Local Search provides the latest news and information about the growing segment of local search marketing, including tips on how to take advantage of local directory providers and online yellow page listings, mapping tools and location based services to help users uncover real-world merchants, franchise locations, locally owned small businesses and community places. Columnists cover geo-targeting, zip code and map data being used by searchers and search engines to provide locally relevant results.

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The Four Keys To Post-Penguin Directory Submission Happiness

Jun 11, 2012 at 1:18pm ET by Andrew Shotland

The Google+ Local launch came out while I was working on this piece so it merits a brief mention. While Google+ Local will be a big deal, at the moment for most local businesses, it is not a huge deal. Thus far, there does not appear to be much change in Google's main local rankings algorithm besides the fact that Google+ Local pages will be indexed versus the old Places pages which were pseudo-indexed. It seems as if this update is mostly about getting us ready for changes coming down the road, where social activity gets even more ingrained in Google's algo. If you're interested in the sub [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Link Building | Local Search

Study: 66% Of Consumers Would Recommend A Local Business Based On Special Offers

Jun 4, 2012 at 12:02pm ET by Myles Anderson

In March and April, we (BrightLocal) published the findings of Parts 1 and 2 of the Local Consumer Review Survey 2012. The data and charts below are the 3rd and final installment of this survey. About Local Consumer Review Survey 2012 This online survey was conducted between 15th January – 1st March 2012. A set of 18 questions were put to a survey panel of 4,500 local consumers located in US, Canada and UK. We received 2,862 respondents. This is the 2nd wave of the Local Consumer Review Survey. The 1st wave of this survey was conducted in late 2010/early 2011. We compared results betwee [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Can Local Businesses Jump On The Pinterest Train?

May 29, 2012 at 11:54am ET by Stephanie Hobbs

It’s the 'new' social network everyone is talking about – and if you’re a local business owner, it could be a strong addition to your online marketing strategy. For the past few years, marketers have stressed the need for local businesses to leverage social networks like Facebook and Twitter to drive engagement with existing and potential customers. Now Pinterest, the visual scrapbook network that allows users to "pin" images and video they want to share from across the web, is becoming part of the conversation for a number of reasons: Unprecedented user growth. In March, Pinterest [...]

5 Local Linkbuilding Ideas For The Post-Penguin/Panda Era

May 14, 2012 at 11:34am ET by Andrew Shotland

I have been fielding a lot of calls from sites big and small that believe they got hit by Penguin, Google's "over-optimization" algorithm. Or maybe it was Panda? Who knows? Traffic is down and everybody is freaking out. I have a particular soft spot in my heart for the small, local businesses that have been hit, in many cases because they bought into someone's spammy linkbuilding scheme. I have had a few discussions with other SEOs who are attempting to take down clients' spammy looking links, and while that might be effective, the ROI on finding and getting all of those links delete [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Link Building | Local Search

Local Consumer Review Survey 2012 – Part 2

May 7, 2012 at 12:30pm ET by Myles Anderson

In March, we published the findings of Part 1 of the Local Consumer Review Survey 2012. Part 1 dealt with the consumption of online reviews and the influence they have on consumer behavior & purchase of local business services. You can view the key findings and analysis here on Search Engine Land. About The Local Consumer Review Survey 2012 This online survey was conducted between 15th January – 1st March 2012. A set of 18 questions were put to a survey panel of 4,500 local consumers located in US, Canada and UK. We received 2,862 respondents. This is the 2nd wave of the Local Co [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Five Key Learnings From A Local Marketing Success Story

Apr 30, 2012 at 1:46pm ET by Stephanie Hobbs

One of our most compelling speakers at the 2012 Local Search Association annual conference was Mary Boysman, VP Brand Marketing and Advertising at Aspen Dental, a fast-growing, multi-market health care provider. Speaking to a crowd of local search leaders from around the world, Boysman described in detail how she and her team developed a comprehensive strategy that drove meaningful local leads for her business and elicited support from the highest levels of her organization. The presentation left the group buzzing because it outlined the type of innovative and integrated local marketing [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

