The recent advent of “Local Search Marketing” by Google, Yahoo, and Bing, with other minor search engines quickly jumping on the local wave, small businesses now have the power of the internet to reach local consumers. Local fingers are not walking through paper pages anymore; they are typing into (and now speaking to) computers, PDAs, and smart phones when searching for products and services, seeking directions to a location, and conducting research. Local Search Engine Marketing (SEM) has come so quickly and is growing so fast that many have labeled this phenomenon as the “Local Search Tsunami.”
Small businesses that provide products and services to a local market can no longer ignore the importance of Local Search Marketing – the corner stone of Local Online Advertising. The small local businesses who have an optimized online advertising presence will not only survive, they will dominate their market. As local consumers search online for products and services, it will be the business name that appears near the top of the local search engine maps that they contact. Those businesses who first position and maintain themselves on the top map positions will build strong brand authority with local consumers and potentially dominate their market. Local SEM is no longer just an option or alternative to phone books and paper media, it is imperative for survival.
The Problem. Search Engine Marketing and OnLine Advertising are multi-faceted, with many complex, interrelated components. In addition, this rapidly growing, infant industry is constantly changing—nearly every week, the online players release important new components or information that alter the rules and strategies. To compete in the local SEM and OLA environment requires an in-depth, broad based understanding and knowledge of the online world and a direct focus on the newly developing “Local Search Marketing” component.
The broad foundation knowledge and skills required for online advertising success, coupled with the speed and complexity of the necessary continuing education makes this new industry incredibly challenging. Few small businesses have the human resources to meet this challenge. A Local SEM professional firm is likely the only and perhaps the best solution to solve the Local Online Advertising problems small businesses face today.