Darling Online Marketing

Local Business Citations

Posted on 17. Feb, 2012 by Darling.

The Most Underrated Component of Local SEO
– By:  Jacqueline Lee

Local business citations can drive your search engine rankings as much as inbound links.  In today’s world, over three-quarters of searches for local businesses and services occur online.  This means that, for small business owners, success equals being indexed by search engines.  Everyone usually focuses on building links to a local website as the number one way to create higher search engine rankings.  However, search engine algorithms are starting to favor local business citations as much as or even more than they favor inbound links.

Small business citations are instances that a business name, address and phone number (NAP) are mentioned online.  When search engines can match a business NAP to the business website, then search engine crawlers become more confident that a business website is reliable.  In addition, search engines assume that a website has increased relevance to a search when the website has both crucial keywords and a confirmed physical location.

 See how you are doing in local search by using this free software tool:

Courtesy of Delaware Online Marketing

Local search engines are good sources of local business citations.  Start by listing with Universal Business Listing, a website which transmits the NAPs of businesses to both major and local search engines.  UBL submits the exact information that you enter to the engines, which means that your NAP will be consistent across multiple listings.  Consistency raises the crawlers’ confidence in your listing and makes it more likely to rank higher in results.  After listing with UBL, take the time to list with local search engines that UBL does not cover.

Getting your NAP in local directories will also increase the relevance of your business page.  Some of the more popular choices include Hot Frog and GetFave.com, but different areas may have individual local directories.   Research your area online and take the time to register with directories that UBL does not already cover.

When local bloggers include your business name, address and phone number in their blogs, you have winning sources for citations.  Search engines tend to view regional blogs as more relevant than just any general blog.  This means that if you own a restaurant in Denver, and your restaurant NAP is cited in a Denver blog, then your result has added relevance.  Take the time to research and read local blogs.  Leaving comments on blogs or getting to know bloggers on social media sites may make them more likely to write about your business. 

Blogs and directories specific to your industry are also great sources for local business citations.  Make sure that your NAP is listed in the membership directory of relevant professional organizations.  Also, get to know the bloggers in your industry not only online but also by meeting them at conference and industry events.  Just like local bloggers, industry bloggers will be much more likely to mention the NAP of a business owner that they’ve met, either in-person or online.

Inbound links are still important drivers of search engine rankings.  However, local business citations have become critical indications of relevance.  The more relevant your business is to a search engine query, the more likely you are to be on that coveted first page.  For today’s small businesses, it’s time to think beyond the Yellow Pages.

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Turn Your Small Mom and Pop Shop Into A Thriving Local Business Empire

Posted on 13. Jan, 2012 by Darling.

Have you ever heard that when you do what you love with an energy and passion like no other, the money will follow?  Do you BELIEVE that to be true?  

It is true.  I am living that truth and I want to help others live that truth as well.

But, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me that I can’t make any money trying to help small local businesses use the Internet more effectively so that they can do what they do best and love the most while thriving in an economy that everyone else is going around moaning and groaning about, I would have me more than just a couple dollars!!!  

If you have been faced with endless frustrations, have felt completely invisible online, and are tired of hearing others dish out the same crap day after day about the economy, this post is for you!

This post is for all of you out there running a small local business, struggling to just get by to make ends meet yet convinced there must be a better way.  There is a better way.  I’m here to tell you all about it.  It is my mission, my passion, my vision, my purpose to help you if you are so willing and open to accepting the help.  It is so important for me to show you the resources available to you that if you tap into them, you can stand out, compete with the corporate conglomerates, and Be The Obvious Choice Online for what you do best and love the most.  You can thrive and enjoy your life, make a lot more money, and provide for your family.  

