Local Optimization for Small Business Growth: An Introduction

May 28, 2011 - PRLog -- They had no idea!

Last week at our weekly BNI (Business Network International) chapter meeting in the Houston Uptown Mall area, it was my turn to give a 10-minute presentation. Due to the nature of my work and the fact that many are still unfamiliar with the topic I decided to talk about Local Optimization. Business-people from several major industries were in attendance: Law, Finance, Technology, Real Estate, Electrical Services, and others. Though all possessed extensive skills, knowledge, and expertise of their respective fields, most of them—if not all—were shocked to hear what I had to say about their business websites:   They were dead.

Well, not literally of course, but they might as well have been. Most of their websites, though fancy, flashy, and fabulously designed, lay hidden and ineffective among the plethora of websites available on the wonderfully wide—and continuously expanding—web; millions of them, competing to be seen, to be heard, to be at the top of the heap, and, most importantly of all, to draw in potential customers. What was keeping their websites from being discovered? They were not acquainted with the very real power of Local Optimization.

“I had no idea!” said the lawyer at the end of the meeting.  

What is Local Optimization?

Local Optimization is the process of strategically establishing a local presence online to optimize (increase) the chances of a website appearing in the first results of major search engines and local, community-driven sites, which increases traffic to your website.

Why Local Optimization?

Big-name national companies can spend into the high thousands to ensure that their websites appear at the top of national search-engine results (national branding helps quite a bit too); often, small businesses can’t afford the luxury of spending money to do so. Therefore, it becomes imperative to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by search engines and community-driven sites to list businesses in a way that ensure high visibility, especially among those of your locale, which should be the target and desired mainstay of your business. The local community will in turn help perpetuate your presence via online referrals and recommendations, creating your “buzz.”  

How do you “do” Local Optimization?   

To claim your business name in search-engines and sites, you have register your business name and presence in the directories of sites aimed at local business activity, such as Google Places, Yahoo Local, and Bing’s Local Listing Center, to name a few. As one of the largest social media sites, Facebook also allows for localization of your business. Additionally, you have to conduct research to structure key words (conventional and geographically-based) that will also help to distinguish your website from others in the search process.

Is it really that easy? Well, it’s not that difficult, and we can show you how to do it. Stay tuned for our next posting on local optimization.

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