rigister now!
Because most of your customers will check the Internet before they
jump in their cars and drive to your store. Even if they live just
around the corner, they will probably search Google or another search
engine for local stores and businesses that offer the goods or services
they are looking for.
Think of it as a modern-day Yellow Pages. But instead of the mammoth
book that lands in your driveway (and often sits there for ages until
you get around to throwing it into the recycling bin), all the local
businesses place their listings in the Local Search section of Google,
Yahoo, Bing and various specialty search engines and directories. If
you’re targeting a local clientele, you simply cannot afford not to put
some effort into local search advertising.
When you advertise locally, you have the opportunity to secure a
prominent listing in the search results. Your ad/listing should provide
key information about your business, including description, business
hours, and contact information. You can even have your business location
pin-pointed on Google Maps or a similar mapping service, so potential
customers can zero in on your location and get driving directions to
there.
So if you’re operating, say, a sporting goods store in Bangor, Maine,
then you must ensure that anybody who searches the Web for “Sporting
goods + Bangor Maine” or similar phrases will find your listing and
easily get to your store if needed.
Another reason why local advertising is so important is that your
competition is already doing it. Today’s consumers EXPECT businesses to
have a presence on the Web. Preferably a Web site. But even if a
business doesn’t have a Web site, a simple local listing with contact
information, etc. ensures that potential customers know your business
exists. If you aren’t listed, then most customers will take their
business elsewhere.
So how do you get listed in a local directory, online Yellow Pages or
even among the local ads in Google/Yahoo/Bing? Well, it depends. For
the top search engines, the quickest and most efficient way is to create
and place a pay-per-click ad in their search results. If this is an
intimidating proposition, then services like the Premium edition of Go
Daddy’s Search Engine Visibility will do all the heavy listing,
including composing your ad(s) and managing your campaign. Aside from
the big three search engines, there are several Web sites that
specialize in local listings. Many of them are broken down into specific
categories — restaurants, medical service providers, fashion stores,
you name it. Most of them require a fee to add your listing, which is
usually well worth the cost, but if you’re lucky, you might be able to
track down a site or directory that offers to list local businesses for
free.
In any event: If you have any interest in attracting local customers,
advertising locally is paramount to the success of your business.
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