Google Places continues to be a prime location to get more local customers to find your business.    Corey Ellis, the Founder of Chase Web Solutions and an SEO Consultant in Raleigh, NC has written a nice article on ways you can optimize this prime internet real estate for your local business.  Enjoy and prosper.

Google Places optimization has never been more critical for your local SEO then it is today in 2012. With the shift in how potential customers will find your products or services (Iphones,Ipads,Androids,etc.); it is critical that you take the necessary steps to properly optimize your Google Places page. If you won’t take my word, here is a few stats to soak in.

· Around 70-75% of all online search activity is to find local content. (reference: Google)

· Over 80% of local searchers will call you or come to the local business location. (reference: TMP/comScore)

Go here to read the complete list of Google Places Optimization Tips

What tips can you share with others on ways to optimize your Google Places?

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Local search marketing is more than claiming your business on local search directories. You want to use social media sites to bolster your local search marketing efforts.

A year ago, I did a series of blog posts on how to use the popular social media sites to foster your local search marketing. You can see those posts here:

• Facebook and Local Search Marketing 
• Linkedin and Local Search Marketing 
• Twitter and Local Search Marketing 
• YouTube and Local Search Marketing

At the time, I gave little thought to Google Plus. It looked like a rehash of Google’s Buzz which was Google’s answer to Facebook. Google does not have a good track record with social networking.

One year later, with over 67 million participants, Google Plus has earned a place in the social media environment. In November they added Google Plus Business Pages to go along with your personal Google Plus Profiles.

In this post, I will focus on how Google Plus Business Pages can add or subtract from your local search marketing. Enjoy and prosper.

Local Search Marketing Disappointments with Google Plus Business Pages

1. Google Plus has become the glue that brings together a number of other Google programs. It integrates Google Docs, Chrome, Google Reader, Gmail and YouTube. What’s missing from this list is Google Places for local businesses. With Google’s dominance in the local search directories, it would have been a natural to connect Google Places with your Google Business Page. For now, it is a big, missing piece of the local search marketing process.

2. The absence of any data from Facebook or Twitter. These two sites are the biggest real time sites in the social media environment. Part of the real time qualities of these sites, is their local features. (See above posts for more details). Without an agreement with these giants, Google has no access to their data. Google Plus is missing a major piece of local search data from these sites.

3. Google Plus searches should be exactly called “Google Searches”. If you have a Google Plus Business Page, this can be to your advantage. Google start with its own pages in the social and private searches. Therefore if your business is not on Google Plus you may not be found in some searches or ranked lower in those same searches. Google Plus searches have a bias towards its own members!

4. The audience on Google Plus is new. Currently, they are a different audience from those found on Facebook and Twitter. Many internet businesses have not yet discovered Google Plus Pages. You may need to wait until your business audience catches up to you on Google Plus Pages.

5. Google Plus Business Pages does have a special field for the physical location of your business. You will need to click on the symbol to make sure this address is correction. It does not always identify the right location. I was not able to find anywhere on the internet for a place to fix the inaccurate data.   

Local Search Marketing Benefits with Google Plus Business Pages

1. You can have more than one Page for your business. This will allow you to have separate pages for different products. Or you can have different Pages for different locations.

2. Google allows you to develop business profiles and About Us pages to support your business page. You can add Recommendation links to this page. (Reflections of Linkedin). The About Us Page can be used to help your local search marketing efforts by using plenty of geo-tags on this page.

3. You can put Google Badges on your Google Pages and your websites or blog.  HUBSpot reported that websites that uses Google Plus button generated 3.5 times more traffic from Google Plus than websites that don’t have the button installed. They will see both your website and Google Plus Page from one search giving you rating power for your local searching Maps. Use Google Plus search bias to your advantage.

4. Because Google Business Pages are so new, you can be one of the first in your industry to be on Google business pages. You can establish yourself as the leader. You can do this for your physical location or for your profession. There are advantages to being first on a social media site.

