|
 |
Local Online Marketing
Building Brand Visibility, Sales and Leads with Local Search and Social Media Marketing I
Local organic search and local PPC (Pay-Per-Click) search advertising has long been touted as one of the most affordable ways to market a business online. But these days, many businesses have discovered the power of local search marketing and the competition is fierce. In addition, many local businesses are now getting started with social media marketing.
So what can a small business on a budget accomplish with local online marketing? In this three-part newsletter series, we will discuss how local businesses and marketers can maximize their exposure via local organic search optimization, paid search and social media marketing without breaking their budget. In this first issue, we will primarily focus on local PPC search advertising. In future issues, we will cover local organic search engine optimization and local social media marketing.
Taking Advantage of Local Search Services
With all the hype around social media marketing, organic and PPC search are still the most effective ways to generate sales and leads for local businesses. Therefore, it is not surprising that when the economy began to soften towards the end of last year, there was a renewed focus on search, because search, with the exception of email marketing, delivers a stronger ROI than many other marketing tactics.
As more and more local businesses continue to expand their marketing and advertising to the Web, they often find themselves lacking the technical expertise and know-how to compete effectively for the available search inventory within their local target area. Luckily, Google and Yahoo! have recognized the value of local search to their businesses and are offering local business listings and PPC advertising options that local businesses and marketers can employ successfully.
Google Local Business Listing
On Google.com, local PPC advertising comes in two varieties: Local Business Ads and geotargeted PPC ads. For starters, Google offers the Local Business Center as a free service to establish a free local business listing. Any business can use this free service to enter basic business information, such as a company’s name, its physical business address, its service/product descriptions, opening hours, etc. When the local business listing has been established, it appears on Google Local/Maps, as well as at the top of the main organic search results, when people are searching on a keyword phase with a geographic modifier in the search query.
While the local business listing is free, Google always wants to confirm the existence of a business first before the business listing is updated or included in its search index.
When businesses register their local business listing at the Local Business Center, Google will send an activation code to the business’ mailing address through the regular mail. This activation code must be used at the Local Business Center to activate the local business listing. A new business listing will typically be added to the local search listings within six weeks.
Google Local Business Ads
By establishing a free Google business listing, businesses also automatically create a Google AdWords PPC search account in the Local Business Center that can be used to set up a Local Business Ads campaign. These Local Business Ads will appear in the Google Local/Map search results. They only appear when people in the geographic target area are using Google search. They will not show up when someone across the country does a search on the keywords the business has selected for their campaign.
Local Business Ads Search Campaign
Setting up a Local Business Ads search campaign is very similar to establishing a regular AdWords PPC campaign. You select the keywords you want to use to trigger the sponsored PPC ads, and then write the text ads that need to appear when the keywords appear in a search query. The Local Business Ads appear in two areas in the Google Local/Maps search results: under a marker in the organic search results on the left side of the page, and under a second marker on the map itself. When the marker or ad title is clicked, they expand to show additional business information.
More Features for Google’s Local Business Ads
Google has recently begun rolling out even more features for Local Business Ad listings. Several interactive features are available, including mapping functions, directions and street views of business stores or a company’s location. There will also be a "More Info" tab that will take the user to even more information about a local business that can include user reviews, photos and videos. Google is also working on improved reporting functionality that will allow businesses to track how many people are interested in their business listings. The important thing to remember is that with Local Business Ads, you still will only pay if someone clicks on a Local Business Ad, no matter how much they interact with the new content.
Yahoo!’s Local Listings
Yahoo! provides a three-tier simplified search advertising service for local businesses and marketers. Like Google, they offer free business listings for all businesses. This service will allow local businesses to appear in the organic search results at Yahoo! Local, when someone conducts a search for a related business search term.
The free business listing, for which businesses can sign up at Yahoo! Local, includes basic information about a business such as its location, phone and fax number, store hours and a link back to the company’s web site.
For a fee of $9.95 per month, businesses can purchase an Enhanced Listing, which offers the same features as the free listings, but also includes a company logo, a detailed business description, photos, mapping and a link to sales promotions and coupons.
All About Yahoo’s Local Featured Listings
Yahoo! also offers Featured Listings, which are enhanced business listings with guaranteed placement in specific local search results that can be purchased for a flat monthly fee. Through an easy sign-up procedure, businesses can select a business category and choose the local regions where they want their listing to appear. No keyword selection, no keyword bidding and no campaign management are required.
The fee for a top position depends upon the geographic location and business category, and can range from $25 a month for geographic placement in a rural area, to $300, for instance, for a top placement in the Manhattan, NY region. Featured listings that are placed at the bottom of the page are offered at a discounted fee.
It’s important to remember that geographically targeted PPC ads from Yahoo! Sponsored Search can appear in this area as well.
Yahoo!’s Local Listings have changed very little from what they were a few years ago. Google, on the other hand, continues to develop and enhance their local search offerings. Local business search marketing is and remains, an effective way to market a local business online. There is no reason why, at the minimum, business owners and local marketers shouldn’t take advantage of the free listings that both Google and Yahoo! provide. If you’re already paying for local business advertising online or offline and want to squeeze more out of your marketing budget, you should seriously consider the paid local advertising programs offered by Google and Yahoo! as well.
|
|
| |
| |
| |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Speaking Engagements
Marlboro Chamber of Commerce
April 7, 2009 -
7:30-9:00 am
Marlboro Chamber Office, Marlboro, Massachusetts
"Building Brand Visibility, Sales and Leads with Local Search and Digital Assets Optimization"
Presenter: Louise Rijk
Click here to learn more.
Past Presentations
WebmasterWorld PubCon 2008
Las Vegas
“Integrating Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) into the Advertising Mix”
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the presentation
128 Business Expo 2008
The Westin Waltham-Boston Hotel
"Using Social Media to Connect with Prospects and Customers"
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the video.
495/MetroWest Business Expo
Sheraton Framingham Hotel
Pre-Expo Keynote Presentation
“A Strategic Approach to Integrated Marketing”
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the video.
Bentley College, 2008 - Waltham, MA
“Planning and Integrating a Targeted Internet Marketing Campaign”
Click here to play the video.
WebmasterWorld Pubcon 2007 - Las Vegas, NV
“Planning and Integrating a Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) Campaign”
Click here to play the video.
BizAction 2007 - Washington DC
"Email, Social Media and Search in the Overall Marketing Mix"
Click here to play the audio.
128 Business Expo 2007
"Blogging and Podcasting For Business"
Click here to play the video.
495/Metrowest Business Expo
Pre-Expo Keynote
"The Rise of the Internet as a Mass Advertising Medium"
Click here to play the video.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
If you would like more information on Internet Marketing, Consulting, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Email Marketing, please
click here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
Copyright © 1996-2009. Advanced Media Productions, Inc.
Advanced Media Productions, Inc.
251 West Central St., Suite 28, Natick, Massachusetts 01760, USA
Tel: 508-647-5151 Fax: 508-647-5150
E-mail: info@advmediaproductions.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
