Google Local Search: Your Google is Not the Same as My Google
Many web surfers don’t know this, but the Google results you see may not be the same Google results I see or your friends see. Why is this? Because Google returns search results based on where you live. This is extremely important from an SEO standpoint because a lot of business flows from local search — a lot!
For example, I’m currently in New York City. If I type in the search phrase “Tattoo Parlor”, look to the right where the paid listings are. There will be listings of tattoo shops in . . . New York City – even though I didn’t use the search phrase “Tattoo Parlor NYC”.
SEO Copywriters: Why Local Search is Important for You
As more and more businesses come online, they realize what SEO is. What drives SEO? Content — and lots of it on a continual basis. It’s no longer enough to throw up a website and wait for traffic, sales and leads to follow. Businesses that come online are just now starting to realize this. Why now?
Because SEO starts with the web design process. Hence, when a business commissions a web designer, these designers are letting them know from jump that, “Hey, we can create you the coolest site around, but you need to ‘SEO it’ in order to get found.” Many web designers work in concert with SEO copywriters to provide the much needed search-engine optimized content for clients.
So yeah, local search is a big deal for you. And, the more you know about the better you can sell your services to businesses. They need you and once they realize it, the work flows.
Google Local Search: Is Big Brother Really Watching?
Yes, George Orwell’s prediction has come true – Big Brother is watching. In a sense, search engines do know where you live. They use geo-targeted information to return info. This allows where web surfers to find info about a business within a distance as close as 500 feet.
Note: For those who don’t get the George Orwell reference, Google the phrase “George Orwell Big Brother”.
Google Local Search & Local Search Advertising: Why Should I Care About It
Quite simply because local search is where the money is. Consider the following:
Fact: 70% of U.S. households use the internet to make decisions when shopping locally for products and services (Kelsey Group, 2005).
Fact: 73% of activity online is in one way or another “related to local content” (Google May, 2007)
Fact: 25% of ALL commercial Internet searches are conducted by users looking for local merchants (Kelsey-Bizrate 2004)
Fact: 60% of activity online is one way or another “related to local content” (Google May, 2003)
Fact: Businesses reported that about 75% of all their customers originate from within a 50-mile radius of their location; and that approximately 80% of small-to-medium-sized businesses reported they buy their needed products/inventory within a 50-mile radius of their business. [Kelsey Group, 2003]
Google Local Search: Are You Listed? Here’s How to Check
Your freelance writing business may already be listed in Google and other search engines. This is because search engines use information from other sources (eg, The Yellow Pages) to populate their databases. They do this so that they can return as much local information as possible when web surfers conduct local searches.
As an example, if an ad agency was looking for pharmaceutical writers in Denver, they could type in the phrase “pharmaceutical writer, Denver” and be assured of getting local writers, not those from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The information in many of these sources that search engines use to populate their databases is outdated. As a matter of course, only the most basic information is included, ie, name of business, address and a telephone number. You can do so much more to enhance your listing.
Hence, you could be losing out on a lot of business by not taking the bull by the horns and making sure your listing is correct and complete.
For example, if you’re a writer, you can add type of services you offer, links to writing samples, awards and affiliations, etc. And, oh yeah, it’s free!
Go to GetListed.org to see if your business is included and how it appears if it is listed.
Google Local Search: Not Listed? Create Your Free Local Search Listing
Create a free Google local search listing for your business. Also, read this info on local search at SearchEngineGuide.com to learn how to benefit more from local search.
Gogole Local Search: Not the Only Game in Town
There are hundreds, if not a few thousand local search engines, in addition to the biggies like Google, Yahoo! and MSN (Bing). Here are a few noted ones: CitySearch, Super Pages, Yellow Pages and Localeze.
Here’s to your local search marketing efforts!
Yuwanda
http://InkwellEditorial.com
http://SEOWritingJobs.com
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Copyright © 2009: Yuwanda Black for SEO Writing Jobs. This content may not be reproduced or redistributed without the express, written consent of the author.