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Local SEO (Local Search) at Small Business Marketing Unleashed

Sadly, I can’t tell you exactly what was said (I’d have to kill you apparently according to the organizers) but Matt McGee of SmallBusinessSEM.com gave a fantastically detailed presentation on all facets of local search.

I strongly recommend this conference for small businesses interested in internet marketing and those who might help them (like us).

Matt’s presentation was absolutely worth the price of admission.

So, like I said, we’re not supposed to recap too tightly but I want to give mega kudos to Matt for such a comprehensive piece of work. Matt’s both a good presenter and a fantastic slide preparer.

I want to recap a couple areas which I think could be easily done by any small business:

The basics of Local Search

Address on every page
Submit to Google Local Business Center
http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter
Submit to Yahoo! Local Listings Center
http://listings.local.yahoo.com/
Submit to MSN Local
http://www.bing.com/businessportal/
Add & Fix listings at the major business databases
Andrew Shotland has a great post on this over at the Local SEO Guide

And some more advanced stuff

Add your physical address and local phone number on each page
More than one location? Make location pages
Make sure you have a “Location / Directions” page
Use location modifiers whenever you can in and important on-page areas</li> </ul> <li>And finally, one I love which wasn’t mentioned</li> <ul> <li>If the business has a multi-city reach make “Directions from [City Name]” pages — this way you can attract searchers looking for [search phrase] [nearby city] as well</li> </ul> </ul> <p>I can’t overstate how much I got from this conference. I’m a big fan of <a href="http://www.searchengineguide.com/">Search Engine Guide</a> and we’ll continue to support them as much as we can.</p> <p>We got to meet with quite a few small businesses which is always good for us as we learn how to help better.</p> <p>And of course, we got to network with lots of other search marketers. There’s a TON of folks targeting this market and we wish them well. The great news is there are many, many more small businesses than search marketing firms.</p> <p>Finally, and perhaps most personally gratifying, was the time spent with the Search Engine Guide bloggers and forum moderators and participants.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.nineyards.com/about-us">Diane Aull</a> </li> <li><a href="http://moblogsmoproblems.blogspot.com/2006/07/bio.html">Mack Collier</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.polepositionmarketing.com/about-stoney-degeyter.php">Stoney deGeyter</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.lianaevans.com/about-liana-evans.html">Liana Evans</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.searchengineguide.com/jennifer-laycock/">Jennifer Laycock</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.sagerock.com/about/staff.html" class="broken_link">Sage Lewis</a> </li> <li><a href="http://thelinkspiel.blogspot.com/">Debra Mastaler</a><br />Don’t tell my wife, but I have a big intellectual crush on Debra. I may need a poster for my office <img src='http://www.searchinfluence.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> Her workshop on link-building both affirmed and added to (significantly) our techniques.</li> <li><a href="http://www.searchrank.com/founder.html">David Wallace</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.sparkplugging.com/about/">Wendy Piersall</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/about-sitelogic">Matt Bailey</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.searchenginewriting.com/heather-lloyd-martin.shtml">Heather Lloyd-Martin</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/about-sitelogic">Matt McGee</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.futureentrepreneur.com/">Chris Logan</a><br />One of my first contacts at the Search Engine Guide Forum and a wealth of great ideas.</li> </ul> <p>These are all some great, smart people from whom I’m happy to have had the opportunity to learn over the last few days and with whom I intend to grow friendships into the future.</p> <p>So, if you have a chance, do get out for the next Small Business Marketing Unleashed — we’ll be there too!</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong><br /> David Wallace has a MUCH more thorough review on the <a href="http://www.searchrank.com/blog/2008/04/sbm-unleashed-local-search-workshop.html">SearchRank blog</a>.</p> <div id="byline"><div style="float:left;margin:10px 0px;">By <a href="http://www.searchinfluence.com/author/wscott/" title="Posts by Will Scott" rel="author">Will Scott</a><br />Posted on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008</div></div> <div class="share"> <iframe src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://www.searchinfluence.com/2008/04/local-seo-local-search/&send=false&layout=box_count&width=55&show_faces=false&action=like&colorscheme=light&font&height=62" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; 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