Welcome to part three of 10 Local Marketing Ideas for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses. In case you missed the first two parts, they can be found here:
- Google Local Business: (covered in part 1)
- Internet Yellow Pages: (covered in part 1)
- Review Sites: (covered in part 1)
- Your Company Blog: (covered in part 2)
- Social Media Marketing: (covered in part 2)
- Forum Posting: (covered in part 2)
Today we will talking about specific things you can do to improve the organic ranking of your site. While some of the topics we discussed in part 1 & 2 will help boost your ranking in the search engines, the pointers we will be covering today are designed to help the search engines interpret what your site is about and where you are located.
- On-Site SEO:
While your website may have a nice look and feel to it, what do the search engines think of it? Sites like SEO Engine and Website Grader will evaluate your content and offer a free report. Even if you do all the afore mentioned items, if your site is not isel to it, what do the search engines think of it? Sites like SEO Engine and Website Grader will evaluate your content and offer a free report. Even if you do all the afore mentioned items, if your site is not “Google worthy”, you may never rank well.
- Video Marketing:
Many of you found this site through one of our videos. While you may not have access to the proper lighting and video editing to make a really knockout video, that doesn’t always matter. As mentioned before, people love watching videos, especially those that are amateur. So get busy! Most cell phones have video capabilities and they are usually good enough quality to get your message across effectively. Upload it to YouTube and if your channel has been setup correctly, you will get a free link from YouTube and you can easily publish that video on your site with little effort. Interactive123 does our video marketing and we have enjoyed great results from their efforts.
- Web Directories:
While many of these are free and you should add your local business to all the relevant free directories you can find. You may want to spend a few dollars and get listed in some of the better known directories. Some high traffic directories cost as little as $1 (MrSEOdirectory.com) to as much as $30, $70, $399 (Yahoo Directory) and more. Fortunately, many of these require only a one time payment to get listed. If you can find a directory specific to your industry, consider getting listed.
- Link Building:
Getting your keywords to the top of Google for many business owners is crucial. If you know what your customers are searching for, you might want to check out NoRank-NoPay.com. Their prices are very affordable and their online quoting tool allows you to get a price right on the spot. They provide nationwide SEO service as well as local search marketing using local keyword phrases. They can be reached at 800-244-1456.
While there are scores of other ways to develop an effective local online advertising campaign, these 10 marketing tips should get you started. While MapTraffic doesn’t provide these services, we have several vendor partners we would be happy to refer you to. they have served us well and have helped brand us as the leader in local online marketing using Google Maps. Call 888-Map-Map1 (627-6271) and ask for Dave or Katie.
April 23rd, 2011 | Tags: Amp, Blog, Business Owners, Cell Phones, Free Directories, Google, Internet Yellow Pages, Keyword Phrases, Knockout, Local Marketing, Local Search, Marketing Forum, Marketing Ideas, Media Marketing, Pointers, Proper Lighting, Search Engines, Seo, Seo Service, Sized Businesses, Social Marketing, Time Payment, Traffic, Video Capabilities, Video Editing, Video Marketing, Web Directories, Yahoo, Youtube
Posted in Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Welcome to part 2 of 3 in the article titled; “10 Local Marketing Ideas For Small and Mid-Size Businesses“. In part two, we will look at some things you can do to interact with people in your market to help brand you as one of the leaders in your field.
- Google Local Business: (covered in part 1)
- Internet Yellow Pages: (covered in part 1)
- Review Sites: (covered in part 1)
- Your Company Blog:
Yes, a blog can mean a lot of work, but for many businesses, writing a blog post once every month or two is better than nothing at all. Now days blogging is so easy that if set up correctly, you can blog via email and even phone! What’s more is all those pictures you take of your work, upload them to your blog. Do you take videos? add them as well. Visitors love images and especially videos. Even if they aren’t studio quality. Many people tell me they prefer that since it is more believable. Most importantly though, Google loves images and video. done correctly, you could get a nice bump in your keyword rankings.
- Social Media Marketing:
Even if you personally don’t use Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin, others do. They are free to use and can be very effective. While MapTraffic doesn’t use these social platforms as local advertising tools for our clients listings, we certainly do for our site. when we click “publish” on this post, for example, it will automatically send an update to all three of the sites mentioned. For Facebook marketing, we highly recommend Destiny Internet Marketing.
