Marketing Your Business On Local Search Sites | How-to Guides for running your business from Business.com

Most marketers are self-proclaimed statistic junkies, especially when it comes to online marketing. So when I started researching resources on how to market your business on local sites, I naturally made a beeline to sites that offered statistics on online user behavior and came across a recent study (released Oct 9, 2008) conducted by TMP Directional Marketing and comScore. They identified some very compelling statistics on how people find local business information. According to the study, 31% use search engines, 30% use printed sources, 19% use Internet Yellow Pages Sites and 11% user Local Search Sites. They also found that consumers researched purchases online while buying (offline) at the actual store and that mobile and voice search usage is on the rise.

If you haven’t joined the ranks of local search networks, there is no better time than the present. Costs are typically very low and results are almost immediate. Here are some tips and resources to help market your business on local search sites.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Update Your Website with Regional Keywords and Phrases

To be included in local searches, be sure to include location information in your page content, title and keywords. Be sure to include your city name, county, and names of cities around you, especially larger, more recognizable metropolitan areas.

I recommend: Conduct a local search for your product or service. Click on the top 5 listings and look at their website to see why they are listed. You can also see the page title and keywords they use by viewing the Page Source with your browser.

Submit to Local Directories

Local directories, event calendars and community websites offer a familiar setting for users to find businesses locally.

I recommend: Go to the website of your local newspaper or television station. Most have local directories and/or event calendars you can submit to. Chamber of Commerce sites are a good source. Many have business directories that are included with your membership fee.

Search Engine Listings

Search engines account for the highest percentage of local searches and most have many business services for local search inclusions at no charge.

I recommend: Login to a Google Local Business Center for local listing services such as Google Map listings, Google Base and GOOG-411. Yahoo! Local Listings and Local.com are also good sources.

Internet Yellow Page Sites

Also known as IYPS, these sites are typically extensions of printed directories and phone books.

I recommend: Yellow Pages.com and SuperPages.com offer free listings. Localeze is a data repository for local merchants that is distributed to 45 search sites, including YellowPages, and offers a free addition to their directory. YellowBook.com offers paid advertising services and packages.

Leverage Pay Per Click Advertising

Many advertising networks offer services to target your ad by location, language, gender, keywords, etc. Some services offer coupon ads and video. Budgets are easy to control and reporting allows users to monitor their ad effectiveness so they know what is working and what is not.

I recommend: Use Google Adwords and Yahoo! for location and keyword targeting. Facebook offers additional targeting for gender and interests and is a good source if you are marketing to women. According to InsideFacebook.com, 56% of Facebook’s audience is women.