Business Blogging:

The Key To Local Search

“People don't go to Web sites anymore. Web

sites come to them.

This is, perhaps, the best way to explain the

impact of search on the online experience.”William Flaiz, Search Engine Watch, Aug 1, 2008

What is “Local”?

Or?

Local Marketing Stats:

• $100 Billion Local Advertising

Auto Dealers alone =

•28% of local TV

•18% of local Newspaper

•14.7% of local radio

Yellow Pages, Direct Mail (co-mail), other print

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project

What we all do online

*Not online

As Much As 80% of all web

interactions begin with search

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Local Online Advertising

2008 - 2011

The Internet has now surpassed the

print yellow pages and newspapers as

the primary local resource for consumers

looking for services.

Estimated that 90% of online directory traffic comes from Search Engines

According to Yahoo! Research, 88% of sales revenue

generated from online advertising is derived from

consumers who have done their research on the

Internet, then made their purchase in a brick and

mortar store.

“Consumers may initially browse online, but more than

90% of them choose to complete their transactions

offline.”

eMarketer (www.emarketer.com) says that as much as

$500 billion in offline purchases were influenced by

the Internet in 2007.

BigResearch (www.bigresearch.com) said 89% of

consumers making in-store purchases in key

categories have conducted research online.

Website SEO PPC Campaigns

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1,000’s

Keyword

Phrases

Targeted

Search Strategies

THE BUSINESS BLOGGING SOLUTION

Online journal-like content, organized in reverse chronological order.

What‟s a

Blog??

• Titles

• Keywords

• Recent Content

• Lots of Content

• Links

• Relevance

Why Blogging works for SEO

What Do I Say?

Inventory:

A lot of searches are people looking for

specific products offline. Blog about what

you have in the store. Right now and

often.

What Do I Say?

What Do I Say?

Directions & Locations. Not just your

address…don‟t just grab a map and put it on

your Web site. Include text explaining where

you‟re located, including detailed driving

directions using as many location

descriptors as possible: the neighborhood

you’re in, the landmarks along the way, and

the cross streets. Local consumers search

with more targeted terms. You want to be

ready to capture that search traffic

Mentioning streets that you might have

serviced or where your customers

come from is great blogging content.

“Last week we were called out at

midnight to a distraught homeowner on

South Maple Street here in Columbus,

OH with a frozen pipe that had burst.

I’m proud to report that we were able

to guide the woman on how to turn off

the water, and were onsite within 45

minutes.”

What Do I Say?

Services, products, & brands. For a service oriented

business, blogging frequently about the specific services that

are provided is a must. What are the top few services you

offer? Don't assume that just because you're categorized in a

particular industry, you don't need to mention the obvious. For

instance, a photographer might talk about "wedding

photographers" but should blog about other services they

offer such as "wedding photos, formal bridal portraits, candid

shots of wedding parties and rehearsals." Blogging about

products & brands with a business can also help it return

more relevant for users' specific searches.

Specialties & amenities. The specialties & amenities

are really important to provide attributes that can

differentiate between you and your competitors. Specialties

for a lawyer may bring in more clients who have cases for

which they're particularly skilled. Amenities in hotel listings

like pools, exercise rooms, free breakfasts, and others can

draw in more business than nearly anything and are vital

details.

What Do I Say?

What Do I Say?

Photos & Video. Including clear, large

enough photos really help consumers in

choosing. Be sure when using photos that you

properly tag them with the keywords that drive

your search. The search engines love photos,

but they can‟t actually see them so it‟s

important that you give your photos the right

descriptions using your keywords. The same

is true for video tagging. Also don‟t fight the

wave. Host your video on YouTube.

What Do I Say?

• Hours of Operation

• Associations - what‟s it take? What are the issues?

• Certifications - same as above

• Languages - talk about and „in‟

• Prices

What Do I Say?

Most of all:

Talk about People!!

who are they?

What problem do they have?

Why do they buy from you?

How do they buy from you?

What about Directories or Review Sites?

Why Compendium?

Topic Driven Blogging

Client Success: Zuckerberg Law Firm Blogging Program

Google Organic Traffic Growth & Engagement

Since program launch Nov. 07:

• 1:16 avg. read time• 1.5 pages per visit• 91% new visits• 21 posts per month on avg• 31 compended blogs, 1 user blog• $30,000/month YP advertising

• Google rankings for search phrases such as:• Small business bankruptcy Indiana• Bankruptcy services Indiana• Personal bankruptcy Indiana• Payday Loan debt helpMeeting „Secret Society‟ today

Client Success: Estridge Homes

Google Organic Traffic Growth & Engagement

Since program launch in April 07:

• 1:39 avg. read time• 3.07 pages per visit• 86% new visits• 23 compended blogs, 2 user blogs

• Google rankings for search phrases such as:• Fishers Home Builders• Indianapolis Townhomes• Indiana Custom Homes• Brownsburg Real Estate

Chris Baggott

Co-Founder/CEO

Compendium Blogware

Chrisb@compendiumblogware.com

Thoughts & Questions?