Google Local Search And The Impact On Natural Optimization

With the advent of Google Local, a service that helps Web users find local businesses by typing in a search term and a city name, many questions arise concerning its impact on Natural Optimization.

Google Local tracks down local stores and businesses by searching billions of pages across the Web, and then cross-checking these findings with Yellow Pages information to locate the local resources Web users wish to access. In addition to local business listings and related Web links, Google Local also provides maps of the desired region and directions made available by MapQuest. This makes Google Local convenient for Web searchers and extremely useful for local businesses, if their sites are optimized for local-searches. If not, some businesses could be missing out on a tremendous increase in local site visibility and traffic.

Case-in-point: The Home Depot, whose Web site features its own Store Finder with zip code-accessed location listings. Type "Home Depot" into Google Local and while a list of local stores appears, no related local landing pages come up. In fact, none of the related Web links even direct Web users to Home Depot's home page. Most large sites that have retail stores have a search feature or "enter your zip" option. Google and other Search Engines will never be able to index this content. For retailers looking to increase sales and traffic from their Web sites, this could prove to be a big problem.

The Home Depot is not alone. Countless other large and small businesses alike do not have city-oriented pages accessible through local search sites. Many are not listed in the top 15 return results for related keywords for Google Local, despite their location in the immediate proximity to the search location. Google Local ranks listings based on their relevance to the search terms the user enters, not solely by geographic distance. This means that unless your site has a city and/or county-oriented landing page for each location, Google will not be able to access your contact page, no matter how relevant your site is to a search term, or how close you are in geographic distance.

Natural Optimization specialists never really focused on the optimization of contact and location pages on websites, but now it's becoming a vital tool to drive more qualified traffic to the sites. In order to make sites local search-ready, they should start creating sitemaps that include every store location and then build individual landing pages for each specific location with a brief overview of the store along with a map and detailed directions. Without this, Google does not have a path to index the pages and information. Doing this small step will increase your qualified traffic as well as increase sales in your retail store or business.

By making your keywords city-specific and including more location-specific information on your site, Google Local can access your contact information and, as a result, drive more related traffic to your site.

Take Hard Rock Café. Their Web site is an ideal example of a site that is perfectly optimized for local Search Engines like Google Local. When entered in as a search term, Hard Rock Café's number one listing links to their home page's restaurant location page. Search users can instantly access information on Hard Rock Café in general, as well as learn more about location and contacts.

Local search is one of the most hyped areas of development in the Search industry today. Other Search engines including Yahoo!, Ask Jeeves, MSN and CitySearch are hot on Google's tail to perfect their own versions of local Search Engines. Soon, not having your site optimized for local Search Engines will make your business's site obsolete. The impact of local search is already apparent, and it is still only in its infancy.

About The Author

Rob Young, Manager of Natural Optimization and Creative Director of full-service interactive marketing and advertising agency UnREAL Marketing Solutions, has been with the company since its inception in 1999. Young oversees the Natural Optimization and Creative departments. www.unrealmarketing.com

rob@unrealmarketing.com

Business Consulting Web Development Web Site Design Graphic Design Ecommerce
Marketing Web Hosting Domain Name Registration Clients Web Maintenance Voice Overs Talent
Contact Us Company Info Home Page
>> Link Exchange Directory - Ad Your Site Now! <<

INFORMATION AND HELPFUL ARTICLES
Web Design Web Hosting Web Development Search Engine Optimization
Web Design Samples Graphic Design Samples Glossary Pantone Chart RGB HTML

Tampa Web Design and Development Tampa Bay Web PHP Development and Web Hosting
Graphic Design Tampa Bay Small Business Consultant

Search Engine Watch

Search Engine Optimization Inc. Announces New Addition to Senior ... SYS-CON Media, NJ - 1 hour ago As CDO for Search Engine Optimization Inc. (SEO Inc.), Ed will develop new strategies for future sales growth and company expansion as well as spearhead the ... Bruce Clay, Inc. Releases New Free SEO Tools MSNBC Search Engine Optimization(On Page) PWO Seo infotech is providing free search engine optimization ... PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung) Promotion World (press release) - dBusinessNews Cleveland (press release) all 69 news articles

Baytech Releases Long-Awaited Integrated SEO / PPC Marketing Solution Business Wire (press release), CA - 2 hours ago Search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising (PPC) and email marketing services will be offered as one powerful and integrated marketing solution. ...

