If Your Local – You Should be Mobile!

March 6, 2010

 

Two weeks ago I found a local ski shop in Vermont for an “emergency repair” via my iPhone. A few days later I used the phone to confirm the location of a hotel in Massachusetts, and last week I found a local Cosi restaurant in Manhattan to grab a quick-lunch with a Client.

Every day, more and more consumers are upgrading their cell phones to Internet-connected devises and smart phones – and everyday more Consumers are using them as I do. Currently, it’s estimated that 15% of all mobile searches contain a local modifier (city/state/zip code, etc). Google has even gone as far as saying that desktop p.c.’s will be irrelevant in three years!

Think about it: you always have your cell phone with you, and it’s always on. Those with smart phones are not only always “on”, but their “online” as well.  

According to The Kelsey Group’s Mobile Local Media Forecast (2008-2013),

  • the percentage of mobile searches that have local intent will increase from 28 percent in 2008 to 35 percent in 2013
  • there are currently 54.5 million mobile Internet users in the United States, which represents 25% of all online users

GPS units and Apple iPad-like devises will also drive mobile searches; so a local business’s ability to be “found” online is increasingly important. This mobile segment of Internet marketing represents a unique and significant opportunity – and businesses who’ve proactively positioned themselves to capture these local mobile searchers will benefit first.

The majority of this growth is being generated specifically by the iPhone – but I believe the numerous new models using Google’s Android mobile platform (Droid, G1, Eris, etc.) will potentially surpass the iPhones influence relatively quickly as they’re carrier agnostic (most major cell phone companies now carry at least one Android phone, the iPhone is limited to AT&T).  Regardless – “mobile” is where the local-search business is headed – so we’ve assembled some important factors and tips that every local business should consider…

  • According to comScore/TMP research (2008 vs. 2009), Google Maps and Yellowbook.com have both been the largest beneficiaries of this increase in mobile search:

Getting included is relatively simple: claim your local business listing on Google, and get on Yellowbook.com (which is also one of the most popular applications download on Android phones).

  • Create a mobile-friendly version of your website. This involves finding a good web developer to help you understand what can and should be done to your website to make it more mobile friendly. This usually involves creating alternate style sheets (“CSS”) for the mobile device so that your site content lays out differently for the small screen. Sometimes a completely different site is a better option. A “.mobi” version of your site makes sense when you have complicated content that needs to be displayed in a radically different way than is does on a traditional computer monitor.
  • Optimize your site for mobile/local search. This includes placing your primary geo (market/city) within your title tag, and your local phone number (not a toll-free) within your meta-description. Additional local SEO tips are posted here.
  • You’ll also want to be listed in as many local directories and databases as possible – they “power” local content across many hundreds of properties across the web. Here’s an easy way to get listed into many of them.

Leave a Comment » | All Local Search Posts, Maps, Mobile, Retail, Websites | Permalink
Posted by Rich H

Internet Marketing Tips from a Local Business.

November 22, 2009

Recommended reading from the HuoMah SEO Blog - 

The post’s author actually owns several local stores in Hawaii, including Wave Shoppe. The post is well written and dead-on. Some great advice and perspective from a real local business owner.   

Local marketing from a business owner’s perspective

This post was written because, I felt you could use a break from all of the clawing and hair pulling that search geeks normally subject each other to on a daily basis. While I am an apparel designer at heart, I’m also a mom and pop small business owner with a physical store and a website – in the trenches if you will.

One area that I really enjoy playing in, (with web marketing) is the Local stuff. As such, I have a bit of Local Marketing wisdom, that I would like to share. So, why don’t you hop into the trenches with me and I will give you a tour of Local SEO from a small business owner’s perspective, as well as comments on some things that could maybe even make you some money in the future.

People selling Local services need to be sensitive to that fact that Local marketing can be one of the most affordable and lucrative things they can engage in. Much of the on-line local listings are free, or for a very nominal cost, and many are permanent.

More here…

1 Comment | All Local Search Posts, Internet Yellow Pages, Maps, Optimization, Retail, Social Networking | Permalink
Posted by Rich H

Capture the $$$ – Identify Trends!

October 27, 2009

One of the more interesting aspects of search marketing is identifying trends and forecasts, and tapping into predictable surges in search volume. This is an annual event for most seasonal businesses, but can also revolve around less predictable economic factors, weather conditions, or major news events. Let’s take a look at how this can benefit a local business…

Halloween is right around the corner, and if you haven’t heard – it now represents one of the largest holidays for retailers. Just released Hitwise Search Intelligence™ data reveals the top 10 search terms from the complete list of 21,597 search terms containing the term ‘costume’. The results are ordered based on the volume of searches from across all major search engines: 

costume related keywords

Naturally, a costume shop would want tap into these potential ready-to-buy consumers by including all or most of these keywords in their campaign. This keyword research, along with effective bidding strategies often separates the high-return campaigns from the expensive ones.

The recent economic downturn has also presented some opportunities. There has been a significant up-tick in searches related to repair services, new car deals, credit counselors, bankruptcy, do-it-yourself items etc. Using Google Insights, take a look at the term ”sell jewelry”…

sell jewelry search trends

"sell jewelry" search volume

Bad news for those forced to sell their jewelry, good news for local pawn shops, brokers and jewelry stores.

Yesterday I met with a local boat dealership in CT. When I recommended that we prepare for his upcoming season by launching an online PPC campaign, he initially thought I was crazy. “December thru February are my slowest months”!  Local Statewide search trends however suggest potential opportunity:

new boat search volume

"new boat" search volume - CT.

Consistatly for the past five years, interest in “new boat” terms begins to climb during late fourth-quarter. As it turns out, apparently consumers start preparing and shopping for this new purchase well before the Northeast waters are ready for swimming! The moral of the story is, reaching potential buyers while they are in the “researching stage” will capture upcoming new sales.       

So, when advertising online – consider the many factors that will affect your success, including search history, trends, forecasts, competition, upcoming seasonal factors and economic opportunities.

Leave a Comment » | All Local Search Posts, Pay-Per-Click, Retail | Permalink
Posted by Rich H

« Previous Entries