In Part 1 of this series we explored how local search works. Part 2 discussed the recent growth in the popularity of local search with consumers. Now we’ll take a deeper dive into some of the pros and cons of local search visibility.
The major benefits of local search are flexibility and cost when compared to traditional media such as yellow pages and local advertising. When this is coupled with the growth in popularity of online local search, local search marketing is clearly something that every local business should consider. Here’s a run down of the pros and cons of using local search to promote your business:
Pros
• Cost: A local search visibility program can be very cost effective, especially when compared to printed materials and local advertising. The return on investment is often higher because you are able to target marketing efforts to a specific category and location.
• Online presence: If you already have a Web site, you have an online presence that you can promote in search engines and directories. However, because many directories and search engines allow you to create a business profile, you don’t have to have a Web site to have a presence online. (But remember that by having your own Web site AND profiles in business directories, you will increase your chances of being found!)
• Contract Length: Once you publish an advertisement in printed directories such as yellow pages, you are committed to it for a year. If you change any information about your business such as your location, or your products and services, you won’t be able to change your yellow pages listing for a year.
• Flexibility: Because you can change your online listings at any time, you have the opportunity to test different information about your business and find out what works best in terms of generating leads.
• Local Traffic: Even if you are a national company with multiple locations, you can benefit from local search as a means to drive local customers to your storefronts.
Cons
• Time: It can be very time consuming to find and manually submit information to search engines and local directories.
• Even more time: On an ongoing basis, tracking which search engines and directories are listing your business, and updating your information when your products and services change, can be a daunting task!
• Expertise: As a business professional, you are busy running your business and may not have the expertise to determine which search terms will provide the best results. This can lead to missed opportunities.
• Learning Curve: Even if you have the time, and are willing to test different search terms, it can take trial and error to develop the kind of optimized keywords that turn prospects into customers.
Of course, there are things you can do to mitigate the cons…..but that’s for another post!
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