Improving your ranking in local searches will pay off in more
customers.  Some simple  steps will put you ahead  of competition and put you at the top of local listings.

1. Make sure you are registered in the most used searches.

http://local.google.com/

http://local.yahoo.com/

http://www.yellowpages.com/

http://www.bing.com/maps/

http://yellowpages.aol.com/

Check!  Is the information correct and is it what you want listed?

2. When you register your domain name, use your business information and not your personal information. Use key words in your domain name.

3. Now start getting back links to your site that include your location information.  Check your in links and make sure the information on their site is correct. If you are near a good hotel of restaurant, mention them on your site.  It may help you come up on a mobile search. And, if possible, include your key words in your business name.

4. Use incentives to encourage customers to rate you online. User
ratings can be given at a number of sites: Yelp.com, Judy’s book,
business directories, Chamber of Commerce.  User ratings and reviews are important.

5. Add new and interesting content to your web site. If there are nicknames for your locality, mention them on your site. If there are different ways to describe your business, include them on your site too.  Use words like expert, affordable, service, company, on your page because people may include these words in their search and your site will come up.

Lets talk.  I’m interested in working with you on your internet
presence.  Improving your ranking  in local searches will pay off in more business for you. Drop me an e-mail – sylviabuetow at gmail.com – or give me a call.  4:00 to 6:00 PM or 7:00 to 10:00 PM eastern is the best time.
989-868-4492   If you don’t catch me, leave a message or try again.

Sylvia Buetow
Agent with Social Media Science

If you have not claimed your listings, then those listings may not be accurate (old phone numbers, wrong business name, wrong address) or worse, they may have been hijacked.  If you haven’t claimed your business listing, anyone can step in and alter its content for his own benefit. Anyone can come in and make changes to it as if they were you.  Your competitor can change your information to theirs. They could even change the phone, url and location to theirs and you would disappear!

You need to let Google know you own the business  Actually there are multiple locations that have to be updated. You may need to consider a service that will help you maintain and manage your local listing at multiple local listing websites.  The service can not only help you claim your local business listing, but also help you update the listings with your correct information. Your listing can include promotions, coupons, QR-Codes(to connect with cell phones), offers, videos and photos. Your website, hours of operation,and payment methods can also be listed.

If you rely on the local consumer market for your primary revenue and you are not clear about local business listings, then you need to get caught up real quick. Increasingly, customers go online first to find product information and sources – even if they intend to spend their money locally.  People on the go use their cell phones for a quick search.  They can enter “what and “where” and get a business’s exact location, even driving directions.  And they can place a direct call to a listed business.

Your presence online is a serious part of your marketing.  It’s worthwhile to get help with online advertising.   Social Media Science is a top quality service.  Call Sylvia Buetow at  989-868-4492  or e-mail  sylviabuetow at gmail.com  for more information.

FACT

“54% of Internet users have substituted Internet – Local Search to
replace the phone book” (comScore Networks)

“70% of online searchers use “local search” to find offline businesses”
(comScore Networks)

60% of all local business searches now happen online (33% happen in print yellow pages) and 82% of the people using local search sites follow up their research with offline action. (Source: TMP Directional Marketing-comScore)

People are throwing away those big, bulky phonebooks and using the internet.  They’re finding business information online and then doing their shopping  locally.  And more and more people are using their cell phones to do a quick search.

Google and Yahoo are adding business information to their local searches all the time.  I have found most of it is not accurate.  You may have the wrong address or phone number listed.  We have wasted an hour finding a motel that was mapped on the wrong side of town. We had a reservation so we were persistent.  Your customers may just give up.  Or you may even not be listed.

Your present advertising and Yellow Pages listing are more expensive and less effective than our Localized Search Engine Optimization programs.

Call 1-989-868-4492  – Sylvia

or email SylviaBuetow at gmail.com  for more information