Local search is fast becoming one of the most attention worthy aspects of SEM.
According to Kelsey Group more than 70% of online shoppers
conduct a local web search, to locate products within close proximity of their home or
business.
It is amazing to me just how slow the general search
marketing community has been to embrace what is a potentially a very profitable area of
focus.
To be successful at local search marketing you must be
familiar with the landscape as it is quite different from the traditional search marketing
arena.
Firstly you need to understand that local search marketing
is targeting a specific type of audience. This is a consumer who uses the Internet to
search for information on where they may purchase locally. They are using the Internet
much like the yellow pages. In fact a study by the Yellow Pages Association suggests that
as much as 85% of people who use print yellow pages also use online yellow pages. This
means that your marketing plan must very specifically target customers who generally
research online but purchase in person. If your business has a physical storefront as well
as an Internet storefront, you will find that the two points of interaction will
compliment one another nicely with your local market.
Creative tracking is essential to local search marketing
campaigns as there is occasionally no online purchase action to associate with traffic;
your visitors will use your website to research your business and then appear in person to
make a purchase. If you can’t differentiate the percentage of in store sales that
were generated by your online marketing efforts, then you cannot gauge the efficacy of
your campaign.
The scenario above obviously does not apply to many online
businesses; however geography should always be taken into consideration when crafting an
Internet marketing strategy.
Once you have a clear understanding of your target
audience, you need to make sure that they see you. For a local search
optimization/marketing campaign this means focusing on the top local search destinations.
No surprise here; the big three that rule standard web search rule local search as well:
Google Local, Yahoo! Local and MSN Local.
We’ll start with #3 Google Local.
Google Local
MSN Local is very straightforward and offers local search
as an integrated option within its main search interface. Local search results are
categorized as residential, business or web; with the residential listings usually
appearing first by default. Most results are complimented by an aerial map.
Yahoo! Local
Yahoo! Local search is user friendly and feature rich.
Yahoo Local also encourages user feedback by allowing searchers to write reviews for
individual listings in the local results which can also be sorted according to cumulative
review scores. Lastly Yahoo Local allows businesses to add their profile to the local
search database directly; a welcome alternative to waiting for a site to be indexed.
Google Local
Google Local is unique in its emphasis on the visual map
that compliments local search results. The search results themselves occupy about ¼ of
the screen, the rest of which is dominated by the detailed and feature rich map.
With the exception of Yahoo’s business registration
feature, appearing in local search results can require optimization of your page copy for
regional terms and references. I have found however that it is usually sufficient to add a
physical address in the footer of the optimized web pages. This is especially effective
for MSN Local. In addition to on page references, securing high quality inbound links
which reference your targeted region in the anchor text will also prove beneficial.
With these specific issues addressed it is important to
focus your efforts on appealing to your locally targeted audience; let them know that you
are a member of the community and a convenient destination where they can do business.
Applying traditional marketing wisdom with this in mind will ensure a successful campaign.
Jason Green is the director of
GreenBUILT Research & Development, a Reno Nevada based Internet visibility firm < http://www.greenbuilt-research.com/ >
dedicated to search technology research, SEO industry development and technology driven
affordable search optimization solutions. Jason is credited with a variety of technical
accomplishments including the development of AXP technology and the S.I.R.E. project. |
