subject: Search Engine Optimization For Local Markets [print this page] The Net is a booming place of business which brings together people from all over the globe to work together or participate in commerce. But what if you don't want to deal with the rest of the world? Or maybe you have a brick-and-mortar store which enhances your online business. Or maybe your products are more beneficial to people in particular places (you do not wish to sell snow shoes to people who live in a desert). In this case, then you have to look into search engine optimization for local markets. But do not worry, because it's easier than you think.
Local Businesses
If you are looking to use the Internet to advertise your physical locations, then simple things such as including your business's address in the footer of each page and including driving directions (making sure to include town names!) could increase your results. Also, a wonderful idea is to combine Google Maps or the map system of another search engine into your web-site (check the maps websites homepage for details).
Local Markets
If your products or content is particularly tailored to a certain geographical area, then you want to make use of key terms which are pertinent to individuals who live in that area. A great way to do this is with the ALT tags for images.
For instance, if you sell ski equipment, then make sure to have pictures of ski resorts and popular ski mountains, with keyword-rich ALT tag descriptions on your site. People might not see these descriptions, but the search engines do, and they can do miracles for helping drive highly-relevant traffic.
Business Registries
Whether or not you're focusing on a specific geographical market or are endorsing a local business, it is crucial that you get your business listed in as many registries as possible. Many of the big search engines have their own built in business registries, and there are even a lot of other sites who offer the same services. Register with every single one that you find. These sites, because of their large databases and pertinent information, usually rank very high in search engine results.
Many of these databases are free and would allow you to even enter a link to your business's web site. Some do need payment, and if that is the case ensure to research the web-site first to make sure that it's reliable and your getting your money's worth. A nice means to do that is just do a search for a local business and see how high that service ranks. If they are in the first three pages, it's likely worth the cash.
