Google Local Search Marketing

Hi,
How do you look for goods and services these days?

Your fingers are still doing the walking, but these days it’s more likely on the internet than in the Yellow Pages, using Google local search.

Imagine that you are a visitor to Hobart who wants to get some wine. So you pull out your trusty iphone, go to Google and search for Hobart bottleshop.

And what comes next could either boost your business, or make you wonder why you’re not getting customers any more.

Up pops a little box containing a map, and beside it you see Mayfair Tavern, and Grape Bar Bottleshop.

This is the Google “Local search” box, and it may contain from 1 to 10 names of local businesses.
You’ll also see their address, and phone number.

Lets say you you click on the Mayfair Tavern. You’ll see a street map of how to get there, and off you go to buy your wine.

The box is provided by Google as part of their Local Search facility. It usually appears very prominently above all of the normal website listings. In fact, you might not even look at any of the normal listings.

In Australia, the content of the local search box is generally  provided by the Yellow Pages, and their advertisers are the ones who appear in the box, and in the additional listings that appear if you click the link to see more businesses from that location.

So – How much did Mayfair Tavern have to pay Google for that top listing?

Nothing. That’s right. $0

They may have appeared in the box because of their website, or because someone took the time to properly set up their profile in Google Local Search.

Try this search for your own business:

This could be Moonah Plumber, or Glenorchy Hairdresser, or Hobart Pizza.  Or whatever your business happens to be. Use your town, city, or state and then the type of business. Just like someone would who was searching for the service you provide.

Look at the results. If you were a potential client doing this search, who would you call? Probably someone in the Local Search Box.

If there is no Local search box present, then you’ll just see the normal organic google listing that people have achieved by setting up their websites to achieve high rankings in search engines.

If there IS a Local Search box present, is YOUR business in it?

If not, you could be losing a lot of business to your competitors without even knowing it.

Here’s a video I made which explains how Local Business Search works.

I can set up your profile and information for you in Google’s local search, with the aim of getting you a much more prominent position in the Local Search box.

There are some  special things to with you listing to give you the best chance of your business gaining one of the top spots in Local Search.

The best thing is that you generally only have to do it once. Which is far more cost effective than spending money on newspaper advertising, which has a life of only a day.

Please contact me to discuss how YOUR business can benefit from Local Search.