March 29, 2010
David Mihm’s illustration representing the “local search” relationships makes a great point: this business of local search marketing is complicated!
In my experience, the typical local business owner doesn’t have the time or expertise to effectively manage online advertising investments - as illustrated in the recent Search Engine Land article ”Local Search Complexity = SMB Frustration“.
Not only do you have numerous, complex supplier/directory relationships – but the continued fragmentation which is taking place keeps everyone on their toes! Search Engines, social networking, blogs, directories and Internet Yellow Pages, mobile, vertical and hyper-local sites, etc., etc., etc. Additionally, there are website design issues, analytics to keep up with, billing reconciliation, A/B testing, optimization and many other time-consuming elements. Oh, and by the way – let’s not forget about the day job! It can be challenging, to say the least.
This is the primary reason so many third-party providers have jumped-into the game over the past several years – there is a void to fill; an overwelming demand to hand off this business of Internet marketing to a trusted advisor. Problem is: exactly who can you trust? The local SEO expert? Your website design guy? An out-of-work executive or moonlighting sales rep? The phone company, the local newspaper publisher, your tax software company? All these characters are now in the game!
A word to the wise: be careful with whom you choose to work with! Here are a few quick tips:
- Stick with a well-known firm. Check their history; how long have they been in the Internet marketing business? Is it one of their core competencies?
- Was the term “guarantee” used in their pitch? If so, run for the hills!
- Are they charging you for free services like Google Maps, or worse yet – taking “credit” for those leads/clicks?
- Is there a monthly recurring management fee? And if so, is it based on a percent of your overall budget? Hmmmm - could be a conflict of interest…
- Are they willing to provide full transparency and reporting?
- Are testimonials, references or case-studies from happy clients available?
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Posted by Rich H
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.
3 Comments | All Local Search Posts, Maps, Mobile, Retail, Websites | Permalink
Posted by Rich H
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…
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Posted by Rich H