- Forum Posting:
Nearly every niche has a forum associated with it. If you search for your industry and “forum” you will find several. I would encourage you to create an account and start contributing. Chances are, many of the forum visitors would greatly benefit from your knowledge and experience. When you are creating your profile you can even add a link to your website. If you want to take it a step further, include a signature with a link to your site. Every time you post you will create another link back to your site.
People want to work with the best in the business. By using these three suggestions, you will be able to start build a strong client base who perceives your company to be the authority in your field. When they have questions or needs, they will turn to you first for answers, products and services. when implemented correctly, customers won’t have a problem paying a little more to work with the best. While MapTraffic doesn’t provide these services directly, we will gladly share our resources with you. Our vendors have helped us become the authority in our field of online advertising: Google Maps search results. We can be reached at 888-Map-Map1 (627-6271). Ask for Dave or Katie and we would be happy to help.
As an added bonus, here is a video showing you how to get your company listed on the well-known review site; JudysBook.
Continue Reading: 10 Local Marketing Ideas – part 3
February 14th, 2011 | Tags: Advertising Tools, Bump, Destiny, Email, Facebook, Forum Visitors, Google, Internet Marketing Forum, Internet Yellow Pages, Linkedin, Local Advertising, Local Marketing, Marketing Ideas, Mid Size Businesses, Niche, Now Days, Platforms, Signature, Social Marketing, Studio Quality
Posted in Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
So, you’ve got a website and a little traffic, but what else can you do to increase business through online efforts?
When consulting with business owners, I ask them to think of their website as a building on a hidden piece of real estate, somewhere off the beaten path. No matter how pretty that building is and how well all the features and accommodations work inside your new building, you still need traffic. Simply hanging a “Grand Opening” sign and flipping your closed sign to say “Open”, probably isn’t going to do the trick .
A website is no different. In fact most local internet advertising agencies have a saying; “If you build it they WON’T come.” It’s sad, but true. Just like your brick and mortar business, you generally need to advertise locally, outside of signs and window displays to bring in new business. But where to spend your advertising dollar, is the question? With so many marketing choices available, how do you get started?
Here are a few pointers to help you kick start you local advertising campaign without spending a lot of money:
- Google Local Business:
If you have a business which relies on phone calls from new customers, Google Maps is the place to be. It’s free to add your company, but if you are in a competitive market, you will probably need to work with a company like MapTraffic.net which specializes in getting you on the front page of Google (when a map is displayed) using only Google authorized local marketing techniques. If you are in a small town, or in a non-competitive niche where you only have 2 or3 competitors, you can most likely get listed on the front page of Google Maps yourself. If you need help, give us a call at 888-627-6271. While we won’t give away our ‘secret sauce”, we will be happy to give you some helpful advice as well as a free evaluation.
- Internet Yellow Pages:
Many business owners are unaware that nearly every internet yellow pages allows you to submit your company information for free. Websites like Superpages, InsiderPages, YellowPages, DexKnows and more allow you to add your listing for free. These site don’t get nearly the traffic that Google does, but still a strong listing could get you another listing on the first page of Google. You generally have to register as a user before you can add your business listing, but it’s well worth the time to get some much needed online exposure. Caution, these sites make it hard to add a free listing, but look around and you will find the link.
- Review Sites:
CitySearch, JudysBook, YellowBot, Merchant Circle and many more allow your customers to rate your business, whether good or bad. If you provide quality products and services, these are great sites to get even more traffic. The main purpose of these sites is to make it very easy for your clients to leave a review. If you aren’t listed, they might not take the time to add you. Worse yet, they might list your business name, address and information incorrectly. Make it easy for your customers, get listed in as many review sites as you can find.
<h3>Local Marketing Video</h3>
This video demonstrates one of the review sites mentioned; YellowBot.com.
