Sunday, January 16, 2011

Local Search Marketing

Atlanta Local Search Marketing

By James Hobson
I think that by now most business owners have developed an appreciation for the necessity of having competitive placement in local search listings. Furthermore, business owners are realizing that just like their website, they need to optimize their local search listings to get better placement.

For those that don't know, local search marketing largely centers around business listings on Google Places, Yahoo Local and Bing Local. There are numerous other local search listings, including directories, however the aforementioned are the big 3 for any business.

Business owners should know that "Local Search" means just that . . . local. Your local listing will not be displayed, even if optimized, for searches of towns where the business is not located.

Local search optimization is the application of specific techniques to make your local search listing be selected for higher placement among peer listings (business listings in your local area). The options to maximize optimization of your local search listing vary between sites. These limitations, and the competitive landscape, are the biggest factors in what action you need to take for local search optimization.

While placement is the top concern, the content of your local search listing is what will "optimize" your conversion rates. As with SEO and website design, getting found is one thing - getting contacted is another.

Local search ranking factors generally boil down to quality of content. The basic rule of thumb for local search optimization is to provide complete and accurate information. Don't be "salesy" or try to manipulate the system. There are formulas for creating effective content which are too involved to explain here.

A bit of good news for business owners is that local search optimization generally is a "do it right once and leave it alone" proposition. You may need to occasionally update your listing however it won't require much ongoing time or expense. The cost to have an internet marketing firm create and optimize your local search listing is dwarfed by the benefits.

Contact us to learn more about our affordable services for creating local search listings and local search optimization. You may also choose to read more at this local search marketing web page.

Google Boost - A Great New PPC Tool

Google has recently launched a beta version of a product names Boost. Saavy internet marketers will plan ahead for this innovative enhancement to a Google Places listing. Getting on top of Google Boost Adsearly can mean more customers!

Presently, Google Boost beta is available in a small number of cities and states. As with Google Tags we anticipate that a wide rollout will happen very soon. E-Platform Marketing and TigerSEO Marketing are already working with this product with clients in San Francisco. Get in touch with us to be added to a notification list when Google Boost becomes available in your area.

Google's Boost are an enhancement to the popular Google Adwords PPC services. For locally targeted search queries a blue "ballon icon" (similar to the bubble icon on Google Places maps) will appear as part of your PPC ad.

The ads can contain basic business information including business name, phone number, address, and the typical local listing features such as customer reviews and ratings.

The preliminary results show a modest increase in conversions. We are expecting this product to deliver incremental gains in lead generation and customer acquisition. Check back for more information or leave a comment below about your experiences with Google Boost.

Website Redesign Guide - Get Started Now!

There's no time like the present to get started on your website redesign project. If your website is over 3-4 years old it probably needs a facelift and some serious attention to on-page SEO. Chances are that a website redesign can cost far less than you expect, and you will capture sales within 1-2 that pay for the website redesign many times over.

You can click the link to find a very helpful Website Redesign Checklist available as a PDF download. This planning guide can help you to work through a methodical website redesign process and avoid common mistakes.

A few highlights from the Guide are how to select a qualified website redesign company, Web 2.0 user considerations, desireable functionalities and a link to an absolutely awesome color scheme selector.

We hope that your business has an awesome 2011. Seriously consider the benefits of a website redesign and get started early in 2011!!!