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Search Engine Optimization for the Local Market
Twenty-seven percent of all online search engine queries by US
consumers are aimed at finding products & services in their
local area, yet less than one in seven businesses make any
active attempt to connect with this local market through the
purchase of online media space. These are the findings of a
recent survey conducted by the Kelsey Group - a respected
Princeton, New Jersey research firm - and reveal a huge gulf
between what online consumers want and what businesses (and
search engines) are currently delivering.
Accepting that consumers want a higher quality of local search
results, the major search engines, including the likes of Google
and Yahoo, have been busy developing local search applications
over this past year or two. Google are currently running local
search on a separate web site - http://local.google.com/ - and
have increased visibility of local search in their main page
rankings. Yahoo has implemented a similar system at
http://local.yahoo.com/
However, if web site owners and businesses do not configure
their web sites to take advantage of local search facilities
they'll find themselves left behind. Configuring a web site for
local search is quick and easy. Here we reveal how...
Business Details
The first step to improving your online presence in the local
market is to include your business name, address, telephone
number, state and even country within your web pages. Do not
just confine this information to your 'contact page' either.
Instead, make sure that it is included on every primary page on
your site. This makes it easier for the search engines to pick
up on "local" information when your site is spidered. It also
optimizes each page to create multiple entry points to your site
on local search information.
Keyworded Content
Select and use local search terms in the content of your web
pages. Focus tightly on local search terms relevant for each
page. For instance, if you are selling red widgets in
Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida be sure to mention "red
widgets", "Gainesville", "Alachua County" and "Florida" in your
text, just as you would with any other keyword for which your
site in optimized. Providing that your site is fully optimized
for regular search engine success, optimizing it for local
search as well may help you secure the #1 spot on some very
competitive keywords!
Tags
Just as with regular SEO, local SEO keywords must be entered
into the page title tag and heading tag. This is for the benefit
of the search engine spiders, which will look for keyworded
content to match the keywords in the tags.
Internal Link Text
Local search keywords that link to relevant internal web pages
are much liked by the search engines. For instance, with the
keywords "red widgets" and "Gainesville" you can construct
several internal pages focusing on content relevant to these
terms. By doing so you'll tip the balance hugely in your favor
for securing high search engine ranking results on those
particular keywords.
Optimizing your web site for local search success is so easy to
do. However, despite its simplicity, not all of us have the time
or funds available to make the changes needed. If you find
yourself in this predicament it's time to look to a joint
venture partner for a solution!
What is a joint venture partner?
A joint venture partner in this instance is someone who has the
necessary time and/or skills you lack. They can optimize your
website for the local market and enable you to implement change
to your site without you having to pay out any money up front.
In exchange for their services you can arrange for them to
receive a percentage of the revenue from your site...a
performance-based pay if you will.
Setting up such a collaboration with a joint venture partner is
very easy to do. Joint venture web portals like www.jvbase.com
have databases that contain numerous SEO experts and
professional copywriters who are available to work with you this
way. What's more, most joint venture web portals are free to
use. Just register your details and away you go! Good luck.
About the author:
Content is provided by Seb Jay on behalf of
http://www.jvbase.com