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February 7th, 2011 | Tags: Advertising Campaign, Beaten Path, Brick And Mortar, Brick And Mortar Business, Business Owners, Competitive Market, Dexknows, Evaluation Internet, Free Evaluation, Free Websites, Google, Google Maps, Grand Opening, Insiderpages, Internet Advertising Agencies, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Advertising, Local Marketing, Marketing Ideas, Marketing Techniques, Mid Size Businesses, Pointers, Window Displays
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Hello and welcome. This is Dave Trosdahl, I am the owner of MapTraffic.net and I would like to use my own two websites as examples, I am also the owner of CleanMyFurnace.com and DuctCleaningTwinCities.com. If you Google terms related to their industries like duct cleaning, furnace cleaning, furnace repair, dryer vent cleaning and so on. And add Minneapolis to the end you should be able to see that they are both listed way high on the top of the map and usually one of them is in the first place. I’d, love to get you some great results for your for your website so. Please give us a call (888) 627-6271. We’ll look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.
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February 4th, 2011 | Tags: Dryer Vent Cleaning, Duct Cleaning, Furnace Repair, Google, Hello, Love, Map, Unknown Caller, Voice Media, Voicemail
Posted in Testimonials | 2 Comments »
We are asked all the time for samples of our work and we readily oblige by emailing samples from our portfolio of over 2,500 clients. We generally try to send examples of people we have on the Google map in their specific niche. But we have decided to give some random samples from around the US so you can see that they are on the front page (usually at the top of the map). So, go ahead and put in our clients keyword phrase and see for yourself.
- Ava’s Day Spa and Beauty Salon
170 Grand Avenue, St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 222-2525
avassalonandspa.com
KEYWORDS: “spa st paul” and “day spa st paul”
- RecDirect Factory Outlets
3715 Northcrest rd, Atlanta, GA 30340
(404) 806-7407
recdirectfactoryoutlets.com
KEYWORDS: “hot tubs atlanta” and “saunas atlanta”
- Serviced Apartments London Gold
240, 2 Lansdowne Row, London W1J 6HL, United Kingdom
+44 20 3318 5801 ?
servicedapartmentslondon-now.com
KEYWORDS: “vacation flats london”
- Foster Law Group P.C.
2855 N Speer Blvd, Denver, CO 80211
(303) 297-7729 – (303) 845-9924 (Fax) ?
denver-bankruptcy-lawyer.com
KEYWORDS: “bankruptcy attorney denver” and “bankruptcy lawyer denver”
- CDA- San Antonio Cosmetic Dentists
5837 Babcock Road, San Antonio, TX 78240
(210) 337-6453 ?
33smile.com
KEYWORDS: “cosmetic dentist san antonio” and “teeth whitening san antonio”
- Dr. Judith Kanzic, D.C. Houston Chiropractor
7702 Westview Drive, Houston, TX 77055
(713) 683-6800
houstonchiro.net
KEYWORDS: “pain relief houston” “neck pain houston”
- Los Angeles ADT Dealer
200 N Spring Street , Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 261-0655
www.weknowalarms.com
KEYWORDS: “Alarm Systems Los Angeles” and “Home Security Systems Los Angeles”
Because of the on-going changes we make, our clients enjoy a more stable map listing as time goes on. The longer we work with them, typically the more “locked-in” they get. If for some reason they slip, and they will, we work diligently to restore them to the position they had or better. Normally the reason for this is something the business owner has done to cause adverse results on their Google Places position.
If you are ready to get serious about your online presence and are ready to work with a company who specializes ONLY in the Google Map, then give us a call to get started. We guarantee that within 2 months we will have you on the front of the map for 3 of your 5 keyword terms as outlined in our Terms of Service. We can be reached at 888-MAP-MAP1 (888-627-6271).
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January 28th, 2011 | Tags: Adt Dealer, Amp Output, Babcock Road, Bankruptcy Attorney, Bankruptcy Lawyer, Bradley Road, Commercial Electrician, Cosmetic Dentist, Cosmetic Dentists, Day Spa, Flats London, Foreign Auto, Google, Google Map, Google Map Listing, Google Places, Home Security Systems, Houston Chiropractor, Lansdowne Row, London Gold, London W1j, Rd Atlanta, San Antonio Tx, Serviced Apartments London, Speer Blvd, Street Minneapolis, Westview Drive
Posted in Google Places | No Comments »