There are so many people out there looking online for your products and services that would really prefer to work with YOU because YOU give the type of service and commitment to getting a job done that no large bureaucratic organization can even come close to.  You just have to get into that space!  Get online into that space and utilize technology, the Internet, local SEO and search, Social Media, and email marketing to turn your small mom and pop shop into a thriving local business empire.  This is for you even if you don’t have a “shop” or you simply work out of your home.  Shoot… even your garage!  

If you implement the right strategies, you could actually move out of that garage someday!  :-)

Check out this little video about how to turn your small shop into a thriving local business empire.

(Note: If you already received the audio on the 7 Secrets to Be The Obvious Choice Online, then click here to become a member right now.)

Let me know which one of the 5 tips you need the most help with.   Seriously, you can do this stuff if you believe you can.  Believing is what started my journey.  

One day, I got this crazy idea that I could do so much more.  In a very short period of time, I took a local computer repair service from little to no existence online to the top spots in search.  That was my little PC repair business that replaced the income from my day job within just a few short months.  That computer repair website now sends traffic, referrals, phone calls, and repair requests to another shop in town.  I don’t repair computers now.  I’m so busy and fueled with a purpose to help other small businesses use the Internet more effectively.  

My point is, you have a skill, a talent, a product, or a great service you can provide to people.  If your business is not generating the volume of customers, clients, or sales that you believe you can get, then let me know what part of the 5 tips in the video would help you leverage online marketing more effectively so that you can thrive while serving and building your business.

The 5 Tips:

1. Get a website that works for you.
2. Diversify your marketing with local SEO, search engine optimization, and getting found in maps or places.
3. Develop a presence on just one or two social sites best for your business (Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.)
4. Capture and convert traffic to subscribers to your email list.
5. BELIEVE you can do this and actually compete with the corporate conglomerate down the street because YOU CAN!

Please leave your comments and feedback below on this topic.  

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Map Out Your 2012 Online Marketing Plan

Posted on 23. Dec, 2011 by Darling.

Now that you are wrapping up 2011, what kind of progress have you made in natural and local search, in social media, with building up a customer base, and with your online marketing as a whole?

The technology and resources are advancing at warp speed aren’t they?  But, no matter how fast it moves, if you had an online marketing plan in place and you worked that plan, you should be able to show some kind of progress in your business by now.

The clients I have worked with over the last year are experiencing business growth from new contracts, projects, and jobs that they have been found for online for during 2011. 

One client told me that during this time of year (December), he could literally lock up the door to his showroom and take a vacation because business is just that slow.  Not this year.  This year, his phone has been ringing like the silver bells of Christmas and business is much better this month than it was just last November!

A lot of my clients are affected by the seasons.  It’s the nature of their industries.  If they are not affected by the seasons, they seem to be affected by the housing market or economy.  It always seems to be feast or famine.  There always seems to be an excuse.

You can avoid the consequences of a slow economy and seasonal work when you put a sound and consistent plan in place with marketing your business.

If the past year did not generate the revenue you expected then get a better marketing plan in place for 2012.  In your marketing plan, carve out a little for local search SEO, social media, or online marketing in general.  Why?  Well, I proved it with the client I was just telling you about.  There is no doubt that people are searching for your products and services on the Internet.  If you are not there or you don’t want to “fool with this Internet thing”, you are leaving money on the table!

Here are things to consider when mapping out your online marketing plan for 2012.

