to mobile phones you may find local search increasing sales.

Local search marketing does face some serious challenges. Like the Yellow Pages the only businesses that benefit are the ones that are included in the directory. Businesses that are not listed in the print Yellow Pages or the local search engines have a very poor chance of being listed in the local search engine results.

Since local search is still in its infancy and its search criteria are different than the standard search engine, there's an opportunity for pioneering businesses to create an online presence for their local market. Mainly because so few other businesses know they can do this. Over 50% of all local searches are “directory assistance” searches. However, the lack of websites among small neighborhood businesses is estimated by some to be as high a 70%. Needless to say, most of these businesses have not taken any steps to promote themselves online so their chances of being found in a “directory assistance” search by their customers are poor.

Depending on whose numbers you choose, local advertising is worth somewhere between $22 billion and $94 billion, including all forms of advertising and marketing, from yellow pages and newspapers to direct mail, magazines and local TV and radio. The growth associated with local search online is simply a reflection of the usage of search engines and the rise of the Internet as a daily utility in people's lives.

Local search is growing more popular with your next generation of customers and if your business isn't listed in the local search engines you could be losing valuable business. For small businesses, especially with a local focus, Local Search is an essential ingredient in surviving the turbulent economic times ahead.

 About the Author:

Terry Mickelson has a unique understanding of local search marketing, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, link popularity building, social media and they way they interact with one another in real life to generate traffic and increase revenue. Since 1998 Terry has been helping companies from mom and pop’s to fortune 500’s get found locally and nationally in the search engine results pages. Terry can be reached at 480-626-4807 http://www.getfoundlocal.com

11 Steps to Creating a Brilliant 60 second Commercial

Word of mouth advertising can be one of the best forms of advertising available. However many people get stuck in a rut and assume that they people they network with know what they do and who a good lead for them is. An effective 60 second commercial, delivered with spunk at a meeting can energize the room and have a long lasting effect on your business.

1. Keep it short and focused.      You can give a presentation and tell people about all of the interesting features      and benefits your company offers. But, this isn’t the time or place for      that – yet. Experts suggest keeping your networking pitch to under 60      seconds. A brief message that catches and holds the attention of the      people in the room is perfect. If you sound like you are quoting brochure      or ad copy, most everyone will tune out. Keep it focused on achieving your      desired goal – getting the people in the room to be looking for      opportunities for you.
2. Brainstorm words and      images. Think about what sets your company, your services and you      apart from your competitors. Then, come up with words and images that      illustrate these ideas.
3. Lead with the benefits.      A stranger doesn’t care about you or your company. They don’t care about      your products or services. They don’t want to know how long you’ve been in      business or about your experience. They care mostly about themselves. If      you’re going to interest anyone in yourself, your organization and what it      provides, you have to make your networking partners understand how to      explain to their customers/prospects  WII-FM, or what’s in it for me? So, open      your 60 second commercial with how your work benefits others. 
4. Be real. Though you’re      presenting your self and your company, don’t even think about selling the      people in the room. If they want what you have they will ask. In other      words, don’t  treat your 60 second      commercial like a sales pitch. Instead, focus on building a relationships..
5. Tell a compelling story. People      love stories and storytellers. They engage us and let us feel free to      interact and converse. Telling a story with your commercial is a great way      to interest the listener and ensure the conversation moves forward into      the details of what you do. For example, tell a story about someone      finding a solution to a problem – the solution, of course, is your company      or product.
6. Don’t tell too much. Rather      than divulging every aspect of who you are and what you do, you must      create a 60 second commercial that compels the listener to ask more. The      best ones transition into conversations driven by the listener’s      curiosity. This has the dual impact of engaging your fellow members and      enabling you to go into greater detail on your products and services.
7. Stay flexible. No      matter how much time you spend developing the perfect pitch, you’ll have      to adapt it to each group, change it up to include other products and      services you offer.. Also, it’s vital to keep it updated and      practice it regularly.
8. Be specific about who you want to do business with. “A good      lead for me is…” makes it easy for the people in the room to remember when      they come across people. The more specific you are, potentially the fewer      leads you will receive but they will be of higher quality.
9. Create a memorable hook. People remember things like jingles,      tag lines and humorous sayings. I remember (and still remember the persons      name 10 years later) Wayne from Infincom closing a 60 second commercial      with “Everything we do we Dudley Do Right” and a company called Royal      Plumbing cleverly saying “A Royal Flush beats a Full house every time”
10. Leave Behinds. It is very important to leave behind for      everyone a flyer, brochure, catalog or at least a business card. Even if      people know who you are and what you do this is another opportunity to      reinforce your message.

