63% of Searches are Local
A recent study reported that 80% of all business is started with an online search. Whatever the number is, I think we can agree that the majority of business starts with an online search.
As people get used to and more experienced in searching online, the world is tilting to emphasize local search. People have learned to use their city name (and/or postal code) to narrow down their search results when they are looking for a business product or service. Nielsen/NetRatings recently reported that 51% of searches are done this way. Earlier research has shown local search is up to 63% of all searches.
For small business owners, that means one thing. If they can find your business with a search, you are way ahead of the competition.
If they can't find you online, you are missing a lot of business!
-
Do you have a website? Is it rich in information and more than just an "online brochure?" Have you revealed a little about yourself and your team on the site… how you do business, what your location is like, drop dead easy directions to find you, what you carry, what your business values are, etc?
Did your web developer talk to you about keywords (the words that people type into a search engine to find your business) and how to use them on your site?
Is your site updated regularly? What is regularly you asks? Once a week, once a day… whatever you can manage! Quality content is the first key. Say something that your customers want to know!
Updating regularly is the second key. The third key is that the more you update, the more traffic you get.
Any ideas?Filed under Blog, Local Search by . 
AOL targets Local Search
Local Search is the linchpin of commerce these days. AOL is making it a core part of their business model, with good reason; local searches grew 58% in 2008 and online advertizing is expected to be taking another enormous jump this year.
More at SubmitEdge SEO News
Filed under SEO News by .
From Google Maps
Here's a quick explanation from the Google Maps Team about where the data comes from to create local search information.
Google Maps Water Cooler
And here's a 10 minute video from Get Listed.org…
How Local Search Engines Work
Filed under SEO News by .
Local SEO: Search Engine Optimization is abbreviated as SEO.
Local SEO is doing search engine optimization in a particular area – a local area.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process and actions of improving your website rank. Your rank or position is literally where you are listed on the page returned after someone searches for a relevant keyword. Increasing your rank can increase your traffic from the organic search results (SERPS) provided by the major search engines – Google, Yahoo, and Bing (MSN).
The promise of proper SEO is that it can get you into one of the hallowed top 3 positions, which get somewhere around 60% of all clicks. Clicks bring people to your website, and assuming (a big assumption…) that your website converts that traffic into customers, clicks mean more business.
Now, the real truth is that for globally competitive search terms; where you are competing with perhaps millions of other sites, getting a top 3 position is a long term task. As an example, let's pick a popular term like "diamonds." Google reports 51,000,000 websites are "about" diamonds. The top rated site is diamonds.com.
The competition for this search term is fierce! There are many, large companies that have whole teams of SEO experts working diligently on improving their search results. The reality is that, without the serious resources required, you simply cannot rank for this term.
Okay, but what about this Local SEO stuff?
Local SEO is about optimizing for local searches. That involves qualifying a search with a local term – continuing our example it would be "diamonds vancouver."
To compare, this local search has 1,040,000 competing websites. However, this comparison doesn't tell the whole story. Digging down into the results shows that, after the first page, there are numerous sites in the results that are… less relevant. There are far fewer competing websites, and the quality of those websites is lower. The competition is far, far less.
Ultimately for now, optimizing for Local Search makes it possible to get top 3 positioning for many search terms. This will not be the case in 2-5 years.
Combining the fact that people are searching for business information more and more; and that leads to more business for local businesses where there isn't as much SEO competition; means that this is the ideal time to start to optimize your website and lock in a top position.
Filed under Blog, Local Search by .
Vancouver Local SEO
This is an exciting and challenging time in the advertising/marketing business. The internet has become the only mass media channel that is still growing and expanding it's reach across almost all demographics.
In Canada, as well, we're facing some strange paradoxes in the telecommunications arena. I could get into telecom pricing, competition; internet access pricing, bandwidth, net neutrality; but I'll rant about those things at another time!
Instead, let's explore what's going on online here in comparison to our southern neighbours. In the larger cities, and in the more online savvy competitive markets, getting a number 1 position for your business is becoming difficult.
In some areas and many markets there is, what amounts to, an all out search engine position gold rush happening in the USA. They are playing hard ball with real money to make sure that they are at the top of the local search rankings for their respective business.
Local search optimization has really blossomed in the last 2 years as an important subset of SEO and smart entrepreneurs are using local search as an important way to drive customers to their business.
In Vancouver, well… for an internet/web development hub in North America, we've actually not done a good job in getting the message out to small and medium sized business owners. And it shows when you do a local search.
The listings are dominated in many markets by directories. This is a clear indicator that small business has not caught on to how much business they are leaving on the table by not having an internet marketing strategy.
When we look into the future, say 5 years from now.. what do you think will be the reality? Is there going to be less internet access or more? Is there going to be cheaper web access in more places or less? Will internet capable telephones be more popular?
I think the answers to those questions are self evident. The changes that we will see to easy online access in the next 5 years will be startling. Further, I predict that they will finally mean that businesses without websites will have a very hard time keeping profitable.
Worse (for those who are deaf to this tsunami coming), the businesses that take advantage now and secure top rankings on the search engines and maintain them, will be virtually cemented in place. They will get the lions share of the business.
After all the hype from 10 years ago about how the internet was going to change everything, it is happening now and accelerating around us. The gold rush is starting for local search positions in Vancouver. Are you ready?
Traffic is not the be all and end all of making your website a business producing tool. Does your website convert that traffic into customers using a well designed and systematic conversion process?
Hanson Brothers
Here's great article discussing some pitfalls from one of my favorite local SEO blogs.Is Flat the new Hockey Stick Growth?
Filed under Blog, Local Search by .