• For smaller businesses, look at your entire IT budget and marketing budget, especially if you come to Darling SEO & Online Marketing.  Often times, we have a program or campaign that will take care of your entire online business from building or managing your website to getting it found to building you that all too important email list.
• With your overall marketing budget, if you are spending $1,000 a month for a print ad in the phone book, it is very logical to expect to be able to take half of that budget and put it towards your online marketing efforts to see a much greater return on your investment during 2012.  And, you will still have enough left to keep some kind of print ad active in the phone books.  A smart marketer will use many different channels.  A wise one will exploit the ones that return the best results.
• Accept the fact that if you want your business to get found on the Internet in today’s WWW landscape, you must create content.  If you think you are going to crush it online in search with a 5 page static brochure type website then you are in for a rude awakening.  Or, maybe just a deep slumber of no new business activity.  (zzzzzzz…) So, decide how much content you can create whether it’s you doing it or you are paying someone.  When deciding on this content development plan, think consistency.  Even one new piece of content a week published online will put you 52 steps ahead of your competitor this time next year.  If you become a member of the Be The Obvious Choice Online club, you will learn how you can turn that content and those 52 steps into leaps and bounds if not milestones!
• Accept the fact that if you want your business to get found online today, you must build a presence on the social media channels.  With a carefully thought out plan and daily action, you can leverage social media channels to grow your business exponentially in 2012.  It will take a budget of time as well as money.   But, even a small budget of time and money supporting a consistently implemented plan is far better than what you may have done in 2011.
• Stop making excuses right now!  The Internet, Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube are not going anywhere any time soon.  Either figure out how you can help your business grab a piece of the action and prosper or keep struggling through the moments of feast or famine.  When you stop making excuses, start mapping out your new online marketing plan for 2012.

Happy Holidays!  

Please leave your comments and feedback below on this topic.  

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1 Simple Copy and Paste Online Marketing Strategy to Grow Your Email List

Posted on 07. Oct, 2011 by Darling.

All of the SEO and social media activity in the world can turn into a complete waste of time if you don’t have a marketing funnel set up. 

Your marketing funnel should be set up so that your site visitor willingly gives you their contact information.  The most basic set up will provide your visitor with a free gift when they fill out a small form with their email address.  This is what I call your “foot in the door” offer.

I recommend using an auto responder service to set this up.  An auto responder service will handle the whole double opt in procedure that helps you build a targeted list and stay in compliance with CAN-SPAM regulations.

There are several to choose from.  The one I use is Aweber.    I highly recommend it.  (Note: if you click through links on these pages like this:  Email Auto Responder Service, I stand a chance at making an affiliate commission now or quite possibly in the future if you buy.)

Let’s get to the very one thing that is as simple as copy and paste that you can do to grow your email list. 

Do this one thing and you will increase the amount of opt ins from your site exponentially.  Use Aweber to create a “lightbox” web form and copy the javascript code for that form into the code of your site between the <body> tags.

Then, every time someone visits your website, they will be presented with your free foot in the door offer.  The form will hover over the page while shading out the content of the page.  All your visitor will see is this offer.  If they are not interested, it is very easy for them to click the “X” to close the box and view the page.  But, if they are interested, they are more likely to subscribe to your site for your free offer now that it’s much more obvious to them.

For some people, this may get a little technical but if you have a web developer, just tell them this is what you want and they should be able to help you with it.  If you are doing this yourself and don’t have the technical skills just yet, consider the Be The Obvious Choice Online membership club.   One of the main things we do in there is support the members with getting their online marketing funnel in place. 

As I said in the beginning, everything else we do with getting your content in front of the traffic with SEO, search engine optimization, and social content sharing sites will be a big waste of time if your marketing funnel is not set up well.

Beyond that, this little method will help you grow your list larger and faster as you increase the traffic to your site.  Your long term online marketing success depends upon building a targeted email list of consumers, customers, and clients that will buy from you many times in the future.

Please leave your comments and feedback below on this topic.  

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Small Business Blogging: How to do it on a Limited Budget

Posted on 19. Jul, 2011 by Darling.

Small service based businesses are realizing the importance of blogging and how it can help your business stand out from all of the other people in your field that are trying to attract the same customers as you

How do you consistently blog and add value to your field and still deliver your services?  How do you do this while juggling all of your daily activities too?

One way and perhaps the easiest way is to hire a ghostwriter.  Seek out someone that is willing to write for you.  There are many people to choose from at differing price levels.  With a little research and Q & A you are sure to find the best one for you.  Rates for ghostwriters vary widely so do your research and due diligence.

