• Why local Internet Marketing?
• 7 Tips to Boost Local Search Engine Listings.
• Drive Results - Advanced Foundation Repair Case Study

Why Local Internet Marketing?
Take advantage of free listings. Be where people are looking for you. Search Engines are developing local directories to help searches find local businesses more effectively. Internet Users are more and more looking to online for local listings.

• Use of local search increases 43% year-over-year - comScore Networks Inc.
• 63% of U.S. Internet users performed a local search in July, up 43% from July 2005 - comScore Networks Inc.
• Google sites and Yahoo sites captured the largest share-30% and 29%, respectively.
  

Cost Effective. A company can increase its local exposure for pennies on the dollar compared to other local marketing methods. By getting into the game today, companies will beat their competition by getting into local search so that they are in front of those who are looking for their products and services. Don't let your competition beat you to the punch.

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7 Tips to Boost Local Search Engine Listings
Be found when your clients search for you. Don't get lost in the endless sea of websites. Open local traffic flood gates. Bring the traffic to your website with these 7 tips.

1. Put your physical location and local phone number on every page of your site. So obvious, but not all small businesses do it. If you choose to hide your address because you work from home, then get a mailbox at the UPS Store or your local equivalent and put that street address on your site.
2. Submit your website to as many local search engines as you can. Google and Yahoo are free. You may already be there but this ensures that the information listed on these search engines is correct.
3. Create a geographical Cost-Per-Click account with Google, Yahoo and MSN. Only pay for those in your area. This puts you only in front of searchers looking for products or services in the areas you serve while increasing your return on investment.
4. Add a page to your website called "Directions". Go beyond a MapQuest or Google Maps image. Write where you are and how to get there. Get a double bonus. Search engines will boost your position in local listings. Those looking to contact you will love it as well.
5. Participate in sites that allow customer to post reviews. Search engines love them and people love to hear what others are saying about you. Believe it or not, the majority of reviews are positive.
6. Include the physical address of jobs you have done. It helps with the search engines as well as gives people the opportunity to see your work in person.
7. List all of the local organizations that you are part of including their addresses.

While there is never a guarantee, these steps will boost your website's chance at being listed on the first page in search engine local listings and many times on the first page of the main search results.

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Drive Results - Advanced Foundation Repair Case Study.
Have your local market find you. Local Cost-per-Click campaigns are Internet Marketing campaigns that deliver search engine results only to a specific area or to those searches for a specific geographical location. So a business in Oklahoma that only provides services in Oklahoma can create an Internet Marketing Campaign that is targeted to only people in Oklahoma.

Advanced Foundation Repairs (www.foundationrepairs.com) provides foundation leveling services in the State of Texas. They wanted to promote themselves on the Internet through the search engines. We set up a Local Cost-per-Click campaign that focused only on Advanced Foundation Repairs' service area.

We developed a highly targeted list of search terms homeowners used when looking for the Foundation Repairs services. The list was submitted to the Local Cost-per-Click search engines. Advanced Foundation Repairs' listing only appears when a search is done in for their service area. Advanced Foundation Repairs only pays for clicks from those looking for services in their area. Their return on investment remains high since they are not paying for click-throughs on individuals they cannot service.

Local Cost-per-Click marketing is making the Internet an effective place for local businesses to advertise in. Accounts can be created and maintained at a fraction of all other local marketing venues. The best reason to market on the Internet has always been that your potential clients were looking for you instead of you having to find them. With Local Cost-per-Click marketing you narrow your Internet Market exposure to the only the potential clients you can service. Pay for only those interested in your products and services.