Local Search Marketing ? What Is It and Why It's Important :: Duct ...

Toledo, Ohio

Below are stats from Kelsey, comScore and Direct Mail News that really hammer the notion that small local businesses need to get very serious about being able to rank when people search for local solutions.

• 90% of online commercial searches result in offline bricks and mortar purchases (comScore)
• 82% of local searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call or purchase (TMP/comScore)
• 74% of internet users perform local searches (Kelsey Group)
• 61% of local searches result in purchases (TMP/comScore)
• 54% of Americans have substituted the internet and local search for phone books (comScore)
• 35% of all searches are local (DM News)

The search engines know this better than anyone and are quickly building powerful tools to make sure that people are getting this information whether they?re at their desktop or they?re out and about in their car on their mobile device.

This idea of local focus has become the most significant element of change in search engine optimization (SEO) over the past several years.

Local search is reinventing the way consumers find local products and services. Rather than using the yellow pages, consumers are turning to internet search engines to help them find a particular local business. With the addition of smart phones, consumers are able to search the internet any time of the day, regardless of their location, to find a business that offers the products are services they are seeking.

Simply, local search is the process of getting your website to appear in the search engines for specific keywords targeting local consumers. When taking advantage of local search marketing techniques, you can target both organic search engine results and paid search engine results. Both methods are highly effective and a terrific way to drive more traffic to your website and ultimately your business.

If a business hopes to be successful in today?s tough economy, they will need to harness the power of local search to increase their revenue. By having an online presence in the major search engines, businesses will be able to attract local consumers. Consumers are no longer using the phone book to find the products and services they are after, rather they are using internet search engines to help them locate a local business, which is why your business needs to optimize this opportunity. Local search engine marketing is also extremely cost effective, which is very appealing to a small business owner that may be looking to keep his advertising costs at a minimum.

There are a few things you can do to get your website found locally:

• Optimize your website for local search terms
• Target keywords directly related to your business and location to help attract local consumers
• Advertise your business online through other internet marketing methods such as pay per click advertising and social media marketing

Small Business Marketing Takeaway:
As local consumers become increasing plugged into technology, you need to be able to attract their attention when they are searching for a product or service that your business offers. If your small business depends on customers from your city or neighborhood, you have to get found online locally. Advertising in the printed version of the Yellow Pages, is not enough in this Web 2.0, mobile world.

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About Patrick Giammarco

I'm a marketing consultant and digital technology and Social Media coach. I am also the owner of PWG Marketing. As northwest Ohio?s only Certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant, I bring focus, control, clarity and confidence to small business marketing by installing the Duct Tape Marketing System. Visit www.pwgmarketing.com or email me at patrick@pwgmarketing.com to schedule your complimentary Signature Brand Audit.

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