Another way is to do your own writing.  I know!  You don’t have time!  That’s the whole reason you are reading this right?  Well let me tell you, time management is one of my weak points.  In spite of it, I have finally found a way to write consistently.  For me, it does require getting up with the birds.  But not too many wildly successful business owners sleep until noon everyday anyway so it may be decision time on what you want in life!  Just sayin’…

I start everyday as my perfect day and write.  First, I take care of my small collection of furry critters while the coffee brews.  Then, I sit with my coffee at my table and begin.  I journal for a few minutes before actually writing the great things and profound thoughts you get to read on my site!  There is one more thing I do before I actually write.  I read a bit out of whatever business development title I am reading at the time too.  You don’t have to do it in this order.  You do need to do something that works well for you though if you want to start creating content for your blog.

Now, you might want to do this on your laptop and save yourself a step.  I actually hand write everything, and then transcribe it to a word document.  Why would I do this when I already have a limited time budget?!  The computer, with its Internet access is a huge distraction for me.

The point is, I made a decision based on my desires to write my blog posts.  I structured my mornings so I could get it taken care of.  The result is I am writing consistently on a time limited budget!  Look, if you don’t have the monetary budget, it may be time to make some serious decisions and restructure your days so that you can get things done on your site.  The kinds of things that are going to make your business and website stand out from all the others in your field. 

Here’s the 3^rd way to write consistently for your small service based business blog and stand out from everyone else.  I really like this method and it works really well for people that need to produce content for multiple outlets such as email newsletter, video syndication, and article submission.

Pick one topic per week.  Write a great post on that topic and get it on your blog.  Re-purpose that post and topic for your weekly newsletter.  Not everyone reading your newsletter is reading your blog and vice versa.  Re-purpose it again and shoot a quick and short video of you talking about your topic of the week.  Send that video to YouTube.  Embed the video into your blog post.  Re-purpose the post once more and submit to a highly traveled article site such as EzineArticles.com.

Writing consistently for your blog may mean posting to it once a week or every day.  Whatever you choose, do it consistently.

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Advertising While Marketing Online

Posted on 14. Jul, 2011 by Darling.

Do you advertise while you market?

Advertising while marketing usually involves paying up front for some sort of ad placement in a print publication, email, billboard, website ad, or even PPC in search engines (including social networks search engines).

Marketing is comprehensive.  There are many roads to getting your message out to the masses or your niche target audience.  Marketing involves developing plans to consistently use all those roads.  Some of those roads call on outright advertising.  However, advertising without having your marketing funnel fully set up is a road to disaster and lost funds.

I think something broke down in relation to their advertising and marketing funnel, not to mention the parking lot disaster! 

Personally, when I look at marketing, I look at all of the options, tools, tactics, and strategies in my box of props.  As I plan out my week of marketing activities, I pull a little bit from each “prop” and place it on my planner. 

To me, it’s all about how you can get in front of your ideal customer or client to have the opportunity to solve their problems they already know they have.  And, maybe some they didn’t realize existed but in my experience, it seems much easier to be there with the solution when the problem seeker is already in pain looking for you than it is to convince them or educate them that they do in fact need you.

Then the question becomes, how do I get to that place?  That place where the desperate buyers are?  That wonderful world of wealth where it seems your computer is just spitting cash out at you daily while you sleep?  Every time you check your bank account there is yet another deposit!  And, you are not even sure what it is for.  What a wonderful world with visions of a million dollar home filled with a loving and happy family. 

Apply your marketing strategies to all the tools at your disposal with the goal to get in front of those people.  Online, get in front of the traffic!  Stop chasing it.   Find out where the traffic is and get in front of it.  Google gets 73% of the search traffic.  So, figure out what keywords people are searching for related to the problem you solve and apply your marketing tools to rank your website for those keywords. 

