Tag Archives: local search engine marketing

The Ins And Outs Of Local Search Engine Marketing

From the inception of search engine marketing, local search engine optimization has always been a recognized subset of the overall market. Local search engine optimization works somewhat differently from non-local search engine marketing, and they appeal somewhat to different client bases. Understanding the differences between local website marketing and non-local – especially understanding what will and won’t show up for different search terms – can be a key element of designing a comprehensive search engine marketing strategy.

What Is Local Search Engine Optimization?

In the past, local search engine marketing could be hit or miss because it could only target people who searched for those specific terms. Now, if someone does a generic search without location based terms, search engines like Google will detect their location and provide relevant website marketing links to nearby matches. The connection between local search engine optimization and non-local keywords has been further strengthened with the introduction of things like Google Places, which allows you to connect your business location with Google’s maps and with your website marketing.

What Kind Of Keywords Does Local Search Engine Marketing Use?

Local search engine optimization focuses on similar keywords to non-local marketing. Both of them will emphasize keywords that people searching for your company will naturally use; local search engine marketing will simply have a stronger emphasis on adding local keywords into the mix.

One of the most difficult parts of local website marketing is actually deciding what precise keywords you want to be using. The same kinds of tests need to be run as would be necessary for normal search engine optimization, including extensive keyword mapping. Most regions with a fairly decent level of population have several keywords that can apply to the same location, and there may also be keywords applying to a larger area that still merit use for your search engine optimization. A company needs some pretty significant experience working with local search engine marketing in order to ensure that the correct keywords are targeted. Proper targeting is trickier with local search than national website marketing.

Can You Do Local And National Website Marketing?

Yes, you can – and often should – use both types of search engine optimization to your advantage. The best way to make that happen is through landing pages, which provide a specific focus page for each region you serve. In addition, claiming your business on Google and setting up a Places page can be a valuable way to establish yourself as a local presence. Depending on how local you are, you might want to focus your entire website marketing strategy around appealing to a local audience. This works particularly well for businesses that have no real way to serve a market outside their home location, such as restaurants and other service-based businesses.

Upton Technology can help your business balance strong local search engine optimization with the appropriate amount of national website marketing. The two can be a powerful combo, and our experts will help them work to their best for your company. If you have questions about local search engine marketing or nationwide strategies, or would like to get started, contact us for more information.

3 Ways To Go Above And Beyond With Your Search Engine Optimization

The basics of search engine optimization aren’t all that hard to master. You need to carefully choose your keywords, and keep your website marketing updated with fresh content. Generate links to your website from other places, and try to make sure that other places are talking about you. This is a pretty surefire method for search engine optimization success…assuming that you’re not in a particularly competitive field. Unfortunately, most search engine marketing takes place in a very competitive field. In order to experience the highest degree of success, you have to take everything you do to a higher level. You need to go above and beyond regular search engine optimization.

Search Engine Optimization Extra Credit #1: Create On-Site Articles

Basic search engine marketing requires that your website have relevant content. Going above and beyond means that you don’t just limit yourself to webpages for that content; you put it in a slightly more formal and more didactic format, the on-site article. On-site articles can have a slight promotional slant, but they should be written primarily from a position of teaching the reader. For example, a graphic design company might publish an on-site article about how to effectively communicate with your graphic design company, or how to choose the right company for the reader’s needs. The topics are virtually endless.

These on-site articles should be written with search engine optimization in mind. They should feature the right keywords, and should link to other pages on your site as well. Consider them as part of your website’s overall search engine marketing strategy, because that’s exactly how the search engines themselves will see the pages.

Search Engine Optimization Extra Credit #2: Search Engine Marketing Press Releases

Most people know that article marketing and publication is a big part of search engine optimization. It’s a great way to get others linking to your site, and it helps set your company as a thought leader within your field. There’s another way to drive backlinks which offers another great benefit: search engine optimization press releases, which can get picked up by major news organizations.

