Local Search SEO Ranking Factors Surveyed
Portland, Oregon Small Business Web Design Guru David Mihm surveyed 20 local search experts to identify factors that could help or hurt local business search performance. Local Search Ranking Factors offers many interesting insights.
Among the most significant factors:
- Claiming and verifying a local search listing is a critical step.
- Placing a business in the right category is crucial. The wrong category can be the kiss of death.
- Using the product or service keyword or keywords in the listing title can really help.
- Proximity of the business to the centroid of the city may help or hurt position.
Factors that can hurt position include:- Multiple listings with the same address
- Multiple listings with the same phone number
- Multiple listings with the same name
- Negative reviews
West Pasco Chamber Helps Businesses Learn How to Advertise Online
“Online Advertising For Local Businesses: Why It’s Growing and How It Can Help Your Business” is the title of a seminar sponsored by the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce to be held at 6:00pm on July 24, 2008, in the New Port Richey City Council Chambers 5919 Main Street in New Port Richey.
Presenters will include two online advertising experts from LocalDirective.com, a local firm that creates and manages local search marketing programs for companies nationwide. Chief Executive Officer Lisa Maier and Senior Vice President Advertising Solutions Mike Freedman will discuss lessons learned from building and managing marketing online efforts for thousands of American companies.
“It is important to bring Business Development Programs such as this to our members” said Joe Alpine, President West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.
“During challenging economic times, it’s even more important that businesses make the best possible decisions with limited marketing budgets,” said Maier. “We’re helping local business leaders gain valuable information about online marketing tactics that could help them gain more business leads at a lower cost.”
Adds Freedman, “Online advertising is sometimes called ‘the most complex form of advertising’ for a reason. One of our goals with this seminar is to educate local business owners to empower them to make good online advertising decisions.”
There’s significant evidence that local business prospects and customers can be reached online through search engines:
• Almost 10 billion searches were conducted on Google, Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft in February 2008 alone. [Source: ComScore, 2008]
• Over 60 percent of consumers now search for a local business on the internet, and only 33 percent use the yellow pages. [Source TMP Directional, 2007]
• Almost 40% of local shoppers say that a presence on the internet – or lack of presence – will affect their decision about who they do business with. [Source: Web.com, 2007]
To register for the presentation, call 727-842-7651.
For more information about LocalDirective.com, visit http://www.LocalDirective.com or call 1-866-925-9524.
For more information about the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce, visit http://www.WestPasco.com or call (727) 842-7651.