If you need faster results, invest in some advertising to get in front of your ideal client faster.  Typical methods are PPC ads, direct mail, and other print publications.  But, what about leaning on your network?  Why not strike up a JV (Joint Venture) agreement with someone that is already in front of your target market but not a direct competitor and invest in advertising with them?  Those types of ads look like ad swaps on each other’s websites, email blasts, or Ezine ads. 

The important thing to take away here is this: while marketing and using SEO or search engine optimization to get in front of all that hot traffic, keep other forms of advertising or marketing running.  Don’t get me wrong.  I LOVE SEO and Search Engine Optimization.  And, it is incredibly powerful what you can see happen once you hit the top 3 spots in search for in-demand keyword phrases.  The return on your investment for achieving that can be quite extraordinary.   But, as with any other form of marketing and advertising, it is not the only solution.  It is not the only tool.  Use as many tools as you possible can while working within your budget.

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Social Networking and Keyword Phrases

Posted on 12. Jul, 2011 by Darling.

In the beginning I got attention from others just by using the term “social media” when I talked to them.

In the beginning I was not very well known so I hit the streets (did a lot of networking) to connect with more people. Yes, I would take my computing mind out to social gatherings.

Networking is good to me since I spend so much time in front of the computer.  It feels good to get out once in a while. Now, I’m totally fine with begin confined to my work space and creating all these successes online for my clients.  Once I actually go out, it feels pretty good. I’m not totally turned off to it.

Networking is very eye-opening too. If I talked about anything technically related to WordPress websites or mentioned SEO, I got the glazed look and the “out of service” stare. Funny thing, when I used the keyword phrase “social media” while talking to people, I got more attention because it is all the buzz. People want to know about this and how it can fix their business. By the way… it doesn’t “fix” your business or “make” your business.

As time has moved on, I’ve managed to make more of a name for myself locally when it comes to SEO. Another keyword application I learned about the hard way in the community was saying or adding in “search engine optimization” because 9 out of 10 lay people on the street agree that no one knows what “SEO” stands for. Many don’t even care to my disappointment.

But what they do care about is selling their products and services. 9 out of 10 networkers on the street agree that those just trying to sell their wares are highly annoying. Yet deep down inside… that’s all YOU really want to do also.  :-D  

A great keyword to use in social networking is “get found”. That one was awesome! I started to run with it. I was going to brand myself with it and all because that is what I do for my clients. I get them found! I use SEO, social media, technology, PHP, HTML, CSS, hash tags, SMO, CRO, split tests, ROI, back linking, to get you found, blah, blah, blah… you get the point I’m sure!

There seemed to be a lot of interest in that keyword phrase; “get found”. So much so that one of my local competitors kept throwing the term around. This put me into my competitive MC Hammer “can’t touch this” mode! That’s when I learned that “get found” was trademarked… [insert sound of deflating balloon here…]

It’s okay you see because keyword research and using SEO effectively means putting your business in front of the traffic. It’s so much easier to get in front of the traffic and your ideal customer than it is to keep running after it. People get tired of chasing prospects and eventually run out of funds and time.

I always say there is more than one way to skin a cat. With that, there are tons of keyword phrases to use to help me get in front of more traffic and attract the interest of the right people when I’m out networking socially.

What are some of the keyword phrase you use when out networking for your business?

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Marketing Systems: Ruling the World

Posted on 06. Jul, 2011 by Darling.

As a professional SEO consultant deeply involved in networking, I ran across an opportunity to own a networking territory that is sort of like a match-making service for noncompeting businesses.

As with everything I do, I had to identify what makes us different from all of the other referral networking groups out there.

One is that our group has an entire system in place to help noncompeting businesses develop referral marketing partnerships and grow each other’s businesses without ever having to attend a meeting.

During my journey of pointing out the things that makes this network different, I ran across a competitor that claimed to do the same stuff but for free.  They had some blog posts so I read through them.  One of their posts talked about how marketing “systems” were over-rated and over used terms while alluding to the idea that you didn’t need a system to be successful.  It also went so far as to insinuate that selling a system was a scam.