5 “Local” Search Engines You Should Be Targeting

Apr 23, 2012 at 1:34pm ET by Chris Silver Smith

We usually hyperfocus on Google Place search and Maps results, since they have such large market share. But there are good reasons for local businesses to be concerned with ranking elsewhere as well. So, here are a few other local search engines to consider, and a few tips for ranking effectively in their results. It's not surprising that many businesses focus mainly on ranking well in Google's local results, but working to rank well in some other search properties often has the benefit of helping to augment one's rankings in Google, too. Ranking well in directories can give your listing [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Four Key Reasons To Reconsider Today’s Yellow Pages For Local Marketing

Apr 2, 2012 at 4:25pm ET by Stephanie Hobbs

Last week in this column, Chris Silver Smith shared a thoughtful take on the state of Yellow Pages print and online offerings and whether they are worth the investment to local businesses. I applaud Chris for providing an in-depth overview of trends in the industry, and want to offer some additional thoughts and context for readers to consider when making a decision about using Yellow Pages products. Without a doubt, the Yellow Pages space is in a state of transformation. Research has found that fewer people are using print directories in both numbers and frequency than they have previously [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Are Yellow Pages Toast? Four Years Later We Review Ad Value

Mar 26, 2012 at 11:35am ET by Chris Silver Smith

In 2007, I took some heat for pointing out that Google Trends showed declining searches for "yellow pages" while theorizing that this indicated reducing consumer interest in print and online YP sites. About four years later, we can now look back and see whether this turned out to be a valid prediction, and also reflect on what value YP may still have for advertisers. When I wrote that earlier article, I was aware that connecting a major shift in overall consumer behavior to a graphed trendline of searches in Google was a little loose in terms of causality. There are many reasons why peop [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Google Places Ranking Factors – The PhD Version

Mar 19, 2012 at 10:00am ET by Andrew Shotland

Bizible, a start-up that makes local marketing software for SMBs, approached me recently* to preview the results of a Google Places Ranking Factors study they had conducted and I was intrigued enough by their findings to share some of them here. Bizible's team is made up of former Bing AdCenter guys and counts a PhD and a stats expert on their staff, so their study is a more scientific attempt to figure out what's going on with Google Places than your typical "here's what some SEOs think" kind of thing. For methodology, they studied 30 potential ranking factors by querying approximately [...]

Study: 72% Of Consumers Trust Online Reviews As Much As Personal Recommendations

Mar 12, 2012 at 10:00am ET by Myles Anderson

The findings of this year’s Local Consumer Review Survey (2012) show a positive shift in consumer trust and appreciation of online reviews. Approximately 72% of consumers surveyed said that they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, while 52% said that positive online reviews make them more likely to use a local business. About The Local Consumer Review Survey 2012 This online survey was conducted between 15th January – 1st March 2012. A set of 18 questions were put to a survey panel of 4,500 local consumers located in US, Canada and UK. We received 2,862 responden [...]

Now Is The Time To Take Your Local Business Mobile

Mar 5, 2012 at 11:22am ET by Stephanie Hobbs

In today’s device-driven world, plotting your local business’ mobile presence isn’t just a nice add-on, it’s a necessity. Your ability to maximize your business’ visibility, ensure a great customer experience and ultimately drive new sales through smartphones all depend on you understanding the mobile landscape and laying the foundation for success. Here’s a quick guide to get you started on the path to "mobile-izing" your business using apps and search marketing. Why Mobile Is Important Research on the growing relationship between mobile and local is endless. Approximately 61 [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Are Check-Ins A Local Ranking Factor?

Feb 27, 2012 at 9:04am ET by Chris Silver Smith

Check-in services have been one of the few Web 2.0 concepts to tightly combine location data with social media interactions, but it has not been clear if such services convey distinct local ranking benefit beyond the sort of citational reference provided by general online business directories. However, there are some good reasons to believe check-ins may be unique popularity signals for Google local search. Google's blog post on how local search ranking works stated that they use three primary signals for rank determination: Relevance, Prominence and Distance. Businesses have little control [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Have You Been The Target Of A Google Places Hit Job?

