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How to Get Local Visibility in the Search Engines

Variety Yields measurable Results

Get results by getting found in the search engines through website content that contains a variety of keyword phrases that include the name of your city and surrounding cities. 

If you are one of those people who must "see it to believe it", then get ready to start believing.   I'll show you what I mean by variety through actual results from one of my client's web site statistics. 

Even though this particular client is a real-estate agent, the principles are the same for your business when it comes to local search visibility.

My ideas for adding Variety to your web site

The most successful Internet businesses keep their content fresh and interesting by adding more content that provides value to their customer. 

Content contains keyword phrases and that's what gets visibility in the search engines.

Here are some ideas for fresh content

• Include your thoughts on industry trends.  This gives you a chance to showcase your knowledge and personality so people can feel like they know you.
• Review a book related to your industry
• Keep your FAQ page updated based on questions your customer service team frequently get.
• Create a "myths" vs "facts" page to educate your clients
• Add links to supporting websites, using keywords in your anchor text.
• Invite a subject matter expert you met at a trade show to write a contributing article and include it on your web site siting them as the author.  Here is an example where I did this on my site.
• Take an article you read in the newspaper and use it to give you an idea to expand upon.
• Add photos of interest to your clients.  A great example is www.slotmachinesusa.com, a reseller of reconditioned authentic Las Vegas slotmachines. 
  
  NOTE:  His customers were frequently asking him which casinos were the best or what Las Vegas was like, so he decided to add Las Vegas photos as a service to his customers.   Take a look.

Results From ACTUAL Web Site Statistics

After all, if your customers can't find you in the search engines, you can't help them.  Want proof?  View actual website results.

What Can I Learn from this list?

• Notice the variety of the phrases. 

Some of the phrases are not even real-estate related (ex. "bugaboo moose tracks" is an upscale log furniture and accessories store). 

They may not have been searching for a home to buy, but on the other hand, they didn't have to click on her search listing either -- but they did.

My client got some branding value out of it.  The web surfer saw my client's name, logo, and even got the information they wanted about "bugaboo moose tracks".

• Note the inclusion of city names in the search

These people are looking for a source locally.  But that does not mean they have to be local. 

In this case, people may be living in California and want to find a real estate agent in Dayton Ohio because they are transferring in. 

But it could just as easily be an adult child trying to locate a local plumber to send to the home of their elderly parent who still lives independently but needs help in getting a plumbing problem fixed.



• Note the number of words in the search phrases

The people searching know that the more exact they are in their search, the sooner they will find what they want in the search results.   Note that the length of the phrases includes five, six, seven, and more words.

The more words your web site has that match the words in the search phrase, the better your chances of being found.

MYTH:  You can make a living on the Internet by getting visibility in the search engines for just 4 or 5 generic keyword phrases. 

TRUTH:  Sorry, but that is not how it works.

• Notice the targeting of Wright-Patterson AFB. 

This is where many business owners miss out -- thinking only locally, when they need to think globally and this is a perfect example for real estate agents.

People use the Internet to research homes before they transfer into an area.   If you show up in the search engines, and your competitors don't, who do you think they are going to contact when they find something of interest?

Another real estate client of mine for whom I did Internet Marketing, showed up for the phrase "high schools near Wright Patterson AFB".  Now tell me, could you have predicted that someone would have typed that phrase in?

No. You can't because the variety is endless. The solution is to have lots of variety to increase your chances for being found no matter what the keyword combination.