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Having trouble with your small business website getting seen on Google? Maybe local search is the means you’re looking for to get noticed and increase your website visitors. It is vital to gain steady traffic and position in the local search engine. Here’s an article on Suggestions to Attract Traffic Using Local Searches by Debra Garrison. Leave your comment and let me know what you think.
Suggestions to Attract Traffic Using Local Searches
Local SEO is regarded as probably the most successful ways to get targeted visitors to your business in your area. Improving your ranking for local internet search keywords is easy if you utilize a few of the following local SEO tactics.
One strategy to get the most traffic for your business is to make sure you are listed with the larger search engines: Google, Yahoo and Bing. First, start by making an account with Google. Register with Google and follow their directions. Once your start your account, you can list your business and you will start to show up in the Google searches. If you have a website or a blog for your business, make sure you visit Google’s webmasters site and register your website. Your site will then be verified by either uploading a HTML file that Google provides to your root directory or by inserting a metatag code that Google provides into the head section of your index page. Once either of these files are uploaded to your website, you will verify them with Google and your website is now listed. You should also have a Google sitemap submitted to Google and if you have a blog, there is a great plugin for building video sitemaps. The videos on your blog can now be indexed and will show up in Google searches.
The next search engine you need to register with is Yahoo local. Yahoo also allows you to customize your listing and approves your listing faster. Your website can be listed and verified at siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com. The confirmation is similar to Google with either uploading a HTML file or placing a meta tag in your header section.
The third search engine is Bing.com. Make sure your business has a listing with Bing and their website verification for your webmaster is bing.com/toolbox/webmasters/.
Now that you have registered your business with the Big Three, go ahead and create your profile with the local listing services on Google Places, Bing Local and Yahoo! Local. Once you have claimed your profile and verified with a few simple steps and a phone call, you will have the advantage over other local businesses that have failed to do so. You can also upload pictures to profile to give your customers something to relate to. They don’t have to be portrait perfect, but make sure they can leave a positive impression with your potential customers.
The next tactic is to list your business with the local YellowBook directories. Start with YellowBook.com,SuperPages.com and YellowPages.com. Many of the directories have free listings and if it is in your budget, you can buy premium listings to show up ahead of all the other listings. Other great directories to use is Yelp.com, Yext.com and CitySearch.com. There are other special listing services for different business categories. The best way to find these services is to enter your business category into Google search and then see what shows up in the top 5 listings. Sometimes, special listing services for your business will show up in the top placements and by adding a listing with these services, you can find more business.
Another new technique is an iPhone app called as Foursquare. By downloading this app on your iPhone and registering your business, any time a customer in your area is searching for services, your business will show up in their iPhone. It is a fun little app because you can check into other business and give tips and reviews, or even offer coupons to visitors.
Many people are using the internet more than ever to find goods and services in their neighborhood. You can tap into this mobile and internet network with simple listings with directory services and Yellow Pages. Simple search engine optimization of your website by listing them with Google, Bing and Yahoo will also make it easier for the search engines to locate your website. The newer iPhone apps make it fun.
Dr. Debra Garrison is a veterinarian and internet marketer.
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