Sept. 15, 2007 |
Local Search Update #10 Beating The Threat of Irrelevance The Advertising World is Changing...again and so is the way it communicates with end users. The Local Search market has typically been focused around three key media:
Long term study of this space reveals several key facts:
Simply put, "first seen makes the telephone ring." Any smart business owner can readily understand the benefit of putting their advertising where the right consumers are. They generally understand that they will do better if they can get listed first. Even so, as recently as 2006, the majority of business owners (90% according to Forrester Research) believed that the Internet will not greatly impact their overall sales and/or growth initiatives. They don't understand it, they don't trust themselves to use it properly, and feel intimidated by its complexity. Like all emerging solutions, business owners will not adopt untested processes which they don't understand. In other words: "If they don't GET it - They won't GET it." The Internet is creating an avalanche of change in the advertising business; owners and operators finally are beginning to respond to this changing world. Here are a few relevant distrubing facts that speak to sea of change:
The Internet is where the consumers are. Being first is essential. Given the inherent reticence of the majority of business to get involved with online media we have taken a more direct approach...we are taking that horse to water, and we are getting it to drink one sip at a time. It's a slow, high-touch process of education and encouragement. The result is a rapidly growing pool of local advertisers who do truly get it. Our job at Search Initiatives' new sibling, eLocalListing.com is to help local companies generate more customers, by ensuring that those businesses are found prominently on the major search engines by people who are searching locally. It's that simple, we get them to the top and we keep them there for a low flat monthly fee. Our customers don't have to understand Internet advertising, banner ads, or worry about click prices; they don't even have to have a website, we get their information to the top of the major search engines...and we keep them there. No matter what the technology or approach, we are using its still about helping companies reach buyers through local search. eLocal leverages search tools and directories to create prominent placements for our customers in each of the major search engines. Search leads to sales, and we do it through the power of eLocalListing.com, often with the brand support of the local newspaper. It's a fairly radical departure for many online newspapers, but it's a massive new revenue model for the flexible and fleet of foot. To find out more, contact Jeff.Rapson@searchinitiatives.com or phone (603) 689-7134 and learn how your paper can share in the recurring revenue opportunity that SEO presents to papers and their related advertisers. |
||
| Room on the Web for Small Business -- Newspapers can help! | |||
There is Still Room on the Web for Small Business... It may seem that the giant online retailers have the search engines all locked up and that there's no way smaller companies can get noticed on the Web. However, a new study suggests that most of the top 100 e-tailers still do not quite get search engine optimization (SEO), and their failings leave room for other players to gain market attention. According to a study by Oneupweb (which is, admittedly, in the search engine marketing business), well-optimized sites not only compete, but often outrank and outperform less optimized competitors with more brick-and-mortar store support, larger marketing budgets, and a significantly higher number of links. Non-optimized sites that perform well on search engines are relying heavily on the popularity of their brands (and brand-specific searches) and may be using offline marketing, paid search campaigns, and affiliate linking. Smaller businesses should be extremely encouraged by the opportunities illustrated in this study. They can button down and build market share, brand, and web presence by using smart SEO listing tactics to leverage their popularity. |
|||
| Local Online Advertising: Measuring the Market | |||
eMarketer projects ... eMarketer projects that local online advertising spending In the US will reach $2.9 billion in 2007, only 13.4% of the total Internet market. But as portal giants Yahoo!, Google, and major newspaper chains make deals to sell advertising and share content, the sector is set to become a significant growth area for the maturing Internet ad space. The Local Online Advertising report analyzes this relatively small but rapidly growing ad market. The promise of local online advertising, at this stage, is greater than the reality. However, several factors are set to accelerate growth of the market: the wealth of small and mid-size companies potentially available as online advertisers, the increased use of local Internet sites and services by individuals, such as local search, and the development of local online ad networks connected with local media, such as newspapers. As the audience continues to migrate to the Web, and away from traditional local media, it is only a question of time before online local ad spending catches up. Key questions the "Local Online Advertising" report answers:
eMarketer Reports-On-Target and Up-to-Date The Local Online Advertising report aggregates the latest data from marketing and communications researchers with eMarketer numbers, projections and analysis to provide the information you need to make the right business decisions-right now. eMarketer projects that local online advertising spending In the US will reach $2.9 billion in 2007, only 13.4% of the total Internet market. But as portal giants Yahoo!, and Google, and major newspaper chains make deals to sell advertising and share content, the sector is set to become a significant growth area for the maturing Internet ad space. |
|||
| Search Marketing 101 | |||
| by Derek Gehl | A behind-the-scenes look at 2007's most essential internet marketing strategy .
With a combination of PPC and SEO, you can make sure your target market will find you. No other set of strategies offers you so much scope as search marketing. You can dramatically improve your search engine rankings and direct quality, targeted traffic to your website--often without spending a single dime. Many of the techniques here are basic, but some techniques come and go. What worked last year may fizzle this year. And discovering a great new search-marketing trick could put you far ahead of the competition. So have the basics covered, but also try new techniques and strategies. With ongoing search marketing, you will be where your market can find you--front and center in the search results. This article was originally written for Entrepeneur.com , "Search Marketing 101." Derek Gehl is Entrepreneur.com's E-Business columnist and the CEO of the Internet Marketing Center, an internet marketing firm that has helped thousands of people learn to start and run their own online businesses. IMC hosts a new Search Marketing Lab Forum, where members have their strategy questions answered by search marketing specialists. |
||
| Press Release: eLocal on the Move -- Again | |||
|
Responding to dramatic growth in online business eLocal relocates (Temecula, CA) -- August 31, 2007. Against a background of exploding online business growth, eCom powerhouse eLocal Listing (a subsidiary of Search Initiatives, LLC) announced today that it's moving to new headquarters. eLocal is expanding its California operations and moving its headquarters in Temecula, CA to a much larger facility doubling the current space. The new 13,500 square feet of customized office space will allow eLocal to streamline and expand their operations as well as continue to focus on providing the best quality customer service in the industry. Jeff Rapson, VP of Sales Contact Information: |
||