James Harrison at JamesSEO just did a 3 part article on how to use browser IP addresses for useful redirection. Great explanation, check it out.

Geo-location is starting to be used in many ways. You are seeing it being used a lot on smart phones for way finding, for notifying friends where you are (and how long until you get to them…), for finding shopping and restaurants, for finding specials and sales… and there are more uses. GPS location, IP location, and Cell Tower triangulation are facts of life now. It’s getting easier to find out where someone is.

• What does this do to privacy?

• What does this mean for how much and what information corporations have about us and our habits?

• Is there any public discourse as to how, why and when this tracking should be limited? Or are the corporations just running amuck with this, and governments are complicit because big brother wants to know exactly what you’re doing as well?

It’s called your IP (internet protocol) address. It is a core part of what allows the internet to work. Just like snail-mail addressed to you must use your physical address, your IP address must be available for email, webpages, instant messages, etc., to arrive back to you and not someone else.

An IP address works like how, in order to not get lost, you start with where you are. Then you must know where you are going. Your IP address says where (…and in a very limited way – who) you are in order that the information you request “out there” gets back to you and your device. When you do a web search or click a link, you say where you are going…

How Is Google Using Your IP Address Now?

The most powerful way they are using it is in customizing your search results based on your location. Originally if you searched for a generic phrase like “auto repair,” the result returned was from the best online marketer worldwide, in that niche. While interesting, getting results for auto repair from Australia when you are in Seattle wasn’t really helpful, right?

Local Results Returned

Google now uses where you are searching from to then show you local results related to your keyword phrase. If you are in Vancouver, BC, Canada and search for “auto repair”, you mostly will get results from local “auto repair” websites. This has proven to be great for local business.

Google also uses more sophisticated location tracking in many other ways. One example is Google Latitude, where you can agree to let the application determine your location (using GPS co-ordinates and other geo sources of information). You can then choose to share that realtime information with your friends.

Another way they use it is on Google Maps and from other companies like Platial. You can click on a button and if you agree to let them, the API will place a pin on the map showing your current location. While this might seem a bit creepy, there are numerous uses coming that will make this technology really useful, especially in the mobile search area. And mobile search is almost always local search!

Where Are You?

How Does It Help Your Business?

We feel that it is always smart to have many sources of leads for your business, even if just for the sake of protecting yourself if any of them lose effectiveness. However, optimized local search may reduce the need for expensive advertising in local Yellow Pages, radio and newspapers.

Currently in many markets, it’s fairly easy to rank high on Google for local business terms. This is at best a temporary situation, as small business catches on to how effective this is. We strongly urge you to take advantage now and stake your claim. You will have a head start on the competition.

Want more customers? Let us know if your local business website needs some help to rank better for searches in your local market.