Local Search is helping redefine to a granular level how we search on the internet. It is utilized in many ways to attract new customers to a business they may have overlooked in the past.
Search has become a huge part of all of our lives. No long needing to rely on friends suggestions, we can go online to find out all of the information we need to make a decision.
Moving to a new area recently I was in the mood for a salad at lunch. I typed in Schenectady Salad for a targeted result to hopefully obtain a menu from some local restaurants with salad choices. This is what I received:
Any similar search returned these 3 results. Clifton Park is a 25 minute drive from Schenectady and I knew there were plenty of places within walking distance from my building, but I couldn’t find them. I eventually had to go out and about to grab menus from local restaurants. It turned out that they did have websites with all of their food posted, but I couldn’t find their sites in search so to me they just didn’t exist.
In the end, I consistently went to the restaurants that I could read their menus online. It was easier for me to compare food with several different places when I had all the options in front of me. I did end up finding a great salad place but not through the internet.
In general, there is a lot of missed opportunities in local search. Of the 3 businesses that came up for “salad schenectady” – there are still actually 7 more results that can be populated.
All users need to do are to go to Local Google, or Local Yahoo listings to get their results listed. It is a simple step that can help propel business to your website, and then to your door.
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