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Promotion Tip:
Searchers Are Going Local
by Larisa Thomason,
Senior Web Analyst,
NetMechanic, Inc.
Online shopping puts the world at your fingertips. It's a marketplace where anyone can buy from a merchant on another continent as easily as from a merchant down the street. But that ability doesn't always translate into a surge of international orders. A large number of online shoppers are looking for merchants close to home. Can those local searchers find your site?
Searchers Look For Local Businesses
When The Kelsey Group and BizRate.com studied the online buying habits of 5,582 Internet users in February 2004, they were surprised by the results:
"...25.1% said they were either seeking merchants "near home or work," researching a local purchase or actually buying a local product or service."
The 25.1% number was more than double the expected 10% local search total. Other findings included:
- 64% said that "...search engines are better" than printed yellow pages for finding commercial information."
- 80% rated commercial search results as "good" or "excellent."
- 44% are performing more local commercial searches than last year.
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Everyone surveyed had made at least one online purchase during the previous year. What's happening? People are starting to realize that the Internet is as least as good a local commercial search tool as the phone book.
Probably even better - a Web site has a lot more information than a print display ad! At least it should.
More information about this study is available in a detailed article at SearchEngineWatch.com.
Maximize Local Search Opportunities
Every local business should sit up and take notice of this survey. Online search tools and targeted advertising could attract many new customers. This is a relatively low-cost way to success - if businesses take advantage of every free opportunity to promote their Web sites.
- Local online city directories. Even the smallest communities are building online directories that contain information about local merchants, community groups, and government services. A listing is generally free because the goal is to promote the community as a whole. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce or other merchant organization to find out if your city has an online directory.
- Online state or regional resources. These are often run by a state or regional authority but may also be privately-owned. Most are designed specifically to promote their state or community's business and tourist opportunities. They may also attract local visitors with local news and weather feeds, classified ads, and bulletin boards.
- Free business directories. A number of online directories provide free listings for specific city or state searches. Most offer enhanced listings, banner ads, and pay per click ads for a fee. Here are two that offer free listings:
- BizHiway.com
- SuperPages.com
The most valuable services partner with other sites to supply search results. That means that one free listing could actually appear on multiple sites visited by local searchers.
- Target your industry. Search for online listings of businesses like yours. There are a lot of specialty search engines and niche directories available. Many like ESchoolSearch.com provide free basic listings and charge for enhanced listings.
- Submit to the major search engines and directories. The free resources are great and everyone should take advantage of them. However, the majority of searchers - even local ones - do use the larger search engines. Make sure the targeted keywords on some pages identify your geographic location.
For instance, the phrase "macrobiotic Chinese restaurant" is a good, specific keyword phrase, but it doesn't help searchers who are looking for Chinese restaurants in Albany, NY. Include the first phrase, but also target "Albany Chinese restaurant" or any other keyword phrase that's specifically linked to your location.
NetMechanic's Search Engine Power Pack can help you decide on the best keywords, analyze your keyword density per page, and submit every page in your site to the largest search engines.
- Promote your business offline. Plaster your domain name on every flat surface you can find! Add it to your business cards, stationary, delivery van, email signature, phone book ad, print advertising, and even the local soccer team if you sponsor one.
Customers who see it often enough will remember it and note that they can easily get information about your business without leaving their desk chairs.
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Review our June 2003 Promotion Tip "Ten Ways To Promote Your Local Business" for more tips on attracting local customers.
Local Search At Yahoo And Google
Both Google and Yahoo are jumping into the local search market. Both companies recently rolled out new services that help searchers and give local businesses cost-effective ways to advertise online.
In March 2004, Yahoo unveiled its SmartView Technology. SmartView is based on Yahoo Maps, a service where searchers can enter an address or other reference point and see a street map, directions, etc.
Well, with SmartView, searchers can now easily see what kinds of restaurants, hotels, and other business options are located near their search point. Yahoo's press release describes it like this:
"SmartView enhances the current Yahoo! Maps product by allowing consumers to choose local points of interest and attractions... to customize the current map display. Once displayed on the map, expanded information, including address and phone number, pricing, user ratings (for hotels), website address and access to driving directions can be found by clicking on the identified icon."
Meanwhile, Google is Beta testing "Google Local," a local search utility much like Froogle (Google’s online catalog search). Google Local only works for locations in the United States at this point, but the Google Local FAQ page explains that international locations will be added "...once we work out the kinks."
Both the Yahoo and Google local search functions will benefit both searchers and businesses hoping to be found. But remember, you have to have a Web site first and it has to be appealing enough for searchers to want to learn more.
Make It Worth The Effort
Once local searchers find your site, make the visit worthwhile! Searchers love online coupons they can easily print and use. A Jupiter Media Metrix study of women's online usage published at InternetRetailer.com found that, of women who are mothers, "...23% said they used coupons obtained online for local services and 43% for household products."
Searchers have to visit your site to print the coupon. Hopefully your site has enough information to make them actually want to use the coupon at your business! Your space in a print ad is severely limited, but your Web site isn't the place to be terse. Visitors come wanting more information than they'd get from a phone book ad.
At a minimum, give visitors this information:
- Operating days and hours
- Street address (a map is even more helpful)
- Phone and fax numbers
- Information about the business
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The type of information you provide naturally depends on your business. Restaurant and catering service Web sites should always post menus and prices. Doctors may be reluctant to display charges for office calls and other services, but they should indicate their specialty, office hours, and the types of insurance they accept.
Think about what you would like to know about a business, include that information, and conduct usability testing to make sure your visitors can quickly locate the information they want.
Search engine and local search promotion will get visitors to your site once, but good content with substantial informational page is what keeps them coming back.
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