The web has gone local. Instead of looking in the local paper or yellow pages people now flock to the information found on the web, then they buy offline locally.

Why is there such a fuss being made about local SEO as opposed to SEO?

The answer is as usual related to Google. Google has changed the way it shows search results. Those changes have been going on for some time and are indeed still happening. Because of this, search results can and do change simply because of what Google does internally.

The biggest change of course has been the movement towards showing local results. So if you search for ‘dentist phoenix’, you will be shown results that include dentists in Phoenix. Not such a surprise you might say as that’s what’s always happened, you would of course be correct, but Google has changed how it decides whether a business is relevant to a location based search.

The most important change being that it now requires you to have a local address and for that local address to be clear on the website (if you have one) or, to be included in the business listing from which it pulls it’s information.

Many people are surprised to discover that Google has their details, even when they don’t have a website. That’s because Google pulls business listings from the dying traditional print media like Yellow Pages, Thomsom Local and other print directories.

From this information Google created 50 million ‘business listings’ which they named Google Places. Yet only 4% of those listings have been claimed world wide and only a paltry 2% in the US! These are free listings and can contain so much more than traditional Yellow Pages listings, including videos and basic information like opening times, methods of payment, menus, services, areas covered and most importantly reviews (we cover reviews in a separate video).

Not only that, these listings are free. You don’t need a website and they are shown as local results. If a listing is unclaimed then anyone, including your competitors, can claim them, put their information on them and therefore steal your prospective customers.

Even worse, if a listing goes unclaimed a competitor can claim it then put up incorrect information, bad reviews and damage your reputation.

What does this all mean for you? As a local business, whether that’s a single location with you as the owner/employee or a ‘local’ business with multiple locations, you need to claim your business listing for all of your locations. Not claiming your listing allows competitors to come and steal or trash your business.

Just claiming the listing however, is now not enough. You have to do other things too. Google likes to see citations (mentions of your business) across other websites, these include directories, information pages, local sites and search engines. The more citations you can get the better Google likes it and the higher you’ll go in the rankings.

More than citations though Google loves reviews because these give others a good picture of what you do and how good you are at doing it. This is part of Google’s ranking algorithm and one that so many businesses ignore or do badly and sporadically.

People also love reviews. They read them and more importantly, make buying decisions based on them. If you have no reviews online you will be beaten by competitors who do. A word of warning though, many businesses get family, friends and staff to post reviews, so they get 5/10/20 reviews all at once and then nothing.

Google will view this as evidence of spam and it will do more harm than good. People also dislike these sorts of reviews because they usually say something like “Great service and friendly staff” whereas what people are looking for is more specific information. Something like “I had a great meal here, the steak was cooked to my liking although the salad was a bit limp. The staff were friendly and although it was busy we weren’t kept waiting too long. We’ll certainly go back again and I’d recommend this place to anyone.”

Consistent posting of reviews is key because, all else being equal, the business with the most consistent reviews will win.

Once Google went ‘local’ Yahoo and Bing followed suit. The same benefits and potential to damage your business apply.

There is one more important reason that your Google Places page must be claimed and that is the mobile phone, 52% of people searching for your local business do so from a mobile phone and your Google Places listing will display correctly on a mobile. So, not claiming it, is like slamming the door in the face of 52 out of every 100 potential new or returning customers.

Before the internet, the business world was dominated by those who had cash, influence or preferably both. So the little guys had a tough time competing with the bigger companies. In order to get business you had to advertise and market to your prospective clients.

Both avenues were expensive and many businesses got to a point where they needed to grow but didn’t have the cash, sometimes they’d get a loan from the bank and sometimes the banks would refuse. Didn’t it always seem as if to borrow money you had to have money?

Of course there were always the exceptions to the rule and how frustrating was that? Not every small business can be the first to exploit a niche in a market, nor can every small business owner be a larger than life figure who has no problem pulling dangerous or wacky stunts to get free publicity.

Were you in business then or know someone who was? I wonder how you (or they) feel about setting up a business in the ‘good ole days’ before the internet? Do you miss it? Or do you think it’s better now?

Then of course the internet was born and many of those established large businesses ignored the new business landscape and left it wide open for the small but forward looking companies to get there first. Those visionaries reaped the rewards of forward thinking and began to grow, the playing field was levelled in a way I suspect no one thought possible.

Net millionaires were born and it didn’t take long before a veritable frenzy occurred of people starting dot com companies and making money. There was naturally a backlash as those same people didn’t stick to some rational business plan and after the boom came the bust.

Perhaps you’re one of the people caught out in that frenzy or know someone who was, so are still unconvinced of the usefulness of the net to business.

Then of course, those large multi-national companies not only dipped their toes in the waters of the internet they dove right in and began to take over once again. I remember one of the first internet car rental companies, online bookings way before Avis, Dollar and all the rest, in from 2000 to about 2003 they were dominant in the SERP’s (search engine results pages).

They had taken the plunge before their suppliers and were doing very well thank you. They did however make one grave mistake, they didn’t keep up with the changes in the way the internet worked or how the search engines changed. The result? They no longer dominate and only keep going because they have a small dedicated customer base.

Once again the playing field was heavily weighted towards those with money – and lots of it!

Those with money could advertise and promote offline to drive visitors to their online websites. They could save money too, because people were now buying online instead of from catalogues (even though catalogues were still printed) however, they didn’t have to pay agents, because you could could send for a catalogue and buy online.