Mark Your Calendars: Search Engine Strategies (SES) Returns to New ... MarketWatch (press release) - Jan 7, 2009 Incisive Media's Search Engine Strategies is a leading global conference and training series focused on search engine optimization and search engine ...

Best Syndication

A-1 Internet Design - Keeping Pace with the Global Internet marketing Best Syndication, CA - 18 hours ago Their package of affordable search engine marketing services include effective search engine optimization, and in their competitors circle they are heralded ...

Derek Edmond Becomes Partner in Massachusetts-Based Search Engine ... Business Wire (press release), CA - Jan 6, 2009 KoMarketing Associates, LLC is pleased to announce that Derek Edmond, currently the Director of Search Engine Optimization & Search Marketing Strategies at ...

Icreon Search Engine Optimization Services NewDesignWorld (press release), UK - 5 minutes ago Enhanced user experience is the key to Search Engine Optimization as sites more trusted by users will be sites more trusted by the search engines. ...

IndiaBook Indian SEO Company Launches Search Marketing Outsourcing ... PowerHomeBiz.com (press release) - 22 hours ago India Book SEO company India offers all type of Internet search engine optimization services including competitor analysis, keyword research,on page ...

Adweek

Search Engine Enlightenment Traffick - Jan 6, 2009 Although pretty heavy-handed in some cases, this also goes for Google's "optimization suggestions." While Google is pushing the "room for improvement" ... Yahoo Modifies Search Advertisers Terms And Conditions eBrandz Yahoo Angers Advertisers After Terms & Conditions Update Notification Search Engine Land all 60 news articles

Search Engine Marketing Agency, Formic Media, Launches PR Web (press release), WA - Jan 5, 2009 Formic's initial SEM service offerings include web analytics optimization, keyword research & recommendations, website search engine optimization (SEO) ... Oregon Marketing Firm Focuses On Local SEM Services Mediapost.com all 4 news articles

OptimizeMyROI, a Leader in Website Marketing Continues to ... PR.com (press release), NY - Jan 7, 2009 SportsBanners4you.com , said: “In a matter of only a few weeks, Heath Nolan and his Search Engine Optimization Consultant team at OptimizeMyROI produced a ...

© MediaRocket.com All rights reserved.
 
Business Consulting Web Development Web Site Design Graphic Design Ecommerce
Marketing Web Hosting Domain Name Registration Clients Web Maintenance

voice overs work, onhold music, on hold message, on hold messages, message for voice mail, voicemail greetings, voice mail greetings, voice mail greeting, voicemail messages, messages for voicemail, messages for voicemails, voice services, radio voices, radio voice, voice over recordings, voice over auditions, voice acting, voice over artists, voice over artist, voiceover artists, voiceover artist, voiceover auditions, voiceover audition, voiceovers auditions, voice over agents


Tampa web site design voice talent and voice overs, small business consulting web design graphic design business consulting services tampa web design web design tampa business consulting st. petersburg web design florida web design sarasota web design jacksonville web design orlando web design miami web design business consultant  radio station web design radio web design clearwater web design tallahassee web design small business consultant real estate web design west palm beach web design ecommerce web design business web design hosting web design professional web design flash web design flash graphics web design web design company web page designers color chart Web Design -- Business Consulting Services Web Development Web Site Design Graphic Design Ecommerce Marketing Web Hosting Clients Web Maintenance Contact Us Company  Home Page Employment  Privacy Glossary, Voice Talent, Voice Overs voice over talent voiceover artist voice overs