Posted by: Janessa Seewald, Account Manager

The latest statistics show that more than 40% of searches within search engines have local intent. For local business owners this means that not only is important to have a website, but to also focus on optimization of your local business listings. Some best practices to consider when developing and optimizing local business listings include:

• Claim your business listing and ensure it is updated. This may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many listings some businesses already have that they don’t even know exist or are outdated. Claiming the listing you want or that is the most accurate, will allow you to make updates on a regular basis which is very important within the eyes of the local and larger search engines.
• Select the most appropriate categories for your business listing. In most cases you are given several options and can choose more than one category. Make sure you don’t select too many categories as this can dilute the significance of your listing for the most appropriate and relevant categories; however, you also don’t want to select too few categories as this may make it difficult for potential customers to locate your business when searching.
• Include important product and/or service keywords related to your business within the title of your listing. This will not only help increase your rankings within the search engines, but also make your listing stand-out amongst the competition.

Similarly to optimizing a website, optimization of local business listings can take time and involves several more factors than the ones listed above, but starting with these few tips will help start your listing in the right direction.

Posted by: Caitlin Diehl, Senior Marketing Coordinator

We’re all familiar with Google’s Local Search, but after we’ve set ourselves up for success there, where should we go? The answer is easy, get involved with Bing.

With Bing’s increasing popularity as a search engine, it is going to be vital that you get your company set up in Bing Local. Not only is it easy, but Bing comes with new features that other local engines don’t offer.

First, get a local business listing. It is as easy as entering your basic business information (address, name, phone number). No edits or additions can be made without a Windows Live ID, so get one set up today!

Once you get through the first steps, the process is easy. Users are encouraged to make use of the links that can be added to listings. This is a great spot for reviews or menu links. After you are done customizing your listing, you’ll be required to verify ownership via mail or phone. Your listing will be live within 2-7 business days of verification.

So now you are all set up in Bing, but what makes it different than any other local engine?

Bing has some distinct features that offer a better user experience and more potential traffic to your business. The first is a Scorecard, which compiles all user reviews and sets up easy-to-read rankings within categories like atmosphere and return potential. Bing also features a ‘Show info from’ link where users can see data pulled from other trusted sources like Frommer’s travel guide. Finally, searchers can get a ‘bird’s eye view’ of local listings. They have the ability to see its general location, parking options, the neighborhood type and what is nearby. Directions are also offered from major intersections as opposed to only specific addresses.

While these features set Bing apart from competitors, don’t forget to get your business posted in as many local engines as possible. Just be sure to put Bing at the top of the list!

Posted by: Kerry Houchin, Marketing Coordinator

Your pizza search just got easier. Thanks to new local search results from Google, you no longer have to type in the name of your city when looking for a local pizza joint or other local business results. Google now shows local results for generic keywords based on IP address even when the location is not specified in the query.

What does this mean for small local shops? The potential for generating business from generic keywords (and SEO) has gone through the roof! First-page results are attainable for even your most basic keywords if the search originated in your region. The local search results are displayed in the center of the search results page instead of at the top of the page when there is no location specified, but a first page listing is still far more valuable than no top 30 result at all.

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Posted by: Zach Olsen, Marketing Intern

Optimizing for local search, or taking the right steps to show up in the top rankings of search engine results for terms that your audience uses when looking for your local business, is an area that if pursued can make a big impact on your bottom line.

SBI + M has compiled some interesting data on the subject:

• 54% of Americans have substituted the Internet and local search for phone books (comScore networks).
• 66% of Americans use online local search, like Google local search, to locate local businesses (TMP/comScore/SBI + M).
• 82% of local searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call or purchase (TMP/comScore).

Most people looking for your local business online are truly interested in following up in-person, making the Internet a powerful tool for your local marketing. read more »

Posted by: Megan Amick, Marketing Coordinator

As 2009 gets going, it’s certain marketers will have several challenges ahead, but on a more upbeat note, it’s a great time to look toward the future of interactive marketing. There are many predictions about whether the online advertising industry will see the growth it has in years past. It seems most projections point toward increased spending but at much lower growth rates than before.

So, what can we expect from the industry that doesn’t quit?

• More keyword inflation: As traditional advertising budgets shift to digital, competition will increase and advertisers will have to be sure their paid search (or pay-per-click advertising) campaigns are strategic and focused.
• Tracking conversions: To keep cost per acquisition (CPA) at a minimum, it’s time to focus on optimizing conversion rates for the highest possible ROI.
• Data privacy and security: The question of how to regulate privacy and keep online users protected will be further explored.
• Qualitative analytics: Knowing not only what your consumers did on your website but why they did it will give greater insight to user activity and increase your ROI.
• Mobile advertising: With the release of several mobile hardware devices from Apple, Google and Blackberry to name a few, more users will have online capabilities at their fingertips.
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Posted by: Kayla Wagner, Project Manager

Are you a business that needs to come up in local searches? Here are some tips to make sure you’re covered and competitive:

1. On your site, make sure your address and contact information are listed in an easy-to-find location (perhaps the footer of every page) – and in proper HCard format! HCard format allows the search engine spiders to crawl your address and see it in a standard, easy to read format and import it into their map tools.

2. Do you have your location in your site content? You should! If you want to come up in search results for “Denver plumbers” you should have “Denver plumbers” in your site content. Not just plumbers and not just Denver or Colorado. Include relevant keywords to all areas of your purchase cycle including general terms (dentist), general + regional (dentist in denver), business name (Dr. Peters dental), and services (root canal). read more »