When businesses started discovering the Internet, they were eager at the concept of being able to reach a global market. This is why many business owners, especially those already online, began investing towards search engine optimization training courses. Now, a few years further on, things have changed. While the ability to achieve global recognition is quite achievable, it's not a goal that's especially helpful to all businesses. To the Hiltons and Hondas of the world, reaching a global audience is something desirable. But if yours is a mom-and-pop restaurant or a one-shop specialty store, then the market you have your sights on are the people who live or work in your local area or who are planning to visit. In this case, you need a more targeted approach to internet marketing. This is where local SEO comes in.
Local search engine optimization aims to make your business prominent in the eyes of the consumers who are the most likely to need your products and services - those belonging to your specific locality. So if your Italian restaurant - let's call it La Pergola - is in Gladstone, Queensland, you don't need to broadcast your specialties to the inhabitants of Innsbruck, Austria. You need to make yourself known to the folks in Gladstone that are looking for a place to go to for a meal.
There are ways to effectively do this. Since search is becoming one of the most favored ways of looking for information, places, and things, it is quite likely that someone in Gladstone or planning to pass through Gladstone will enter a search query such as "Gladstone restaurants". How do you ensure that La Pergola's website shows high up in the results?
In the days when print prevailed, it was imperative for local businesses to place a listing in the local section of their yellow pages phone directory. Registering your website in local directories is the current equivalent, especially now that local directories are starting to appear more and more on the web. Register your site with every local directory that covers your specific geographical area.
Since Google is one of the top search engines, you should list your site on Google Places and Google Maps. This ensures that you're found on Google searches. If you've made a profile for La Pergola in Google Places, whenever anyone in Gladstone makes a query search in Google for restaurants, even without adding the word "Gladstone" to the query, he will be directed to restaurants located in Gladstone. A benefit of having a Google Places profile is that positive reviews from satisfied customers can be added to your profile; these will boost your rankings. Other search engines have local business directories as well. Yahoo has Yahoo! Local.
To drive local traffic to your website, be sure to always include your physical address, including zip code, city, and state - on your website titles. Search engine spiders index and reference this relevant information. And be sure to use targeted local keywords - such as "Italian Restaurant Gladstone"; these will prove most valuable in localized searches.
A good way to keep your listing updated and attractive to search engine spiders is to post current or upcoming events or promotions. Attaching coupons or promo codes to your listings is another excellent way to draw locals in.
There are various local SEO techniques that you can implement. The important thing to remember is to localize in order to get more mileage from your efforts and to turn your listing into a profitable marketing tool for your business. Lastly, it's always advisable to learn seo strategies and techniques as they evolve to ensure you position your marketing strategies favorably.
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John Roberts is a freelance seo consultant, web designer and internet marketer from Sydney, Australia. John provides small business web marketing consulting, web design and comprehensive search engine optimization training. If you want to learn seo be sure to visit http://www.seotrainingkit.com
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