Local search marketing has really evolved. In the past, marketers that wanted to initiate a locally targeted search engine marketing campaign really had very few options. The most common approach was to advertise on Google, Yahoo and MSN (now Bing) and bid on local-centric keywords as qualifiers (i.e. Phoenix Search Engine Marketing Consultant).
Today’s Internet provides advertisers the ability to choose when and where their ads will be displayed. For example, in addition to bidding on the term ‘Phoenix Search Engine Marketing Consultant’, I can also bid on the term ‘Search Engine Marketing Consultant’ and make sure that my ad is only shown to people that are in and around Phoenix. I can even get more specific and narrow it down to specific zip codes or a certain distance from my office. This flexibility is invaluable for local businesses that by nature do not have a national or global product (i.e. restaurants, dentists, dry cleaners).
In addition to PPC advertising on search engines, marketers have even more options for getting their businesses listed locally. There are many free sites that will allow you to create a business profile that will help provide additional exposure. Some of the best local search marketing sites are CitySearch, Yelp, InfoUSA, Local.com, and of course Google Maps and Yahoo Local.
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I have written an article titled “Getting Listed in Google Local″ which outlines the steps required for getting your business listed in Google’s local search directory for free. If you would like to receive this article, have any questions for me, or would like to learn more about how I can help you, please fill out the short form below. You will receive the article immediately and I will respond to any questions you have about local search marketing before the end of the following business day.