Overtime we all become a little lazy when we attend a weekly networking meeting. It is very easy to assume that the people in the room know all about your business but studies show that very few people actually can accurately repeat the benefits of doing business with you to a prospect. Better they have something to refresh their memory each week.

Networking meetings can be an effective method of developing a network of eyes and ears – people who are looking for business opportunities for you. If you treat it like the expensive advertising it really is.

Terry Mickelson has a unique understanding of local search marketing, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, link popularity building, social media and they way they interact with one another in real life to generate traffic and increase revenue. Since 1998 Terry has been helping companies from mom and pop’s to fortune 500’s get found locally and nationally in the search engine results pages. Terry can be reached at 480-626-4807 http://www.getfoundlocal.com

Moms Are Super Web Surfers and Rely Heavily on Search for Purchases

Moms rely heavily on search engines for both online and offline purchases, and when coordinating travel and planning a host of other activities, according to a study unveiled by DoubleClick Performics last week, reports MarketingCharts. The "Searcher Moms - A Search Behavior and Usage Study" was conducted in cooperation with Microsoft and ROI Research.

"Of the nearly 1,000 moms surveyed, 89 percent use the internet at least twice per day, and 90 percent have been using it for more than seven years," said Stuart Larkins, vice-president of search for DoubleClick Performics. "A whopping 86 percent of respondents said search engines are the most efficient way to find information."

Regarding moms' media consumption habits, the study found that…

• Respondents spend the most time with the internet and television.

• Three-quarters spend one hour or more per day using both the internet and watching television.
• 76 percent spend one hour or more per day using the internet, and 36 percent spend three or more hours per day.

Among other search-related findings of the study:

• 70 percent use search engines to gather information before making any online purchase.

• 57 percent use search engines to gather information before making any offline purchase.
• 64 percent use search engines to find out where to purchase products offline.

MarketingCharts offers some additional findings from the study.

The original article can be found here. http://tinyurl.com/35s9op

 

GetFoundLocal.com launches a simple, effective, and inexpensive method of acquiring new customers for local businesses.

 The problem with internet marketing for businesses that draw customers from their own city has been the cost and complexity of effectively reaching customers in the neighborhoods.

For years, dentists, chiropractors, attorneys, auto repair shops and others have been splitting their advertising dollar between mailings, newspaper ads, coupon packs, several variations of the Yellow Pages and other expensive advertising methods. While each of these can play a part in reaching local customers, the cost of advertising in each rises as printing and postage costs increase.

Recent studies indicate that 30% of every search on the Internet is local in nature, meaning that local consumers are looking for businesses in their own back yard. According to Lee Ranalli, Vice President of Sales for Get Found Local, a Scottsdale, AZ based local lead generation company, “70% of U.S. households use the web to help make decisions when shopping locally for products or services and that number goes up exponentially when the perceived purchase price is over $100.”

Ranalli says, “The internet is where a local business with a small advertising budget can reach local customers and compete with the corporate giants. A business can be listed in the search results of the major local search sites and online Yellow Pages. The big guys may already have spent tens of thousands of dollars to create a large presence online that helps them get found nationally or internationally. However, most haven’t figured out how to get their individual locations found in Google, Yahoo, Dex, Superpages and other local information providers. With the Get Found Local service, businesses don’t even have to have a web site to be found by customer’s right in their own back yard.”

GetFoundLocal.com has launched a web site where business owners provide information about their business detailing location, hours of operation, brands carried, professional affiliations and other information that customers would like to know about them. The information is then hand submitted to each of the major local search sites. These search providers display web page ads that are delivered to millions of local consumers’ everyday. The Get Found Local service is $249.00 one time set up and $49.00 per month. The service includes inclusion in a coupon distribution system that connects businesses within the community to one another.

Get Found Local is a Scottsdale AZ based local lead generation and local search engine optimization and marketing company that lists businesses in local search sites. For further information please visit www.getfoundlocal.com or contact Lee Ranalli at 1-866-391-0486.

Free Google 411 service has huge potential to deliver new customers to local businesses

Google has announced Voice Local Search, an automated system which allows users to easily get the information they need to find local businesses for free. Getfoundlocal.com introduces a new service assisting Google in identifying local businesses to list and refer customers to.

Scottsdale, AZ April 16, 2007€” Google Labs now offers a free automated 411 service  (Google Voice Local Search) to customers. Individuals may call 1-800-GOOG-411 and specify the local business, city and state they would like to search . Callers are offered two options: to be connected directly  or receive the listing information through a text message with the name, address and telephone number of the local business.

Google also updated the way people get and receive information with Google SMS. A message can be sent from a cell phone to 466453 (Google) containing the name or category the sender would like searched along with the city and state or zip code. Google sends a text message back containing the information the customer inquired about.

