| There is a disconnect between the term, "World Wide | | | | will use our Town name, product or service several |
| Web" and how the Internet is actually used. Yes we | | | | times in the blog, but do not over do it; our blog needs |
| can reach around the world and watch videos of local | | | | to be useful and interesting. The length of the blog |
| beach surfers on the isles of the sea, but when we | | | | entry will need to be two hundred words or better, that |
| need to find a scooter shop or find someone to | | | | sounds like a lot of writing, but it is not, it is about one |
| re-upholster our couch the, "very local web" magically | | | | half of a type written page. Cost for this step is free, |
| appears. The local web is segmented in the minds of | | | | just your time and the time of a good friend to proof |
| the Internet surfer with help of some carefully planned | | | | read our blog before posting. If we must pay someone |
| and executed Search Engine Optimization. | | | | to write something on our blog, do not spend more |
| This is how a typical search goes: First we go to | | | | than twenty five dollars, or we have spent too much. |
| Google and look for "scooter", but the search shows | | | | Step Three: |
| results for mobility scooters, electric scooters, and | | | | We know our address and phone number, so go sign |
| moped scooters. But we want to get our scooter | | | | up in as many local Internet directories as you can. |
| repaired, so now it is time for the second search with | | | | Google has a local directory, super pages, |
| the term "scooter repair", and the results are narrowed | | | | newspapers, Television and Radio stations often have |
| down to just the type of scooter service we are | | | | Internet directories, professional associations, and |
| looking for. But there is still a problem. We are seeing | | | | government. One thing we must do, is put a website |
| results for Internet scooter resellers, Scooter shops in | | | | link to our product or service landing page, from step |
| other Cities or even other States. Time for the third | | | | one. This step can be done at little or no cost, we can |
| search term, "scooter repair Orem", and we then see | | | | even have an administrative assistant do this work. |
| the "very local web" come into view. This type of | | | | Step Four: |
| search happens for all kinds of products and services, | | | | Time to show off with some article marketing, we are |
| and tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of | | | | in business offering our product and services because |
| searches like this happen every day. | | | | we are experts in what we have to offer. Let's take |
| In Orem Utah, Endurance Scooters is a local scooter | | | | that knowledge and share it, write a few articles about |
| dealer who has a repair shop, sells new scooters, and | | | | us and our services. If we own a scooter repair shop, |
| sells parts locally and on the Internet as Scooter Stock. | | | | write about changing the oil in a scooter, or how to |
| When we search on the term "scooter repair Orem" | | | | store a scooter in the wintertime or how to find parts |
| the first page of results shows seven or eight links that | | | | for scooters. You can have staff members write |
| will lead users to Endurance Scooters or Scooter | | | | articles about something they know best. We need to |
| Stock, without any Pay-per-click advertising. The | | | | make the articles informative, useful, and fun. Try to |
| owner reports over ninety percent of the business | | | | say with general topics like routine maintenance, or tips |
| come in from Internet users. | | | | for making a product purchase more useful or last |
| Why does the business owner dominate the first few | | | | longer or get more value out of it. Do not write articles |
| pages of an Internet search... You guessed it SEO. | | | | that give out competitive advantages or trade secrets |
| Search Engine Optimization works wonders on the | | | | or how to do the extraordinary things we can provide, |
| local level; it is easy to make a big splash in a small | | | | be helpful, but not overly helpful. We can hire people to |
| pond, using mostly free methods of SEO. The steps | | | | write for us, the cost for each article should be no |
| are simple; we will use the previous example as a | | | | more than twenty five dollars. |
| case study, but remember these steps can be used | | | | With our articles in hand, post them to websites focus |
| for most local business, products and services. | | | | on publishing articles, some sites are "how to" sites, |
| Step One: | | | | some are industry specific, others publish categorized |
| We need to get a free website evaluation from | | | | articles like EzineArticles. Once again the most |
| several SEO consulting firms. Often many of us work | | | | important part of an article is to place a website link to |
| to get a website up, but do not look beyond that. The | | | | our websites when and where allowed. This allows |
| most common issues that come back from any free | | | | incoming links to our websites, and another opportunity |
| evaluation will center on meta tags, key words, page | | | | for the search engines to provide information about |
| descriptions, and content related issues. If you are a | | | | our company and put the link in the search results. |
| scooter repair shop, be sure your meta data has | | | | Posting and publishing our articles can be done for free |
| "scooter repair" in the mix; be sure you have a landing | | | | as well, it is a bit tedious and time consuming, this task |
| page devoted to scooter repair. Somehow get your | | | | can also be hired out for two or three hundred dollars. |
| website fixed. Generally the cost is reasonable and | | | | Step Five: |
| can be done by the same people who designed your | | | | Do the math and watch the results, for the cost of a |
| website, do not spend thousands for this, one or two | | | | modest print advertising campaign, we have Search |
| hundred is plenty, and it can often be done for much | | | | Engine Optimization working for us, and unlike Print, |
| less. | | | | Radio, or Television, our efforts are visible on the |
| Step Two: | | | | Internet long after the last advertisement is played on |
| Write a blog on the website devoted our products and | | | | the Radio or tossed away. Now you know why SEO |
| services and how they are available in our Town or | | | | brings more value and huge cost savings to the local |
| City, this is very important, also we need to include in | | | | advertiser. |
| our blog, our local address and contact information. We | | | | |