What is Local Search Marketing?

What is Local Search Marketing?

The hot topic on the Internet is local search marketing. The predictions for growth are nothing less then phenomenal, and are similar to the early days of pay per click advertising. What is driving local search marketing is the sudden surge in consumer search on a local level. According to a recent report by the Kelsey Group:

"Annual Web search usage and volume is projected to cross the 100 billion threshold-with local commercial searches surpassing 20 billion."

There is money in those searches, and everyone from search giant Google, to local businesses, are trying to figure how to cash in on this new trend. As a local business how can you profit from local search?

The simple answer is that you get your business listed at the top of searches that are relevant to your products or services. The two alternatives for a prominent listing are through: * Search Engine Optimization * Pay Per Click Advertising

Search engine optimization requires considerable time and effort, but it is free. And as indicated by the name, pay per click advertising cost money. Local Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization is the strategy of optimizing your web pages around relevant keywords and phrases. For example, if you are a local wedding photographer in Raleigh, you would want to optimize a page, particularly your home page, around the term "Wedding Photographer Raleigh." The goal is to have your page come up on the first page of search results.

How do you optimize your page(s)? By having the phrase "Wedding Photographer Raleigh" strategically placed throughout the page. This does not mean you have the term spammed through the entire page, but rather you have it flow naturally within the content.

Equally important in Search Engine Optimization is in-bound links. These are links that point to your site from other web sites. The search engines realized a while ago that anyone can create a page that is optimized with content, and that alone is not a good determinant regarding relevancy. It was the founders of Google who defined relevancy by the number and quality of links pointing to a site.

An optimize page would suggest the theme of content, while the in-bound links would determine the importance of the page. With the right combination of content and in-bound links your web pages can get top ranking.

Competing for search results on a local level gives you an advantage over a business that vies for a national or international audience. The competition is not nearly as fierce locally, and that increases your chances of ranking at the top. Local Pay Per Click Advertising

The innovative nature of pay per click advertising is radically changing not only Internet marketing, but also offline marketing. What was a minor industry just a few years ago, is now a multi-billion dollar business. PPC ads are found at the very top of the search result pages and along the right hand column. They are listed as "Sponsored Links."

Pay per click advertising is based on an auction model. Advertisers bid and compete on keywords that their customers would use in a search. For example, if the advertiser were selling contact lenses, they may compete on a term like "Acuvue Color Contacts." Depending on how high an advertiser is willing to bid in comparison to their competition, will determine their position in sponsored search results. But the major appeal of PPC is you only pay if a prospect clicks on your ad. In other words, you only pay for results.

Some terms like "Home Mortgages" can go as high as $50 per click, while vague phrases can be as little as $.05 per click. When competing on a national level the competition can be cutthroat. On a local basis PPC is not near as competitive, and traffic to your web site can be very cost-effective. In fact, PPC can offer local businesses the lowest cost per acquisition for new customers.

With local Pay Per Click advertising you have two strategic approaches. You can bid on keywords combined with regional terms like "Wedding Photographer Raleigh." Or you can bid on terms like "Wedding Photographer" and designate a specific region or distance from your business that you are willing to service.

There are a number of factors that make PPC appealing, including the fact that you can start generating traffic to your web site within an hour, you can define daily budgets and you can turn on or off you campaign instantly.

So there you have local search marketing in a nutshell. Can it be profitable to your local business? Without a doubt. In fact, local search marketing is already impacting offline marketing, particularly yellow page and newspaper advertising. Most of the major newspaper chains and the YP publishers are reporting lower revenues due to the growth of local search marketing. Revenues from local search marketing are expected to triple in the next year.

As a local business NOW is the time to profit from the surge in local searches. Few local businesses have figure out Internet marketing, which provides ripe opportunities for those who do. Get the jump on your competition and be a major player in your local market.

About The Author Fred Waters is the Author of the Take No Survivor Guide to Local Online Marketing. Designed for local businesses that want that want to reach new customers through the Internet.