SMX West Session Notes: Local Search Marketing Tactics

Local Search Marketing Tactics – Local search doesn’t only happen in relation what’s on a map. This

session looks at a variety of local search tactics that are not necessarily tied to your physical location’s listing.

Moderator: Greg Sterling, Founding Principal, Sterling Market Intelligence

Speakers:
Scott Dunlap, CEO, NearbyNow, Inc.
Matt McGee, Assignment Editor, Search Engine Land
William Scott, President, Search Influence
Dennis Yu, CEO, BlitzLocal LLC

NOTES

Scott Dunlap, CEO, NearbyNow, Inc.
Topic: Tracking and Measuring Online/In-Store Shoppers

Local search is by def: a multi-channel opp.  Search online and buy in store.  There is a 9 to 1 ratio of people wanting to buy in store due to urgency.  So the questions is how do you track traffic to convertion when they are finding you online, yet buying in your store.

Solutions:

1. Use a concierge to gather visitor data online and then call them to provide verification of product in stock, etc.
2. Claim check/apnt setting options for instore meeting.
3. Coupon code only offered online for instore use.
4. Bar code listed online so cause customers will print that off and come in with it for you to scan so they can buy it.
5. Post-purchase consumer survey (get their email instore and then survey them).  This is a very important option.

That’s it for Scott.

Matt McGee, Assignment Editor, Search Engine Land
Topic: Hyperlocal Blogging

Matt’s wife is a local real estate agent in Tri-Cities Washington.  She blogs, and he blogs, about local issues related to their local blogs.  They have 4 hyperlocal blogs that target that area and the objective is to drive local RE buyers to his wife.  They don’t only blog about RE though.

Tips:

1. Find local events that are taking place in your local area and then use those events to blog about and push traffic flow to your site using them.  Typically you can see 10x the traffic in flow from them.
   1. Examples: Circuit City going out of business in Tri-Cities area in Washington.
   2. Leann Rimes coming to do a concert in that local area.
2. About hyperlocal news too (neighborhood level, etc)
   1. Community swiming pool in local area.
   2. Community party or fund-raiser that is taking place in local area.
3. Why local blogging works for you.
   1. Growing interest in local stuff online.
   2. Traditional media declining.
   3. Local web sites often lacking.
   4. Search engines love good blogs.
4. Tips List from Matt Himself.
   1. Write about local stuff.
   2. Use photos and video.
   3. Think ahead.
   4. Do basic SEO on posts.
   5. Don’t overdo self-promotions.

That’s it for Matt.

William Scott, President, Search Influence
Barnacle SEO: Attaching oneself to a large fixed object and waiting for customers to float by.

Local search is location specific for goods and services.  Most often lends to an offline purchase.  Local is different depending on: urgency, service type, demographics, etc.  Local search is long-tail search.  Typically have small budgets, risk aversions, and need quick proof of ROI.

Where is local search?

1. Yahoo Local
2. Google Local
3. Insider Pages
4. Merchant Circle

All these page results can show up on page one of Google and other engines.

Q: Do I have to have a website?
A: No you don’t.  It’s very easy to promote your business through local, even without a website.  Your website can range naturally, and you can pay for PPC placement, and that is the knock-out punch there.

Local Listings Sites:

1. Yahoo Local
2. CitySearch
3. SuperPages
4. InsiderPages
5. Yelp
6. YellowPages
7. BrownBook
8. MerchantCicle

   

Maximize your listings with SEO:

1. Titles and meta
2. Links to local profiles
3. Local search isn’t always on the map
4. Use social bookmarking to build links for local profiles

That’s it for William.

Dennis Yu, CEO, BlitzLocal LLC

How do you do local search marketing when you are a local company with thousands of location?

Make sure to use FaceBook and MySpace ads for local search tactics.  Typically you can see much higher quality traffic and more traffic than traditional PPC and you’ll typically spend less than .20 per click.

Use Twitter to effectively target local businesses on Twitter.  Make a custom background for Twitter and use it to create trust with other Tweeples and allow them to promote for you through social media marekting.