Google Voice Local Search and SMS service appear to use the same local information found on Google Maps.  If a business is not listed with Google Maps they do not have a chance for their business information to be delivered to the person requesting the information via text message. Instead, the businesses competitors’ information will be given to the potential customers.

As customers use the Internet and cell phones more in their daily lives to obtain information, they use the print Yellow Pages less. Recent studies indicate 30% of every search on the Internet is local in nature, which means local consumers look for local merchants. A full 70% of U.S.households use the web to help make decisions when shopping locally for products and services.  With the marketing power of Google behind a service that is offered to the consumer for free instead of paying for 411 calls, chances are the service will catch on with the general public.

In addition to the Google Voice Local Search service, businesses must ensure they are properly included in the Google Maps data base and the local search results of all of the major search engines and online Yellow Pages.  New businesses and companies that have not purchased advertising in traditional print Yellow Page books are frequently left out of local search databases owned by Yahoo, Google, Verizon, AOL, MSN and others.  Businesses that are included often have incorrect or incomplete data listed in one or more of the local search databases.

Millions of searches are conducted daily on local search sites. Unless a business is included in the search results and provides accurate contact information there is no chance of getting found by a potential customer. Existing customers may be lured away by competitors simply because they are being found when the consumer is ready to buy. 

The problem for many locally owned businesses is they have limited resources and little time to educate themselves about on-line advertising and yellow pages.

GetFoundLocal.com has launched an inexpensive service to help businesses that are dependent on local customers get listed in the Google Maps data base and in the local business listings of Yahoo, AOL, MSN, Superpages, online Yellow Pages plus many other popular local search sites, even if they do not have a web site. It starts by completing a simple online questionnaire; products or services offered, hours of operation, payment types accepted, location, special offerings etc. All the information gathered is then used to hand submit to the major local search companies for inclusion in their local search results. In addition, GetFoundLocal.com provides the business owner with means to track the behavior of visitors to the local businesses website if they have one.

Get Found Local is a Scottsdale AZ internet marketing company assisting local businesses in reaching their local customers inexpensively, simply and effectively. For further information please visit http://www.getfoundlocal.com or call 1-866-391-0486.

Most expensive Adwords are Local

The Top 100 Most Expensive “Web Design” Adwords

It appears that the most expensive web design adwords are connected to local search. Designers pay a lot for keywords like ‘<city / state name> web design’.

For example, the most expensive ‘web design’ adword is ‘connecticut web design’, costs $49.71. Next is ‘houston web design’ for $27.87, after Houston comes ‘california web design’ for $19.63 and ‘boston web design’ for $18.16.

This is the table of the top 100 web design google adwords, as of September 18, 2006:

For the full story go here.

The Problem with Qwest Dex....

I was going through some old spam today and happened across an email from a woman who had been referred to me by a friend back on July 17^th.

I immediately called her and apologized for not getting back to her before now. She understood the issues with spam and thanked me for calling, only after she explained she had signed a 1 year contract with DEX to build host and list in the Dex online yellow pages.

Just for giggles I went to her site and took a look at it. The site is clean and simple - 3 pages. Not a lot of text or anything but a good brochure site.

I checked the server to make sure that the spiders could read it and found nothing wrong. I then checked a whois file and found the site is hosted along with 24,000+ other sites. Not a great thing but unless someone is a real big spammer and gets the entire block of addresses banned, this should not hurt them.

The domain was originally set up in July of 2006. Being new and only registered for 1 year makes it harder to get into the mainstream search engines.

The owner of the site is concerned because they are not being found anywhere in Google. I ran a couple of reports and they are not being found anywhere.

I explained that Dex does not really promote the site in the search engines but just lists them in their own directory.  The business caters to senior citizens and comes to them for hair cuts, and hair services.

When I search Dex for what I thought they should be found under “mobile hair cuts” I get one listing. It is for a competitor and it only lists their name and phone number. I moved on and searched for “mobile hair salon” and again got the same competitor.

When I searched Google for company name + phoenix, az they are listed. Unfortunately, the listing has a link to a directory areacodelocal.com where it lists all of their competitors.

In Yahoo local, the client does not exist. Same with AOL Local and MSN live.

So what does a business like this do to attract more customers?

First, they have to get found where their customers are looking for them, in the local search results of Google, Yahoo, MSN and AOL. They do this by listing their address on every page of their site, exchanging links with other non-competing local merchants and by going in and correcting the listings with each of the major search engines.

It will be important that once the customers get to their site that they collect email addresses so that a relationship can be formed and to measure everything customers do on their site including asking every caller where they found out about them.

Additionally, I would spend $100.00 or so to test out a pay per click campaign that is just based on local search results.

Of course this company could also benefit by hiring Get Found Local to help them with all of their Local Search Marketing challenges.