For all the time spent on this blog looking at reasons to invest in search engine optimization as part of your overall marketing plan, we sometimes neglect to point out how much more effective it is than a lot of other ways you can try to gain new business… especially off-line.
Take the case of the Yellow Pages and other printed directories. For decades, these were a staple for any business that wanted to do business locally. But now, search engines have taken away virtually every reason for buyers to rely on them.
Consider the three reasons customers prefer local searches to the Yellow Pages:
They get more specific results. Which would you rather see: twenty pages listing all the auto shops in your area, or the five closest to your house? Dozens and dozens of restaurants, or the one that chosen as having the best pasta four years running? You get the idea, and so have searchers.
They can learn a lot more, a lot faster. It’s one thing to find a list of businesses that match the criteria that you’re looking for, and another to see customer reviews and take a peek at their website. That’s the kind of information you wouldn’t be able to get from a Yellow Pages listing, but can be found within moments online.
Local searches offer maps and directions. Maybe best of all, from a customer’s point of view, is that search engines can help them find your location from wherever they are right now. Given that more people than ever are using iPhones and other next-generation devices to go online, the ability to get customized directions is a big deal.
Is your site optimized for search engines to find you locally? If not, you’re missing out on one of the biggest changes to the way customers find businesses in a long time.
