3 Local Internet Marketing Strategies For Local Shop Owners
The nature of searching for stuff on the internet changed again in 2009, when Google, Yahoo! and MSN/Bing, the three major Search Engines began serving up “GEO/IP” related results on their “Search Engine Results Pages”, aka SERPs.
GEO/IP has to do with a specific geographic location, defined by the IP Address of the internet service provider and/or the device performing searches & viewing web pages. In other words, the Search Engines are now serving up information to your customers, the searchers, based on where they are when they’re doing the search.
On any given SERP, there are 3 areas of where the Search Engine will supply it’s readers with content. The areas are Local Business Listings, Sponsored Listings, and Organic Listings, and each of these can be used to get your web advertising in front of more potential customers – while they are in the act of searching – I can’t say that enough!
Local Business Listings is a free service offered by most search engines. Any business can have their business profile submitted, one at a time to multiple Search Engines and Directories, by filling in individual online forms.
After your business information has been submitted and approved by, let’s say Google “editors”, you Local Business Listing will start to appear on the results pages for the search phrases that Google feels are relevant for your business.
Local Business Listings should be at the top of the list of “Things To Do” when you have decided to apply some local internet marketing tactics. It’s just that simple.
If you are interested in taking advantage of this service, but don’t have a clue or the time to mess with it, we offer an affordable package. We optimize your business profile and submit it to over 50 Search Engines, Mobile Directories, GPS Navigation Systems and 411 Directories on your behalf. Learn about our Copper Local Business Listing Package.
Sponsored Listings show results based on how much the advertiser is willing to pay (per click) to have their ad appear on SERPs for certain search terms or keywords. Pay Per Click Advertising and it’s sister, Pay Per Impressions type advertising can be very effective when used wisely. These ads are most successful when they have a lot of sizzle and a strong “Call To Action” which when clicked, will send the customer to a specific page – relevant to the original search term itself – and that clearly directs the customer on how to achieve the result they are looking for. Many PPC advertisers offer free reports on a subject in order to build their internet prospect list. Other PPC ads drive traffic to a sales page dedicated to specific product.
As far as local internet marketing tactics go, PPC is a strong choice to drive more traffic to your website in a short period of time. It can become very expensive, especially if you aren’t sure how to analyze the data. We do like it. We do use it. We offer PPC as a local internet marketing strategy, but only after a thorough evaluation of your market and your local competition in that market. Take a look at our Silver Competitive Analysis Package to learn more, or contact us directly for more information.
Finally, Organic Listings, now often referred to as Universal Listings Results, show the most relevant web pages that exist on the entire internet for any particular search term.
A search for ‘kitchen cabinets’ will return different results than a search for ‘kitchen cabinets Sierra Vista’, or ‘custom kitchen cabinets 85635′. While this is true with Local Business Listings and PPC Ads, we have been able to dominate the Organic Listings for search terms, especially in local markets, by making sure that each and every one of our web pages is presented to the search engines in the way that is easiest for them to digest. When Google, for example, can easily determine what your web pages are about, and that you have taken the time to optimize your pages and page descriptions for the benefit of the searchers, then you will most likely be rewarded with a better position in the SERPs.
There’s more to it than that, of course. In fact, the sciences of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) are both complex and intuitive. We offer customized promotional plans based on comprehensive market research and competitive analysis. If you’d like to drive a steady stream of traffic to your business location, this package may be for you. Contact Us about customized internet promotion.
In Summary, local internet marketing can put you into a real time conversation with masses of potential customers across the globe and in your back yard. Take advantage of our extremely affordable Local Business Listings package or do it yourself, but get listed on the internet today! Your customers are looking for you right now.