5. Segmentation of your marketing is important for every business. It allows you to be more focused and targeted in your efforts. Google Plus Circles allows you to segment your business followers. You may want to create a Google Plus Circle around a location identifier so you can target your messaging locally.

6. The Hangout or a group chat is a unique feature to Google Plus Pages and Profiles. It allows up to 10 users to use audio and video chat at the same time from different locations, including mobile sites. No other social media site has this feature. At this point, all of us will need to learn how to use this innovation. If experts are correct that internet marketing will now be dominated by video, you already have a tool in place.

Conclusion

To summarize: Google Plus Business Pages are weak on the “local” quality of local search marketing. However, with Google’s search power, Google Plus Business Pages are strong on the “search” quality of local search marketing. Given the history of history and power of Google, you do not want to overlook Google Plus Business Pages as part of your local search marketing effort. Here a good reference for setting up your Google Plus Business Page. http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-set-up-a-google-page-for-your-business/

What word or phrase would you use to describe Plus Business Pages?

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Recently, I was invited to share my thoughts with members of the St. Paul Chapter of the national SCORE organization.  In the presentation, I described how local search marketing can be used by SCORE clients who are starting up their own business.  Enjoy the video and share your comments below.  Thank you.

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I am a member of SCORE (Senior Corp of Retired Executives). It’s a national volunteer organization with local chapters. As business leaders we volunteer our skills to help entrepreneurs starting a new business or small business owners who want to grow their existing business. I was invited to speak to our local St. Paul SCORE Chapter about the impact social media sites are having on SCORE’s work with new businesses.   

Rather than focus on Facebook and Twitter, I focused my remarks on power of local search marketing. Local search marketing is a small business owner’s most powerful friend!

Go here SCORE Presentation to see the full article…

Have a questions about local search marketing?  Share it in the Comment Section below.  Thank you.

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Working in local search marketing, we often share materials from a business perspective on how to get more customers to a local business? What does it look and feel like from a consumer perspective? Tamara Weintraub who writes as a blogger for ReachCast and ReachLocal has written a delightful article from that perspective. You can read the full article here How Consumers Search For Local Business   Here is an outline of her article.  Enjoy and prosper.

1. Claim and Optimize your Business Profile on Google Places. Google Places is one of the most highly indexed local listing site on the Web. Once you’ve claimed your Google Place Page, what can you do to make sure it’s found in local search results? How to: Optimize your Google Places Page for SEO & Search Discovery

2. Use Local SEO Content in your Posts. Local search is all about having the right keywords for your local business. This post shows you how to optimize your website, blog and social media posts around a local keyword so you can be found by consumers searching locally for your products or services. Your Guide to Local SEO Content Basics

3. Capture Mobile Searchers with a Mobile-Friendly Site Because consumers are now searching for information and businesses on their mobile devices like smartphones and tablets like the iPad, it’s imperative your local business doesn’t miss out on capturing this local audience. Three Ways A Mobile-Ready Site Can Help Your Business

4. Regularly Post Fresh Content. Content marketing is a great way to promote your local business online because it helps build your presence across the entire Web. But, maintaining an optimized web presence requires you to post regular, fresh content that attracts both search engines and consumers to your blog or social media pages. Content Marketing For Local Business: 5 Resources for Ideas.

5. Use Paid Search to Boost SEO. You already know the basics of getting found via organic search, but that takes time and effort – both of which are precious for local business owners. So, to boost your presence on the search results pages, you can run search engine advertising, also known as PPC advertising, to quickly capture more leads from online searches. How To: Choose a Search Engine Advertising Partner for Your Business

Now its your turn, what do you suggest are ways for local businesses to use search marketing to get more local customers?

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The US economy is improving. It now appears you may be more opportunities in 2012. How do you take advantage of the new economy? Here are nine reasons why local search marketing will bring you more success in the 2012 economy.

Customer Buying Preferences

The key to small business success has always been to give customers what they want, when they want it and how they want it. Today’s customers think locally. Over 50% of the internet searches are now being done for local products and services. That’s a significant change from the past. To take advantage of this new trend, your business needs to be on the local search Map.

