SMX London 2008 - Local Search & Blended Results

Local Search &Blended Results

Heini van Bergen

Manager operations

Tribal Internet Marketing November 2008

Why is local search that important?

30% to 40% of all searches have local intent

Sources shoppers use to find local business information

Source: Comscore & TMPDM October 2008

What is local search actually about?

Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher

“Plumber London”

99

1010

1111

Well, How to get listed?

Setup Google Business listing

Submit to local directories

1. InfoUSA 2. Acxiom

3. Superpages.com 4. Citysearch.com

5. Yellowpages.com 6. Localeze

7. Insiderpages.com 8. Yelp.com

9. Merchantcircle.com 10. Universal Business Listing

11. Local.com 12. TrueLocal.com

Source: David Mihm

Get a website online

What are the most important criteria?

On page factors:

> Phone number (with area code) and address oncontact page

> Location, products, services keyword in URL

> City / state / country in url and title

Off page factors:

> Number of inbound links

> Location keywords in anchor text

> Product / Service keywords in anchor text

Reviews / Examinations:

> Number of reviews

> Reviews on third party websites

Local Business Listings (LBL)

> Product, service, location keywords in:

• Listing title• Listing description

> Address in city of search

> Proximity in center of searched location

> Put listing in right category

Don’t

> Use multiple LBL’ with same name / address / phone number

> List multiple addresses on website

To take home

> 30% - 40% of all searches are local

> 768,000 SMB’s only in The Netherlands

> Geolocation functionality will improve

> Local search is still far less competitive

So…. Let’s get local!

Thank you!

Contact me:

www.tribal-im.comheini.van.bergen@tribal-im.comtwitter.com/heinivanbergen