Feb 20, 2012 at 9:15am ET by Andrew Shotland

It’s a Golden Grahams kind of day ... You and your marketing team have set up the first steps to your local presence: a Google Places Page. Life is good. A few days later, you check in and you see that your position and display are great—but what is up with the three star rating? Three stars isn't so bad in any real-world rating, but online reviews tend to be rather extreme, so anything lower than 4 stars can be off-putting to the searcher. As you start planning your reputation management strategy, you think that perhaps your staff had a bad day, so it’s just a matter of responding [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Maps & Local | Local Search

How To Get A 10x Lift In Monthly Unique Visitors

Feb 16, 2012 at 12:48pm ET by Paul Bruemmer

Retailers have used signage, billboards, newspapers, magazines, vehicles, buildings, radio, TV – just about every means imaginable to market their products and services. But never have we seen retail marketing spread exponentially in different directions since the advent of the Internet and the proliferation of computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. In fact, the Internet and search engines have changed the nature of retail marketing forever. And that’s good news for retailers. What can retailers do to take full advantage of Internet marketing? Here are three marketing strate [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Retail | Local Search | Search & Retail

5 Rules To Turn Your Local Business Into A ‘Social’ Business

Feb 13, 2012 at 9:09am ET by Myles Anderson

Before I dive in and give you some juicy, usable ideas for winning new customers and growing your business through social channels I want to get something straight. When I say ‘social’ business, I don’t mean social enterprise or non-profit businesses. What I mean by ‘social’ is making your business a talking point. It’s about how you can make your business interesting enough so that people want to talk about it and share ‘stories’ of your business with their friends and colleagues. Social Media vs. Social PR Also I’m not just talking about Social Media and how to use Fac [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Latest Google Search Revamp Brings Opportunities For Local Businesses

Feb 6, 2012 at 11:06am ET by Stephanie Hobbs

Recently, Google announced (and Search Engine Land intensely covered) what is being described as the most significant revamp to date of their basic search tool. To sum it up from the start, the changes will likely provide local businesses with the ability to merge aspects of their search optimization and social media strategies into a unified approach via Google+, the company’s new social network. The new opportunities presented by the revamp will undoubtedly deliver unprecedented search visibility for the products and services of proactive local businesses over time. Their success wi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

10 Basic Bing Local Optimization Tips

Jan 30, 2012 at 10:58am ET by Chris Silver Smith

Local business marketers often hyper-focus on Google search rankings, but it's important not to forget that even if Bing and Yahoo! do not have the lion's share, even 15% of search volume can create a sizable number of potential business referrals. So, here are a few basic tips for optimizing for Bing Local search rankings. Optimization of business profiles in the Bing Business Portal (or "BBP") is not difficult nor time-consuming. Microsoft's newish Beta interfacing for administrating business listing details is actually pretty slick and easy to use. 10 Tips For Optimizing Local Busi [...]

Google Plus Connections Are The New Links

Jan 23, 2012 at 9:10am ET by Andrew Shotland

A couple of weeks ago, Google caused a big hub-bub when it launched Search Plus Your World ("SPEW" for short), the catchy-titled deep integration of Google Plus and Google's organic Web results. Naturally as soon as that happened, many of my clients, big and small, called to get some perspective on what this might mean for them. For those of us who have far-flung social networks, the impact on local queries will likely be small as there will not be enough truly local social network content to populate queries outside of some top categories such as restaurants and events. If the current e [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

Simplicity Is Key To Converting Local Consumers To Customers

Jan 16, 2012 at 9:55am ET by Myles Anderson

As more local consumers turn to search engines and IYPs to locate good businesses in their area, it's surprising how many local businesses have not updated their websites or, worse still, don't have a website at all! [caption id="attachment_107737" align="alignright" width="300" caption="You'd have to be it's mother to love this website!"][/caption] The majority of local SEO activities focus on reaching new, potential customers via Google Places, local directories, social media etc... But not enough consideration is given to what happens when you get a local consumer to your w [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search

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