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Local Business Search Optimization Tips

Search is constantly evolving, from general web
search such as the old giants Yahoo, AltaVista and
Excite through to the current day of Google.

Not only has search grown out, it has also grown up.
Vertical search engines are becoming more and more
popular i.e. Expedia - a travel search engine, great
for finding travel deals and accommodation and
Bizrate.com – a shopping search engine perfect for
comparing prices and chasing a bargain.

Another type of search is local search.
Local search is generally driven by a geographical
query and the service required e.g. Starbucks,
Los Angeles. Businesses that benefit most from this
form of search are local based business that have a
physical presence e.g. a shop, garage, restaurant
or surgery, that are looking for ways of driving
foot traffic through the door, as well as
capitalizing on internet traffic.

Local business listings have become even more
attractive since they are now being returned in
the general search results within Google and Yahoo!
Thus, a greater chance of driving search traffic to
your website!


The red box identifies the Google Maps/Local
business listings within natural search results.

Other than having your business submitted and
optimized in the local search of Google, Yahoo and
MSN, there are some other optimization elements
you can apply to your WebPages to help increase
your presence.

Include your contact details.
Your city name, state and zip/post code should be
in the footer of every page. Hyperlink the city name,
state and zip/post code to the contact us page on
your site.

Include local city information in your contact us
page (perhaps a brief bio on your local city/town).
Add geographical qualifiers, such as city and
state name, to the body of your content. Link the
qualifier text through to your contact us page.
Targeted to the correct business types, local
business search can be a very cost effective and
powerful advertising and promotional tool. Driving
more foot traffic through your door and click
traffic to your website.

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