Local Internet Marketing

The Non Technical Guide

for Beginners to Brick and Mortar

SearchPresented by:Scott Hendison

About Me

• I began marketing online in 1999, after accumulating nearly 4000 software titles in a new & used computer and software store

• I began full time SEO consulting in 2004 by forming Search Commander, Inc.

• In 2007, I started SEO Automatic, a site that‘s grown to nearly 3000 members worldwide.

• In 2010 my interest in local search renewed.

About Tonight

• SERP basics (Search Engine Result Pages)

• Preparing your Info

• Claiming your business

• Q & A wrapup

All Search is changing DAILY

Portland Plumber

Portland Contractor

Portland pool supplies

Landscaper (w/ NO Portland)

Some industries are filtered

Determining Intent• People see different results by industry

and minute phrase variation based on what Google THINKS you want as well as:

• Who you are• Where you are • How you are searching• What the history is:

– Of the device– Of the user– Of a logged in users ‘friends‘ & more

Constant Flux

• Local search has merged but will never stop

• Search engines are favoring “credibility“

• Based on feedback and testing layouts change

• They really change to get more eyes on ad$

A Good Place to Start

GetListed.org

Prepare Your Information FIRST

• Gather your company information

• I call it a “swap file“

• Copy / paste info as needed

• Far more efficient & keeps the consistency

Handout

Logo / Photos

• Logo should be square. If rectangular, pad the image with whitespace above & below.

• Have a .jpg – It‘s the only universal choice

• Should be online, and able to link right to it

• File size should be under 200k and image size should be under 400px high / wide

• Ask anyone for help based on these specs

Internet Explorer

Firefox

Handout

Handout

Handout

Copy & Paste

• Once filled out, just copy and paste the text• Left click and drag mouse over text to turn blue• Right click to bring up “copy”• Right click elsewhere to “paste”

Ready to begin “claiming“

• Infogroup / Express Update USA / InfoUSA etc are all the same thing - http://expressupdateusa.com/

• They are a major “backbone“ information provider.

• Must be 100% ‘correct‘ to be consistent

InfoGroup

InfoGroup

InfoGroup

Off Topic - PASSWORDS

Your “easy to remember“ password is bad

There is software for sale that can get hackers in, who then can and will steal or delete your listings.

Decent passwords have upper and lower case letters, have a number and/or symbol (preferably both) and they are never a word that can be found in the dictionary.

Simple Security - Make up a Sentence

Use the first letter of each word for something you couldnt (or shouldn‘t) forget, like...

My wife Tara‘s birthday is April 7th!

MwTbiA7!

InfoGroup

As soon as you click to create the account…

InfoGroup

Scroll down to complete…

InfoGroup

InfoGroup

InfoGroup

InfoGroup

InfoGroup

InfoGroup

Wait or Proceed?

• If the information was incorrect at Infogroup, then you should wait until it‘s corrected before you claim anywhere else.

• If your biz information was newly added or simply updated, then it‘s fine to proceed.

Google Places

• Identify – Likely already listed

• Claim – Is it claimed? Tell them it‘s yours

• Update – Correct / update information

• Verify – by phone or by snail mail/postcard

Google Account

• You need a Google Account

• Log in or create a new account – https://accounts.google.com/NewAccount

• Go here – http://www.google.com/placesforbusiness

Google Places

Always test old phone numbers too, before creating a new listing!

Google Places• NEVER include geographic

terms for categories

• Always add another category

• Always choose pre-existing categories when they exist

• You MAY add your own categories if needed, but use good judgement

• Capitalize Category First Letters

• Use all five available categories

Google Account

Google Account

Google Places

Google Places

Google Account

Google Places Page

Google Places Page

Google Places Page

Google Places Page

Google Places Page

Google is King, but...

Yahoo

Yahoo

Yahoo

Yahoo

Yahoo

Yahoo

Yahoo

Yahoo

Images + $9.95 monthly

Yahoo

Yahoo

Yahoo

Bing

• You can use another email address

• But you still create a Microsoft account

• Or, Hotmail, msn, microsoft.com, live.com, or any MS account in the past all work

• You need “Windows Live“ to use Bing

Bing

Bing

• http://www.bing.com/businessportal

Bing

• Identify – May be already listed

• Claim – Is it claimed? Tell them it‘s yours

• Update – Correct / update information

• Verify – by phone or by snail mail/postcard

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Gee, how could anyone miss it?

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Bing

Then What?

• There are 100+ local directories

• More every week – GPS sites, rexiew sites etc.

• You can get a list and start submitting

• Or, AFTER you have completed your own top 4...

UBL - http://bit.ly/wp8VkY (aff link)

UBL - http://bit.ly/wp8VkY (aff link)

• We put EVERY SINGLE client in UBL

• They do verified accounts, provide progree / listing reports, and save hours and hours.

• Moving a business, changing phone, updating litings universally is a snap.

• Startup fee = less than 1 mo. ¼ page phone book

• After the startup fee its only $59 per year

UBL - http://bit.ly/wp8VkY (aff link)

Any Questions? Contact Scott Hendison:

503.946-6881 or 877.241.4453scott@searchcommander.com

http://facebook.com/shendison http://www.twitter.com/shendison

Downloads:Worksheet: - http://bit.ly/AicmDD This whole presentation: - http://bit.ly/ySG9hu