5 Important Local Search Marketing Techniques

Claim Your Listings

Google Places and Bing Business Portal should be at the top of your list. Don’t just fill out the basic information though. Take time to make them like a secondary website or ad that really sells your business. Ads, coupons, reviews, product pictures, images of the inside of your business…these all help to pre-sell and pre-qualify visitors. Don’t forget to look at other local directories like Yelp.

Get Citations From Local Businesses

Just like the international SERPs use links, local search relies heavily on citations. The best way to get them is to speak with the businesses and website owners you already work with. You might even consider working with local non-profits, organizations, and groups. You help them get the cash they need for their activities, and you get the advertising and citations. Everyone wins.

Try to keep the information in your citations as consistent as possible, but if something gets a little off, don’t worry too much.

Get Your On-Page SEO in Place

Geographic modifiers in your landing pages help search engines identify you as a local business. Include locations in your keywords, META tags, heading tags, local content, and even maps can help significantly. On your contact page, be sure to list your full address and contact information, including phone and fax numbers. Some local SEO experts also believe GPS coordinates can help significantly.

Lastly, make sure to create quality landing pages for each of the local areas you serve. Not only does this help with your search engine rankings, but it will also help convert visitors from those areas.

Use a Wide Range of Media

Don’t get stuck in a rut. Instead of just producing text content, take time to include local images, videos, audio, apps, and other media. It will keep your site interesting for visitors, extend your reach to a wider target audience, and help you show up in multiple searchers.

When publishing your media, make sure to optimize them by including keywords and location phrases in the tags and META data. It also includes things like captions and descriptions. Have fun with it though — Elements like these still have to be clickable!

Get Active on Local Social Networks

Groupon, Foursquare, and other social networks do an excellent job of serving local businesses. Create smart profiles and get involved. Not only will it help your local marketing, but it’s a great way to keep an eye on your online reputation, get hints and ideas from your potential customers, and push your business where appropriate. The important thing to remember is that these are social networks first — traditional, pushy, in-your-face selling just won’t work.

What local search techniques do you find to be the most helpful?