Utah Search Engine Marketing: Localizing Your Search Engine Marketing Campaign

For Fortune 100 companies, marketing costs might be little more than a second thought, but for small companies with a “brick-and-mortar” niche in the community, getting online and staying online with the right customers is essential for business health. Fortunately, as with most “problems” the ability of getting online and staying online without spending hundreds of thousands (or even thousands) is possible.

Using Google (and other localized technology) for Better Utah Search Engine Marketing

Utah search engine marketing can be competitive. Entrepreneurs and energetic, experienced business minds abound; competition could be described as fierce. Competition online especially is no walk in the park.

According to Jordan Kasteler1, Google is changing online localization with OneBox.....Google's OneBox that is. Essentially, OneBox (at least on the surface) isn't a big deal. I mean after all, local search has been around for a while and we all know that Google can display some groovy local maps, but essentially businesses who want to obtain or maintain a position on Google's search engine results listings need to realize that all this localized “cool stuff” is being driven by an algorithm(s) that drives specific localized information. So if you want to find a local niche online, you've got to start optimizing for a local algorithm.

Kasteler explains a variety of ways in which you can optimize for more effective online localization.

Utah Search Engine Marketing with Local Optimization

Kasteler's sound suggestions for better online local optimization includes the following:

Utah Search Engine Marketing with User Generated Content

User generated content on popular sites has been “all the rage” for the past two years or so, especially since user generated content allows a consumer to 1) participate in rating a product or service and 2) to contribute additional information that allows others make purchasing decisions and to in turn rate the product themselves if they wish. For online users, websites that allow for user generated content are simply more trustworthy since the “marketing” isn't always biased towards a client. For your Utah search engine marketing campaign, submitting your business's information to a user generated content directory can make a BIG difference.

With Yelp for instance, online visitors could access a restaurant's name but in addition could also access the following information :

• Address


• Phone Number


• Hours of Operation


• Price Range


• Whether reservations are required or not


• Whether waiter service is available


• Whether breakfast lunch or dinner is the restaurant's speciality


• Whether or not it's a good restaurant for groups


• Whether it is accessible to those with disabilities


• Whether or not credit cards are accepted


• Additional related selection(s) that you might be interested in


• Sometimes a picture of the restaurant is provided


• and more!

Users also have the option to notify friends, have messages (perhaps the restaurant's address?) sent to a phone, create a electronic bookmark or write a restaurant review of their own. Some additional social user generated websites that you might consider contributing your business's information to besides Yelp are listed as follows:

• Yahoo! Get Local


• Insider Pages


• Judy's Book


• CitySquares


• Mojo Pages

Make sure to include your information among user generated content directories for a better Utah search engine marketing campaign.

Utah Search Engine Marketing with “Traditional” Directories

Before you turn up your nose at supposedly “traditional” online directories, it's important that you take a look a yellowpages.com and related sites. Yellowpages.com has now become a website that users can contribute to as well. Information available via the Yellow Pages site include the following:

• Restaurant name


• Addressing


• A map


• Restaurant Description


• Phone number


• A link to call the restaurant


• A link to the restaurant's website


• A link to rate the restaurant


• Links to more information

These “traditional” directories can be just as important for optimizing your website for local search if not more so especially since they generate more traffic.2

“Traditional” directory formats also include the following:

• Online Yellow Pages


• SuperPages


• Yellowbook


• InfoSpace


• SwitchBoard

Make sure to include your website's information with “traditional” directories for a better Utah search engine marketing campaign.

Utah Search Engine Marketing with Local Search Engines

When optimizing your website for local purposes and to get your business's name closer to OneBox status it's important to submit your website to local search engines such as the following:

• Google Local


• Yahoo! Local


• ASK


• MSN Local


• TrueLocal

Submitting your website to local search engines doesn't take much time but it can truly take your business an extensive step forward.

Utah Search Engine Marketing with Your Address and Phone Number

It might seem obvious that you would want to place your address and phone number in a prominent place (or two) on your website but it's still something that can easily be overlooked if you are not vigilant. Kasteler says to “Have a dominant address and phone number on your contact page and at least one other page, preferably the homepage. This information builds trust rank value in your Website as well.”3

Utah Search Engine Marketing with Providers of Data

Try diving into a wealth of localized information with the companies that provide local databases. List your company with the following websites:

• Acxiom


• GeoSign


• InfoUSA

Utah Search Engine Marketing with Geographic Meta Data
When optimizing for localization don't forget your localized meta data. Kasteler provides the code below:

“Meta Data -- Use geo meta data to tell search engines your location. Code detailed below:
”

Utah Search Engine Marketing doesn't have to be difficult but it does need to be consistent. Try these simple steps for your localized Utah search engine marketing campaign and stay abreast of additional local optimization trends.

1 jordankasteler.com/utah-seo-pro-blog/
2 weblogs.hitwise.com/leeann-prescott/2006/10/social_local_search_sites_grow.html
3 jordankasteler.com/utah-seo-pro-blog/

Marci Crane is a copywriter for Main10, an Internet Marketing and Development company. For more information in regards to Utah search engine marketing services, please feel free to contact a Main10 representative.