There are many different options for publicizing your press release. It need not be quite as keyword dense as a typical webpage in order to achieve its search engine marketing goals; what matters more is the keyword links and press contact section that you include. Deciding where to submit your search engine marketing press release can be a bit of a challenge, and we recommend that you ask an expert before you spend any money on press release submissions.

Search Engine Optimization Extra Credit #3: Landing Pages

Local search engine marketing is all about showing your local clientele that you are uniquely qualified to understand their specific needs. The more local you can get with your keywords the better, but it’s often impractical to build your entire site around one very specific local area. It would exclude everyone outside that area, and generally would do more harm than good.

Instead of targeting a specific area throughout your site, create a page for each area and choose your keywords carefully. With the right search engine marketing strategy, you can ensure that these pages are the first thing a local searcher will see in the results. They click that link and see that you’re a local company, and then they’re forwarded to your larger site with more general keywords. The local feeling remains, yet you don’t have the drawbacks of completely local search engine marketing.

There’s A Lot More To It

This is only scratching the surface of more detailed search engine marketing. There are many things that should be done alongside simple search engine optimization to help maximize the return on your investment. They aren’t hard, but they can be difficult to organize if you’re new to search engine marketing in general. Upton Technology can help you determine the best options for your company, and we’ll also help you implement and manage everything as you continue to develop your website.

Small Stuff Counts: Don’t Neglect Regional Markets When Deciding On A Search Engine Marketing Program

When people think about local search engine marketing, if they think about it at all, they generally assume that their regional search engine marketing is fine if they’ve remembered to add a few pages to their site that are optimized for their keywords plus the name of their city or location. For instance, a search engine marketing service might optimize by using the phrases, “Fort Myers SEO,” or “search engine marketing in Cape Coral.” That’s fine as a start, but you’re missing plenty of opportunities if you don’t extend your website marketing beyond this basic step.

Stay Global, But Optimize Locally

If you’ve made it to the first page of a Google search for your niche, congratulations! Getting to the front page of a major, international search engine is an impressive feat, but not everyone searching on Google lives in your area, which means only a small percentage of those who find you at the top of the list are located in a relevant area.

Be sure you’re taking advantage of the big names by using any available geographic targeting they might offer. Google, for instance, has geo-targeting for businesses that ensures you’ll rank high in searches for your region. Your search engine marketing dollars will go even farther if you use geo-targeting with all the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

Don’t Neglect Regional Services

Not everyone uses the mega search engines to find what they’re looking for. A surprising number of people prefer to stick with regional search services because it eliminates the almost limitless businesses or services that aren’t close to them. Among the popular websites that automatically narrow searches down to specific regions are Yahoo Local, Yellowbook, and Merchant Circle. Because these services narrow down by region first, then focus on relevant SEO, you need to make sure your search engine marketing includes these services. Sites like Merchant Circle are particularly popular in certain areas because they’re very active, offer customer reviews, and highlight local businesses that may not show up on the first several pages of a nationwide search.

Take Advantage Of Location Centric Sites

FourSquare, Gowalla and Facebook Places all focus on location. Make sure your search engine marketing plan includes profiles with these sites. You may automatically show up on some of these sites, but if you don’t add relevant information and some good search engine optimization to the existing profile, you aren’t taking advantage of an ideal opportunity to improve your local presence with these powerful sites.

Some of the most popular location focused sites are popular because they’re either mobile applications or are mobile friendly. Optimizing your search engine marketing efforts on these apps has the added bonus of creating a presence for you on mobile phones. With millions of people every day using mobile apps to find businesses, you can garner impressive results with relatively inexpensive search engine optimization. One of the best mobile apps that you can use for regional search engine marketing is Avantar, the first true yellow pages app that garnered millions of followers based on its ability to give users accurate local information on anything from restaurants to law firms and everything in between.

Look For Undiscovered Directories

There are literally thousands of local directories, community bulletin boards, and other local websites that have small but loyal followings. Since these are small markets, you can post vital search engine marketing content on several of these pages for a reasonable price. If you get just a few new customers from each directory or local community page, you’ll soon realize just how good the return is on your regional search engine marketing investment can be by paying attention to small, local websites and directories.