Q&A - Search Engine Marketing & Local Search

Local Search Guide
Viewpoint, October 17, 2005

Q: Are search engine marketing firms effectively leveraging opportunities in the local search industry? Why or Why not?

A: Most search marketers are NOT paying close enough attention to local search. While The Kelsey Group reports that 25% of searches are local in nature, I think there is an assumption that clients interested in local search marketing are mom & pop businesses with tiny budgets who will need a lot of hand-holding. I'm sure that is true in a lot of cases, but The Kelsey Group also found that 63% of local advertisers are actually national businesses with local presences (think Best Buy, Pizza Hut, etc.). There are large clients with significant budgets who need to be found on a local basis, and I believe most search marketers are overlooking this segment.

Q: How can search engine marketing firms help clients elevate visibility in local search results?

A: One tactic is to ensure that a client's Web site is listed in all local search engines and Internet Yellow Pages. Search marketers and their clients have always obsessed with attaining the almighty #1 organic ranking on the search engine results page (SERP). Many marketers also strive for high rankings on the paid side as well and the really savvy ones have tried a combination of both in order to be visible in two places on the SERP.

Even if companies do business nationally or globally, they should be listed in local search engines and IYPs. Every business has a local address. Wherever they're based, there are likely people in their own backyard searching for their services.

For example, say a company is an online document storage business headquartered in Charlotte, NC. Most of their customers may be scattered across the U.S., but there are still people in Charlotte who need their services.

Overall, search engine marketers should help a company become prominently placed in both organic and paid listings. When listings appear for a business in multiple locations, this builds credibility and makes them look like the industry leader, not to mention gives their competitors fewer places to appear.