Wow, I definitely disagreed with that!  I believe that many successful business owners and marketers would disagree with that idea as well.

Marketing systems in your business help you grow exponentially.  They are scalable.  They save you time, money, and frustrations.

Even a business opportunity in a box with a marketing system is far superior than a hope and a dream with no predictable plan to follow.

There is no need to recreate the wheel.  Sometimes it might be challenging to discover the right wheel but once you do, I say work it!  Turn it.  Keep it fine tuned.  Use it to get yourself to wherever you desire to be.

The networking group I lead provides businesses in my area a complete system to help them market their business online.  It combines referral marketing, networking, social media, social networking, coupon distribution, promotion announcements, email marketing, video email marketing, and soon to be backed by solid search engine optimization strategies.

For a business that wants to reduce their overall marketing costs and access some of the most powerful tools when it comes to online marketing, this system cannot be beat!  Which brings me back to that organization I once thought might be a competitor.  They really are not.  They offer free memberships.  The only reason I can make out for why it’s free is because they don’t offer a system that their users can realize any value from. 

Marketing systems help you rule your business world so that you can become profitable and live the life you choose to live.

Another system I work is done for you services that help service based businesses get an online marketing system established.  I am expanding and creating the Be the Obvious Choice Online System which will soon be delivered in a membership program.  It is a system that empowers owners of service based businesses to set up their operations online to get found in high traffic areas and attract customers into their own marketing funnel system that delivers paying business to their bottom line.

Take a look at your business systems today particularly your marketing systems.  Have you evaluated them lately?  Are you finding that you don’t really have a system?  How much more successful and profitable would you be if you had a system that worked like a well oiled machine to deliver you new prospects?

If not, apply for a complimentary Discovery Session.

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Local Online Marketing and the Limiting Beliefs

Posted on 30. Jun, 2011 by Darling.

I do a lot of networking in the community in addition to all of the online marketing.  It really does make for some great stories when I see the big disconnects and lack of information that many locally confined business owners have.

When it comes to local online marketing, sometimes I hear business owners say, “I’m just a small shop.  I don’t need business from anywhere else but here.”  Other times I hear, “I don’t want to limit myself to just this region.”  What happens then is they choose to not target a region at all that clearly has their ideal prospects in it.

There are limitations with both of these beliefs.  Let’s take the first one for example that doesn’t think of themselves as a huge corporation and only wants business from their exact little location.  The road of limiting belief leads to thinking that they don’t need to invest in a website. It makes sense a little bit I guess because of course, with a website, anyone in the world will be able to find you, check you out, and buy from you.  People never travel anyway right?  (insert sarcastic tone)

Let’s see, if you are an auto repair shop and you can’t get found and Be the Obvious Choice online its okay because people never really travel from far away states anyway.  Besides, if they do, they never experience flat tires or engine malfunctions.

Here is a scenario.  A girl with a smart phone takes a cross-country trip and breaks down. The girl gets on the smart phone to find help.  She doesn’t belong to any roadside assistance program and even if she did, she would quickly learn that some services (names withheld) in certain areas will not show up until after you’ve withered away to nothing in your broken down vehicle.

Your repair shop (a.k.a. your solution to her problem) could be right around the corner or on the other side of that wooded lot.  She doesn’t know that, she is looking on her smart phone on the Internet for someone to help her.  Even while looking on her smart phone on the Internet for a car repair shop, she is still determined to make a good choice.  I mean after all, this isn’t a Mercedes she is in, it’s just a little Ford coupe or something, and.. she’s a girl!