Search Engine Changes

When customers change, search engines change. Increasingly, the search engines are
creating ways for local shoppers to more easily find businesses in their towns and communities. The major search engines like Google are now catering to local searches by putting local searches above organic searches. Search engines are expanding a trend started two years ago. To take advantage of this trend, you need to have your business on the local search Map.

Less Competition

Your competition has shrunk. Instead of competing against thousands of other websites on the world-wide web, with local search marketing, you compete against local businesses. Only 20% of local businesses have placed their businesses on local directory sites. This is an increase from 4% two years ago. In most local business areas, you still have the opportunity to beat your competition to the top of the local Map.

Mobile Marketing

Current US statistics are 39% of US phones are smart phones. That number will double over the next two years. Online holiday shopping for 2011 showed 37% of the shoppers used smart phones to make purchases. If mobile phone shoppers can’t find your business on local searches, you don’t exist. Mobile marketing is the future of internet marketing.

Better Customers

The customers using the local searches are customers who are actively looking for a local product or service. Statistics show that 9 out 10 customers who find a business on the local Map take action by calling or visiting a local business. These are not tire kickers!

The Coupon Trend

Whether you like it or not, Groupon and other online coupon programs have changed the way people think about discounting and couponing. Many local directory listings offer free coupons you can use to make your offering more exciting to prospective customers. Coupons on local search directory sites allow you to tap into this trend of consumer buying.

Speed

Facebook and Twitter can be used by small businesses. They have a major weakness—time! It takes a long time to cultivate relationships on social media sites. It takes daily time to actively participate on the social media sites. Local Search marketing can produce much quicker results. Local directory listings take far less time to get noticed by search engines than potential customers on social media sites.

Control

You operate local search marketing entirely from your own computer, 24/7. No extra meetings. No negotiations. Local directories provide you with feedback statistics. Local search marketing does not require computer expertise. You use the skills you have as being part of a local community. This is your market. You are part of it. Being part of a local community is a lot more exciting than being part of a vanilla favored global community. It’s more fun and it’s more profitable.

Free

Basic listings on local directory listings are free. Beyond the sweat equity you put into this form of marketing, it has a high ROI from both a time and a money perspective.

Conclusion

If you are not already doing local search marketing, 2012 should be the year you use this form of marketing. It will be a great investment for your business. It comes at an opportunity time when you can tap into the resurging economy. Local search marketing is where you need to be in 2012!

It’s your turn.  Give your top reason why businesses should use local search marketing in 2012?  Share your answer comment section below.

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The US economy is improving.  Check out this video 9 Way Local Search Marketing will help your business in 2012.  Enjoy and prosper.

Local Search Marketing Video for 2012

Share your own ideas for local search marketing in the Reply Section below.  Thank you.

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The New Year is upon us.  It’s the traditional time to make 2012 goals and resolutions for your businesses. Here’s the secret for adding staying power to your business resolutions so you grow your business in the process.  Enjoy and have a great New Year’s holiday celebrations.

The Secret for Adding Sticking Power to Your Business Resolutions

If you are like me, a new year brings dreams of a fresh start for your small business.   Hopes abound for the New Year.   But, in the back of your mind, you may remember your past resolutions, resolutions which were swallowed up in the bus-i-ness of daily life.   By February, you have already moved on, with January’s resolutions only a vague memory.

Here’s the secret for making your business resolutions last longer than the end of January!

Instead of making your resolutions from a business owner perspective, make your resolutions from a customer perspective.   By focusing on your customer’s interest, you give a new purpose to your business resolutions.  You give your resolutions more power and more opportunity to grow your business!

Follow this three step process.

Step One—Go with Three Customer Winners

“Go with the Winners.”   Create a list of ten customer successes you had in 2011.   These could be customer sales on a particular product; lead generation successes; selling model successes; customer follow up processes; different product or service offerings.  These winners could be a more customer friendly website or an internal process that made it easier for customers to buy or buy more often from you.

