LocalBizBits Local Search Marketing Information and Resources
We have already covered the predictions in many of the other areas of online marketing, what about local search? Here are the articles I think are worth your time.
Local Discovery’ Rising in 2011 – “But now that Google has come to dominate “local search” we can expect to see many sites and publishers repositioning or relaunching as “local discovery” engines”
The Importance of Localized Content – Local SEO Takes Center Stage – “Therefore, if you want your website to appear in search results for users in specific cities, it’s very important to create content and link connectivity that sends the right signals to the search engines, telling them your site is relevant for users in those geographies”
Local Search Predictions for 2011 – “In 2011, I expect Google to:
- Continue to wage war against review spam.
- Heavily promote reviews directly on Google.
- Get pickier about which other review sites it deems worthy of inclusion on Place pages – this will likely be based on the real or perceived authenticity of the review sources.
- Integrate Hotpot recommendations into all things local and mobile.”
My Ten 2011 Predictions in Local and Social – “Local expert is the new social media expert. With “local” views being integrated everywhere (blame mobile!), I expect 2011 to see the arrival of hundreds of new “local” experts. Expect social media experts to slowly migrate to “local”. But beware of snake oil. Trust people that were writing and thinking about local before local was cool…”
A Crash Course in Local Searchonomics – “In general, the video is a collection of statistics that portray how quickly search is evolving and how consumers’ media selection is changing with emerging technology. Local searchonomics is all about using local search to economically grow your business.”
A couple of articles on Tips/Advice:
5 Tips To Get Your Local Business Online In 2011 – “But for small, local businesses, a website can serve as digital storefront, providing a platform to convince consumers that the company is a reliable, trusted operation and provides them with the information necessary to easily and quickly make a purchase.”
Drawing Local Lines In The Sand For Clients In 2011 – “In this article, I would like to identify what I have come to see as the areas of Local SEO that require the cleanest, clearest guidance in working with valued clients.” Great article about what components in general are important for local SEO.
The bottom line here is that local search is only going to get bigger and become more important for small business to take advantage of it. Happy 2011!
Great article with many great resources. Unfortunately, because more and more businesses are signing up for local search, we have noticed Google make more drastic changes, more often to their algorithm. So fasten up your seatbelt and try to keep up with Google people.