So having deep pockets once again became the best way to ensure you got exposure for your website and so got visitors. The technology changed too, computers became faster and more powerful, my mobile phone is now more powerful than my first computer!

As the technology changed so did the style of websites, they became so polished and slick that the bells and whistles began to distract the people coming to the site, then sites like Craig’s List popped up, a site built by someone in his front room, so plain it would never have been passed by a corporate committee, yet a sensational success.

So how did Craig’s List become so successful? Word of mouth, someone went to the site and had a good experience, they got what they wanted from the site (either to sell or buy something) and they told their friends, who did the same thing and told their friends.

Craig sold out and made a lot of money thanks very much, luckily for the consumers the people who bought him out didn’t really change the model, the site still looks as if a five year old built it and it still works!

Perhaps this was the first instance of social and viral media coming together to make a ‘little guy’ into a ‘big player’.

So where are we today?

Today we have a socially influenced internet, that means that once again we the people have a say and a chance. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Ning, Blogs, forums, Review sites and so many more I don’t have space to list them, all social sites where people like you and me can be heard.

Not only can we be heard but we can influence not only our friends but governments and corporations, with YouTube and a smart phone we can all be journalists and we can show the world what’s happening at home (think of the Iranian elections).

But what does this mean for small local businesses?

Because people now buy because of social persuasion rather than anything else, it means that any local business has to blend local SEO with marketing and using social media to engage with their existing and prospective clients. They have to be aware of what people are saying about them and respond to any comments to ensure their reputation stays intact. They have to be aware of how people look for their business and how they recommend a business to others.

They have to blend their marketing and SEO with Social Media Management and reputation protection, they have to do all this whilst running their business and making sure the service they offer, whether by selling products or services goes just that one step beyond what’s expected and what their competitors offer.

The internet is changing, the way we use it is changing and it cannot be ignored, sure many small business owners will believe it does not apply to them, they are wrong because today over 78% of new customers find a local business online through their mobile phone.

So ask yourself, are you taking advantage of the revolution and that level playing field? Or are you too going to be one of the ‘failed’ statistics?

If LSEO (local search engine optimization) has passed you by or you’ve only just heard of LSEO you may wonder how it could have come and gone so quickly. You may also wonder why, if it’s dead, so many companies are still offering it.

Well it is true that many businesses have not yet taken advantage of the power of the mighty Google and taken charge of the listings they probably have there, even if they don’t have a website. So, how can you get a listing in Google without a website? Simple really, do you have a yellow pages listing? Then chances are Google has that information and will show it where appropriate.
Now many of you will be looking puzzled and wondering what the heck I’m talking about and why you should even be bothered. Listen up whilst I tell you exactly why you should be bothered about Google even if you don’t have a website.

If you have an advert in the Yellow Pages or other print directories, you’ve presumably done that to get more business right? You believe that if someone wants to buy something, product or service, or entertain themselves, eating out, nightclub, cinema etc, they’ll start their search in print media right?

Wrong! So very, very wrong, in fact research shows that 84 out of every 100 people will start their search for local products/services online and probably with Google!

So your Yellow Pages listing isn’t as cost effective as you may think. But I hear you say, if Google has my listing that’s OK because I’m still being found. True you are, or at least your business name is, but what’s happening to it?

Here’s the thing, Google like to have accurate information, so it kindly allows you to ‘claim’ your listing (free of charge) so you can ensure all the info is correct, you can link it to a website if you have one, upload discount coupons, show menus’, special events as well as directions, video’s, photo’s and enough information to really get your message across. Can you do that in print? No you can’t and that’s why you need to take charge of your listing.

But as I said LSEO is really dead so claiming your listing is the minimum you need to do, just to keep the business you have now because if you don’t one of your competitors will and will put you out of business.

Why is LSEO dead? Because mobile search, that’s someone searching the net from a mobile device (phone, iPad, etc) is 4 times larger than computer based search.
That’s right, all those people you see out there with mobile phones attached to their ears can also search for what they want locally when they want it and get this – Google knows where they are and will give them results based on the location nearest to them at the time they make the search!

So without that local listing how are you going to get found by the people searching on their phones for just what you have to offer? If you want to reach further do you have a page that will show correctly on those mobiles? No, well if your competitor does then they’re going to get the business leaving you with………

So LSEO may well be dead on it’s own but if you really want to dominate your local market LSEO blended with MSEO (mobile SEO) then you’ll be ahead of the crowd, the market leader they’ll all be chasing.

Social media is growing, it’s growing at an exponential rate and that growth will affect your business. Facebook has over 500,000,000 (500 million) members, if it were a country it would be the 4th largest in the world and half of those members are connecting and socialising on there every day or nearly every day. They talk, they bitch and complain, they praise and recommend and they buy. If you’re not there the only thing they can’t do is buy from you.

So remember this;

It doesn’t matter whether you’re aware of it or not, people talk.
What they talk about is how your business treated them and how good (or not) you are.
Where they talk is online.
They post reviews on sites like Yelp and Merchant circle.
They tweet about it on Twitter.
They ‘like’ you (or not) on facebook and post comments about you.
Other people listen and make buying decisions based on these comments.
Your prospects start their search online – not in print.
Reviews will win you the local war and get you business

It doesn’t matter whether you have a web site or not, they will still talk about you online, you can’t stop it or control it. What you can do is join in, so that you have a voice in that discussion too. Social media puts control back in the hands of the consumers and if you don’t listen and act on what they’re saying, you could find yourself out of business.