So, she’s subconsciously qualifying the options available to her, only looking at the top few search results because there’s an unspoken trust factor that the searcher considers too.  The thought process goes something like this:  I don’t know about those shady looking choices on the next page, I’m in a hurry, and you don’t look to be able to solve my problem, I need some help from someone I can trust that will not take advantage of my broken down vulnerable situation.  Gosh, who should I choose?

To the small local small business owner I ask, have you built a professional looking website, used SEO and social media strategies to influence the positioning of your site in the top spots to be the obvious choice for this customer in need?

Let’s look at the 2nd limiting belief: “My business is global, I don’t want to limit myself to this region.”

Okay, first let me just tell you that it is likely there is more business within a 10 mile radius of where you physically stand right now than you can shake a stick at.  Yes, there are exceptions to the rule but in general, most people can drum up a lot of business if they just open their eyes and realize the value they provide and how many people need their talent right in their very own neighborhood!

The other problem with this belief is that by aiming at such a large target, “everything”, you end up hitting nothing.  So, lets say you have identified that a particular region does in fact have fertile ground of prospects.  You are presented with an opportunity for to market your products and services to them.  I mean this is pretty laser targeted local online marketing you are offered at a very competitive investment level but because you don’t want to limit yourself, you decide to pass on the opportunity.

Just because you are targeting a specific area does not mean you will reject any possible prospects and business deals that come to you from other places.Again, think of the way we communicate now.  Wait, maybe the naysayers are right.  People don’t travel anyway and friends on the West coast don’t keep in touch with friends on the East coast.  This whole Internet thing, social media, viral marketing, and getting new business from referrals is all hogwash anyway right?

No.  So, to the small business owner with dreams of going global, have you built a website that works and are you using SEO and Social Media to laser target fertile local grounds also to Be the Obvious Choice and grow your business?

Apply for a complimentary Discovery Session.

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How Important is Local Online Marketing?

Posted on 22. Jun, 2011 by Darling.

Many business owners think of the Internet globally and not locally. By ignoring your local online marketing, you might as well be turning down potential customers. A vast majority of people look online for local businesses instead of using the phone book.

Facts, Figures & Projections

• In 2010, business owners earned 5.1 million dollars from investing in local online advertising according to the marketing insights firm, BIA/Kelsey. The firm projects that number to double within the next four years and continue to grow.
• According BIA/Kelsey, local searches make up 30% of all online searches. ComScore.com estimates a number of approximately 33%. Either way, local online searches account for nearly 1/3 of all searches.
• Google changed their search algorithm in late 2010 to place a higher emphasis on local businesses. Effective Google Places listings now show up in the first seven results on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) with special markers. Other local businesses follow below. Most people only go through one or two pages of search results at most. Your local business needs to show up as highly as possible.
• Currently, users on mobile devices perform 10 – 15% of all web searches. Google reported a 130% growth in mobile searches last year. Users on the go typically look for the closest business or service provider. If these users do not know where your business is located, they are likely to move on to one of your competitors.

Other Benefits

• Local online marketing helps community businesses thrive by increasing sales. By marketing your local business online, you are not only helping yourself, but you are helping other businesses in your community.
• You need to stay ahead of the competition. Effective local online marketing means that you show up on SERPs before your competition does. A higher SERPs position means that you are less likely to lose business to others.
• Superior local online marketing reassures customers. When customers, or potential customers, see your business show up highly on Google’s SERPs, it reassures them that you are providing good products and/or service.

Local online marketing can easily make the difference between gaining a customer or missing customers. Do not just think of everyone who is using the Internet; think most of the people in your area who are searching for businesses like yours. Your local prospects are your best prospects.

Chris Darling is the creator of the Be The Obvious Choice System for owners of service based businesses across the nation. She works with those that struggle with getting their websites found by effectively using local search SEO and Social Media sites for their business. The main goal is to provide Pain Relief for Your Social Media SEO Aches and set the stage to earn more online revenue from new contacts, clicks, and phone calls. If this speaks to you and your online business goals discover if it is time for Darling Online Marketing.

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