If you are having difficulty identifying these customer winners, focus on areas where customers made nice comments about your business; places where they sang your praises; activities or areas where customers delighted with your business efforts.

Now take three of these winners and do them again in 2012.   They were customer winners in 2011; you can make these winners again in 2012.   Create a simple plan.  The plan should include:

• What you are going to do
• How you are going to do it
• When are you going to do it

Write it down.

Step Two–Drop Three Customer Losers

Every business has losers.   You have losers.   What customer related activities cost you money, lost time,or cost your customers in 2011?    Make a list of ten customer loser activities.

Dropping losers is hard.   You may have sacred cows you are afraid of dropping.   If you need courage to drop a loser, remember your customer perspective.   If it wasn’t a winner for them, why do you want to keep it?   Besides, if you don’t eliminate the losers from your business, there will be no room for more winners.

If you are unsure about what losers to drop, ask yourself what are your customer’s biggest complaints?  Where did they express disappointments?  Where did they say you could do better?

Like the process you used for the winners, pick your top three customer losers and create a simple plan that includes:

• What you are going to do
• How you are going to do it
• When are you going to do it

Write it down.

Step Three–One Customer Innovation

Small businesses face the danger of doing just what you did last year or doing what all the other businesses in your industry are doing.   This is a form of incest.  Over time, this weakens your “business stock” and hurts your growth.

Just as you need to stretch your physical muscles, (you know the resolution you made about going to the gym three times a week), you need to stretch your business muscles if you want to grow and develop.

Pick one area that will stretch your business.   This could be a financial stretch, a time or energy stretch.   You could create a new product, improve a product or service, or provide new operating procedures that make it easier for customers to buy.

If you are having a difficult time deciding what to do, take your clue from your customers.  What innovation addresses a customer’s benefit?  By using customer benefits as your criteria for an innovation, you will grow your business in the right direction.

Now create a plan.  What you are going to innovative, how you are going to get this accomplished, and when will you do it?   Write it down and post it where you can see it every day.

Conclusion

Looking at last year’s business winners and losers from a customer’s perspective will give you more sticking power with your 2012 resolutions.   You begin to realize these resolutions are not some internal agreement you made in your head–with yourself.   The resolutions become a commitment to your customers.   Every day you must respond to your customer commitments.  Complete this exercise and find how to make your business resolutions stick long after January. And watch your business grow!

Now its your turn.  What ways do you find helpful in creating your business resolutions?  Share your thoughts in the Reply Section below.  Thank you.

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My wish for you is simple.  May you and your family enjoy the wonderful spirit that abounds during these Christmas and New Year holidays.  May you and your business prosper in the New Year.

I invite you to enjoy this Christmas Video.  For me, it is the way music should be celebrated in our lives.  Once you see it, you will know why it has had over 36 million views.  Enjoy and prosper.

Al Hanzal

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At first glance, press releases and local search marketing seem like strange bedfellows. Press releases are a throwback to an older time period where businesses, usually large national companies did press releases to announce new developments to newspapers and other news media. In this article, Chris Silver Smith show a number of ways press releases can foster your local search marketing and getting to the top of the local search Maps.

Chris Silver Smith

How Press Releases Can Help Local Search Marketing

1. Press releases are not just for large, national companies.

2. Releases can still function in the classic way, by getting the interest of a local newspaper reporter, who could then choose to do a story about your company for his or her publication. In this day and age, press releases can also get paraphrased or reported on by bloggers, too – I’ve had press releases picked up by specialized industry blogs, bringing attention to my topic from communities interested in the subject matter.

3. For local businesses, press releases can be an effective source for local citations, particularly since they can get picked up by geo-authority websites such as local news.

4. Finally, press releases can coordinate well with social media, so using services like Facebook and Twitter to push the PR can help generate more overall buzz about your business.

He concludes his article by providing Tips For Using Press Releases For Local Online Marketing:

You can read these tips and the complete article at  12 Tips for Using Press Releases In Local Online Marketing:

What has been your experience with using local press releases with your local search marketing? Share in the Reply section below. Thank you.

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