SEO / Local Search Marketing for small businesses in Derry & Donegal – Is it worth their while?

I’ve been out and about with our recent flier campaign and talking to some local small business owners to get some feedback on how they view online / local search marketing. One of the most common views seems to be “Ah sure that wouldn’t be any good to me”

Being involved in online marketing myself for quite a while now, I couldn’t imagine having any sort of business without some sort of online presence. However, the general response I received from small business owners this last week or so:

Surprised me that so many didn’t think increasing their visibility online would benefit their business
Made me wonder whether or not they had a point!

Before I go any further I must point out that I was not … Read More »

We’re all pretty familiar with the Google Places results we receive when we enter a local search query but who or what decides which business deserves the right to get the highly sought after “A” position? Well the answer is simple (and obvious)…Google!

There are however many factors that we know about which help influence Google’s decision…

Places page 100% complete
This may seem a pretty obvious factor and it is, but it is one that we all too often see over-looked. Each area of your Google Places page should be completed in full to provide the user with as much information as possible. This helps the CTR (click through rate) and also shows Google that you have put a bit of effort into it.

Take the time to get ten professional pictures of your business premises or staff and if you … Read More »

Well I think it’s only fair to take a few minutes to wish our old buddy Google Maps a (belated!) very happy 7th birthday today. Considering she has helped me out of many an otherwise panic-stricken situation she and everyone involved with her deserved their celebration.

Google Maps has become an integral part of a lot of our daily lives, in one form or another. I only recently had her to thank for getting me safely to a wedding in Sligo while the purpose-build satellite navigation gadget we had in the car didn’t know where we were! I’ve had her to thank countless times in Australia whilst on my travels, with the “Places” app on my phone I was never lost.

Let’s take a look at the history of Google Maps since it’s inception way back in 2005…….

In 2004  Google … Read More »

Google places step by step guide
A simple guide to starting your own Local Search Marketing campaign.

With over 65% of Irish people using the internet to find local products and services, and over 80% of those using Google, it is absolutely essential that every business has an online presence. If your business can’t be found in the search engines, it is simply invisible to these prospective clients. Add to that the fact that by the end of 2012 it is expected that over 50% of mobile phone users in Ireland will own a smartphone and it is becoming more important by the day that your business is visible in the local online search results.

Here is your simple step by step guide to setting up and optimising your Google Places page:

Claim your listing!
This is a pretty obvious … Read More »

BIA/Kelsey announced recently that over 50% of mobile phone users in Ireland are expected to own a smartphone by the end of 2012. Are we to expect this level of local online search in Ireland in the near future? I suspect not but it is worth taking note all the same! …………………

Google found that 92 percent of smartphone owners in the US seek local (offline) information via their devices, and that 89 percent of those people took some form of action after such a lookup. Beyond this Google said that 25 percent of people in the US made a purchase after a local lookup. In addition, in the US, 51 percent called a business and 48 percent actually went to the business location.

via Google: 1 Billion People Will Use Mobile As Primary Internet Access Point In 2012.

What is SEO?
Definition:

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is basically the process of improving a website’s visibility in the search engines via the un-paid or “organic” listings.

How it works:

Each search engine (Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.) has their own individual algorithm i.e. criteria that determines which websites deserve to rank highly for the keyword or search term that it’s targeting. Understanding these algorithm’s is probably the most important factor when preparing your SEO strategy. Google’s algorithm takes hundreds of factors into account to determine which website deserves the coveted number 1 position. These factors range in their levels of importance and only Google really knows the level of importance given to each SEO factor, it is up to us to figure out what the “Google Bot” likes and doesn’t like!

Major Factors:

Here’s some of the major factors that are widely regarded to influence Google’s … Read More »