Local Search for Local Business
LOCAL SEO AND GOOGLE
For businesses that cater to a local market it is important to understand Local SEO and how it can increase your new customer base dramatically in a very short amount of time. For this example we will use a simple scenario involving a typical Google user’s (myself) scneario;
My house was damaged due to the storm winds and we need to find a reliable and effective roofer to repair the damages to the roof.
- Problem: Damaged Roof
Solution: Roofer
- Since my job is online I am used to the internet and I will almost inevitably go online to find information and references quickly. I will go to Google.com and do a search query for either my problem or the soultion I feel is most appropriate:
Cincinnati Roofers, Cincinnati Roofing, Roofers in Cincinnati, etc.
What this does is targets my search to my location and the service I am need need of:
I may also just query my problem itself by using, “roof damage in Cincinnati”. Since our goal is to convert sales and not simply traffic, keyword research is a vital part of a good SEO program. We will research what keywords or phrases are right for your business.
Local SEO is a Search Engine Optimization strategy to obtain placement in listings that geo-target a specific market.
In this picture you can see that, by geo-targeting my location, I am provided with a map of roofers in Cincinnati before I even reach the Google results or SERP’s “Search Engine Results Pages”.
These maps represent actual locations and cannot be P.O. Boxes. It is important to note that Google still treats the Local Business Center an Open Source application with a verification process. So you must respond to a mailed parcel before your listing can be validated.
Sponsored “Paid” Results
You will also find the Adword “Pay Per Click (PPC)” Sponsored links on the right (and sometimes top) of the screen. These links are purchased in a bidding process (good local keywords sell at approx. $1-$5 per click-through) and because of that fact, most seasoned internet users will bypass these results in search of “organic results”, which cannot be purchased and are only granted to those who Google feels is the most qualified result based on the search query.
As you can see, the first of the organic results is a directory by Superpages.com. Research shows that intelligent shoppers will bypass directory listings in search of an actual business or commercial website.
SEIZE EVERY LOCAL SEARCH
Because we know two things already;
1. We know that the user has a problem already and are actively seeking to remedy their problem
2. We know that the this user is within our service or market area
These two crucial pieces of information target the traffic to your website or promotion better than any other means of advertising today, which inevitably produces more sales and incoming revenue. Case studies from service providers and contractors boast up to 35% higher gross sales within 6 months of hiring an SEO for a localized or geo-targeted search optimization program.