Tag Archives: local
What is Local Search
The objective of online Local search is to make use of the search engines to get local customers in the door or on the phone to local businesses. Find out more about how it can help you.
Local search is when someone uses the internet to search for a local business. They might do this by using a search engine like Google, Yahoo, Bing or a smaller local online directory.
The number of people who do this is so significant that it is vital that local businesses harness these searches to get found ahead of their competition.
In April 2010 Google confirmed that 20% of online searches were for local businesses and this statistic has been increasing quickly with the adoption the Smartphone. That is 100 million searches each day. Smartphones allow people to search for what they want when they want it and the results that are delivered to them are local, making it a very valuable tool for the consumer.
Any business that services a local area or gets a significant amount of their business from their local area and is not advertising effectively on the internet is missing out on a huge amount of potential business. Where people used to let their fingers do the walking with the Yellow Pages, they now use their desktop or smartphone to find the services they need.
For business this is good news !
The cost of reaching potential clients is significantly reduced when harnessing online searches. Where a business in the past would need to fork-out for expensive Yellow Pages advertisements, weekly newspaper adds or overly expensive billboard advertising they can now use a myriad of inexpensive and in some cases free online advertising channels like the Google, Yahoo and Bing maps and places listings.
While some business owners find advertising online a daunting thought, there are many service providers who able to harness the latest channels for businesses at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising methods. These online marketing agencies let business owners concentrate on what they do best and that is running their business and servicing their customers.
The objective of online Local search marketing is to harness these local searches and get customers in the door or on the phone to local businesses.
What is Local Search
The objective of online Local search is to make use of the search engines to get local customers in the door or on the phone to local businesses. Find out more about how it can help you.
Local search is when someone uses the internet to search for a local business. They might do this by using a search engine like Google, Yahoo, Bing or a smaller local online directory.
The number of people who do this is so significant that it is vital that local businesses harness these searches to get found ahead of their competition.
In April 2010 Google confirmed that 20% of online searches were for local businesses and this statistic has been increasing quickly with the adoption the Smartphone. That is 100 million searches each day. Smartphones allow people to search for what they want when they want it and the results that are delivered to them are local, making it a very valuable tool for the consumer.
Any business that services a local area or gets a significant amount of their business from their local area and is not advertising effectively on the internet is missing out on a huge amount of potential business. Where people used to let their fingers do the walking with the Yellow Pages, they now use their desktop or smartphone to find the services they need.
For business this is good news !
The cost of reaching potential clients is significantly reduced when harnessing online searches. Where a business in the past would need to fork-out for expensive Yellow Pages advertisements, weekly newspaper adds or overly expensive billboard advertising they can now use a myriad of inexpensive and in some cases free online advertising channels like the Google, Yahoo and Bing maps and places listings.
While some business owners find advertising online a daunting thought, there are many service providers who able to harness the latest channels for businesses at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising methods. These online marketing agencies let business owners concentrate on what they do best and that is running their business and servicing their customers.
The objective of online Local search marketing is to harness these local searches and get customers in the door or on the phone to local businesses.
The Advantages of Local Search Marketing
The amount of attention you can get directly influences amount of income and Local search marketing is all about getting maximum exposure for your business in your area. Find out more about what’s involved and how it can help.
Local search marketing is about getting a business good exposure in local search results and local directories and there’s a lot to gain by being prominent in these. Most consumers like buying from businesses close to home : I’ve seen statistics that about 80% of customers live with 8km of the stores they go to. Search engines are now detecting searches that have a local intention and displaying the local results along with a map. This makes it far easier for consumers to find what they’re looking for and how to travel to the business as well. Local directories can also bring businesses good exposure.
You can create an account pretty easily with most online directories. In Australia the best known ones are True Local, Smart Local and Hotfrog. Google, Yahoo and Bing also allow you to claim a “Places” page where you can upload your business details, and these are used as the basis for ranking you in the local search results. You don’t need to have a website to be listed in any of these. The Places pages are free and an entry-level listing in the local directories is also free.
How are the Yellow pages going ?
Not too well from reports I see. The physical yellow pages have been pretty-much replaced by smart-phone and desktop searches. And Yellow pages listings don’t provide nearly as much info. Even online, directories like Hotfrog will tell you far more about the businesses you find.
Search engines have fast become the new Yellow pages, saving people a lot of time and energy looking for the location of businesses and the products and services they provide.
What should you do ?
We know that masses of consumers are searching online for solutions to their problems, so marketing online is a different technique to marketing offline. Rather than sending out a message indiscriminately using fliers, billboards or radio and TV commercials, the game has become getting found by people who are specifically searching for what you provide. So you need to make sure you can be found in the places they’re looking . . .
1) Local search engine results. you need to claim a places page with each search engine.
2) Local business directories
3) Review websites
4) Online Press release website
5) Online trade magazines that your type of customer may read