LOCAL SEARCH MARKETING & SEO, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
Nearly 70% of consumers use the internet to find a local business to purchase from.
Studies show that they are typically in the final stage of the buying process while doing so, presenting the ideal opportunity for a local business to make the sale and gain a new customer. They are also using their smartphones to perform those same searches while out shopping and in many cases, proceed immediately to that business to make a purchase.
The majority of small businesses do not have an effective online presence, which presents a tremendous opportunity to dominate your local market with local search marketing. So how is this accomplished?
Google is by far the most dominant search engine, with about 67% of the market share for all internet searches performed. Yahoo and Bing combined make up about 28% and have a similar local search structure. When a consumer uses one of these to search for a local business in a specific area, the local search results will usually appear first on the page.
What are local search results?
In the screenshot below from an actual Google search, they are the listings you see with the red balloon next to each one. The top 7, or 7-pack as commonly referred to, are the most desirable listings and can often be achieved with Google Places optimization. If you look at the bottom of the local search results, you will see that there is an option to click on More Results. That is where you do not want your business to be. Why? Studies show that the majority of consumers will not look past these top 7 results. They are usually displayed first although they are occasionally mixed with the organic search results below them.
What is Google Places?
Google Places is basically a business listing service for local businesses on Google. When someone searches for a local business, Google will often display results as seen in the image above. There is the business name, their online rating or reputation, which is shaped by customer reviews, and their Place Page link. If a customer clicks on the business name, they are taken to the business's website, if they have one. If they click on the Place Page or the reviews link, they are actually taken to the business's Google Places Page, not their actual website. It is not a requirement to have a website although Google made some changes in 2011 that may affect that in some cities or in all cities in the future.
The Google Places page contains more detailed information on the business and is where the consumer can read online customer reviews. In some cases, the customer will never actually visit the business's website, only the Google Places page for the business, so it is imperative that this page is well optimized for the potential customer with Google Places optimization.
Here is a short video with some testimonials from actual business owners on how important it is for you to have a well optimized Google Places business page and a solid online business reputation.
There are also millions of searches performed each month on local business and consumer review websites such as Yelp, CitySearch, Yellowpages.com and dozens more. The most effective internet marketing strategy combines local search marketing with SEO, or search engine optimization of the business's website.
What is search engine optimization or SEO?
The best way to explain this is to give an example. Let's say you own a plumbing business in Tampa, Florida but you offer service in many cities nearby. With local business listings on Google Places and other online directories, your business will typically only appear to people searching for a plumber in Tampa. However, with SEO, your business will appear to people searching in all of the additional cities where you service, giving you exposure to hundreds if not thousands more consumers. We can also target more specific terms that they may be searching for other than just a plumber, such as drain cleaning, water leaks, etc. SEO will result in a much broader reach than what a general business listing will provide, therefore bringing you many more customers.
However, SEO is not just for these types of businesses and can also benefit the traditional brick and mortar establishment with a fixed location. Let's say you own a day spa. Instead of just appearing in search results for day spas, with SEO you can also appear when people are searching for massage, facials, manicures, pedicures, hair salons, etc.
How we can help…
We specialize in helping local businesses rank high in the local search results on Google, Yahoo and Bing for the area where your business is located or where your services are offered. This can also eliminate the need for pay per click advertising if you are currently allocating marketing dollars in that area. In addition, we establish a strong presence for your business on other consumer review and local business directory sites, increasing your online reach. We use the following techniques to achieve this:
Create new or optimize existing business listings on Google Places, Yahoo Local & Bing Local for ideal local search results.
Create new business listings manually each month or optimize your existing listings on local search sites such as Yelp, CitySearch, Yellowpages.com and many more. Manually created listings are more relevant to local search results than bulk electronic submissions, which is what most local search marketing companies offer. We will conduct routine manual searches to determine which local listing site is most relevant for your specific business. Some are more valuable than others.
Mobile device search placement. Statistics show that nearly 50% of all searches are performed on a mobile device. Many business directory listings, including Google Places, have options to display local search results, often on mobile apps. This is highly valuable as many consumers searching on mobile devices intend to immediately follow up with either a visit or phone call. We make sure your business is listed for these consumers where available.
Search Marketing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of your website for improved local and organic search results. We also include monthly search engine ranking reports, so you can track your progress.
Add special offers to your listing to engage customers and give them an incentive to choose you over your competitor.
Analyze your current website and provide input if necessary, on recommended improvements for increased revenue potential.
This is just one of the internet marketing services we offer! Click on the following links to read about our Reputation Management and our Website Tracking & Reporting services. Or if you have seen enough and want to know how we can help your specific business, visit our Contact Us page.
Marketing Made Simple - 11705 Boyette Road Suite 201, Riverview, Florida -
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- 1-855-44MYREP or 1-855-446-9737
