Local Sites

Getting your website seen is what search engine optimization and marketing it all about

. Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines have algorithms to determine where your website falls in the search engine, but local search marketing changes the paradigm. When it comes to marketing your business' site on the internet, there are other factors to consider. In some cases, optimizing your website and creating an online presence for your business can be easily managed, especially if you take advantage of the tools that help you do it. For instance, several free services exist through which you can get information about your business and its website exposed to local consumers and the customers you want to attract. These services are offered by Google and Yahoo, among others.

Google Places

Formerly called the Google Local Business Center, Google Places allows you to add details of your business to the Google powerhouse. You can tell Google where and exactly on which street corner your business resides, add photographs of your business, add a description of the services you offer and anything else that you deem important. Google takes the information, verifies it and then places your business on Google Maps. Essentially, any business owner can claim a listing on Google Maps, but you have to take the initiative to do it. As your Google Maps listing becomes more complete, this adds to the local search marketing factor to help get your website seen and your business exposed.

Yahoo Local

The other major search engine on the internet, Yahoo has a similar setup as Google does. Yahoo Local allows you to claim a listing so that you can get listed on Yahoo Maps, and you can add details like your business name, hours of operation, phone number, website address, and business services for free. Yahoo Local also allows you to upgrade to an "enhanced" listing, at which point you can add additional details about your business, such as photos, logos and more descriptions.

How Local Sites Work

In addition to Google and Yahoo, you can also claim a business listing on Windows Live Local and many other online local directories, like Local.com, TrueLocal and AOL Local. When adding your website and business information to these types of services, it's important that you especially select those places--like Google Places and Yahoo Local--that allow you to details to your local site that consumers would consider important.

When it comes to getting your website seen and business exposed, many consumers use search terms relevant to the local area in which they live. For example, looking for a chiropractor in the Houston, Texas area, consumers might type in "chiropractor in Houston, TX" into Google. That search phrase causes Google to generate and display a map of the local area, pinpointing and listing those businesses which have claimed a Google Places listing.

In addition to the organic search engine optimization results you can achieve through typical means of on-page and off-page search engine optimization on your website, these local sites can help consumers zero in and find your business. Without taking advantage of all these local sites that Google, Yahoo and others offer, you are not only giving up achieving high rankings in the local search results pages, but you're also leaving lots of crucial internet real estate that can be taken by your business competitors.

by: localsearch24

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