Have you ever considered giving away something free in order to gain customers? What about mixing real world marketing with online? Local online advertising with a twist. That´s exactly what Local SEO Guide Andrew Shotland is suggesting:

I’m a member of the Pleasanton FreeCycle Group, a forum for people who live near me to give away used goods instead of throwing them away. It’s a great service that promotes “green” living. Every day I get an email with a list of items that people want to get rid of. If there’s something on it that interests me I send the posting member an email and then we arrange the exchange. I use it mainly to dispose of stuff that I don’t want to store or throw away. Over the past year I have given away a crib, tons of baby toys and my favorite of all, boxes. The service is simple, fast and extremely satisfying

In his informative post, Shotland offers a step by step approach to using freecycle websites (you could probably use craigslist or another similar site, too) to create a very unique method of local online advertising . . . for free.

Basically, you use your business name as your user name and give away either small items related to your business, or, as Shotland suggests in his post, boxes. People are always looking for boxes and you can grab some free advertising. The idea is a novel one and certainly something to consider if you are looking for an interesting method of local online advertising.

An interesting contest is coming up shortly, held by Google. The Google Online Marketing Challenge is designed to allow students from around the world to learn more about using AdWords for local pay per click.

Basically, university students from all parts of the globe will be divided into teams and each team will receive online vouchers worth $200 to use on Google´s AdWords. The teams then have to work with a small local business (fewer than 100 employees) to create a local pay per click campaign that will run for 3 weeks and cannot exceed the $200. Student teams have to write up two reports, one at the beginning of the three weeks, outlining strategy, etc. and another at the end which will deal with the results achieved.

The prize? A trip to Google headquarters and a meeting with the team that actually came up with one of the most popular local pay per click programs, AdWords. At the end of the campaign, each small business will receive recommendations based on the gathered data to help them proceed successfully. This is a great opportunity for small businesses around the world to learn more about local pay per click, as well as giving marketing students a chance at some great online experience in the world of local pay per click.

Google local maps have rapidly been picking up new followers. For years, MapQuest was the place to go when you wanted to find a location on the map, but now Google is catching up. According to Hitwise, MapQuest has failed to grow and in fact, is slipping in the number of visitors it has attracted in the past 6 months.

Traffic to MapQuest has remained flat year on year and is down 20% in the past 6 months. Google Maps traffic is up 135% year on year and is up 7% in the past 6 months. The growth for Google Maps is from traffic from the Google search engine.

At this rate, Google local maps will quickly overtake MapQuest, but that´s hardly surprising, considering the lengths they have gone to create an omnipotent enterprise. The question is, are you using Google local maps to help grow your business? You want to be on those maps. And, getting first position for local searches on Google will help your business, as a map will appear beside the search results, with your business location on it. Most people prefer to click on a map when they do a Google local search, so it really benefits the number one position!

Get Listed on Google Local Maps

To add your business to Google local maps, you need to first create an account at Google Local Business Center.

Go to Add/Edit and fill in your business information. Choose up to five categories that describe your business and add special features like photos or coupons that can be printed out. And there you have it, your very own local business listing on Google local maps.

Finding the perfect keyword is something that anyone involved in local search engine optimization is striving for. What is the perfect keyword? That depends greatly on what you want to do with your website or blog.

Local Search Engine Optimization Keyword Technique One
The first local search engine optimization method is to simply choose the most searched for keyword and try to optimize for that. This can be extremely difficult, if you have a lot of competition. For example, thousands of internet marketers are attempting to rank for the keyword phrase “make money online” and the huge amount of competition ensures that the majority will never reach the first page of Google.

However, if you can rank for your popular keyword, you´ll be raking in the traffic. Local keywords tend to have a little less competition. “Miami deli” will have far fewer websites focused on that keyword phrase than simply “deli”.

Local Search Engine Optimization Keyword Technique Two
Our second local search engine optimization technique focuses specifically on low competition keywords with a good search base. These are ideal keywords, but hard to find. You will often end up with what are called long-tail keyword phrases, like “Miami kosher deli downtown”. The more words included, the more specific the phrase and the less competition there will be. However, you do need to be aware that little competition may mean only one or two people are searching that phrase per day.

Ideally, you want a keyword that has less than 30,000 competitors and at least 200 searches per day. This is the best way to go with local search engine optimization, because you can almost guarantee that you´ll be on the first page if not number one.

Local search engine optimization isn´t just about finding the right keywords and using them in your web content. In order to rank well in search engines, you also need backlinks, among other things. Here are a few ways to gain not only backlinks, but also to get your content and website out there and more visible.

Submit to article directories. Writing unique articles that relate to your business can be a great way to build visibility and one-way backlinks, which are very valuable in terms of local search engine optimization.

Add your website to the Chamber of Commerce. Most have their own website with listings for local businesses and it can really be worth it to get your URL up there with a short blurb on your local business.

Look for local sites and directories to advertise on. Since they are local, you should be able to buy an ad for relatively cheap and this can also help you with the search engines, though not as much as “natural” backlinks.

The more of these local search engine optimization techniques that you use, the more times your information and URL will be repeated throughout the internet. You´ll get points for the backlinks, but this can also be helpful because some of these sites are already very popular with the search engines. That means your content can show up in the number one place for a search, even if your website is still on page ten! Worth your time, wouldn´t you say?

Apparently, Google Adwords ads have been spotted with a full street address under the URL, creating a very specialized Google local ad. Could this mean a change in Google´s normal policy of allowing only the city name?

Source:

Google has allowed local advertisers to put a fourth line of text (location) under the URL at the bottom of the ad. That has been limited to city name or region historically. The inclusion of a physical address is pretty interesting and makes the ad standout somewhat as even more local.

If this really is a new type of Google local ads, small businesses could be in luck. With a street address available, people can see at a glance whether or not you are close enough to them. This could save a lot of empty clicks and create a highly targeted stream of traffic. Definitely something to keep an eye on if you use Google local ads.

Search engine optimization is something that, while very effective, takes a while to implement and work. Local pay per click, on the other hand, can get fast results and is ideal if you want to test a new marketing campaign. As with all marketing campaigns, there are a few ways to make local pay per click more effective.

Choose the right keywords. This is very important. The most popular keywords will have lots of competition and you´ll end up paying big money just to get a decent place on the list. You´re better off choosing more targeted keywords and local pay per click phrases, which have little competition. Often these can be bought for as little as five or ten cents a click.

Write great ad copy. You only have two or three lines to get your message across, so make them good! While Google AdWords have very limited space, you may have to cut yourself off with other local pay per click programs. The shorter the better, people don´t spend much time reading ads, so it has to grab them quickly. Use your keywords in the copy for added benefits.

Offer something. A free ebook, report or quote is a great way to get people to click on your local pay per click ad. But don´t give them the runaround or you´ll be paying for useless clicks. Make sure the ad landing page gives them just what you promised or they´ll be gone in seconds.

Test more than one ad. There´s no reason to limit yourself to just one ad. Try two or three different versions and track them to see which performs best. Then rework your ads to reflect the qualities that make them more clickable. You can literally see the results in 24 hours, so this is a very rewarding use of local pay per click.

Local pay per click can be a great way to boost sales and get more traffic to your site. With the techniques outlined above, you can make sure you get fast results, without paying through the teeth.

Local online advertising can work for absolutely anyone. Just the other day, I received an email advertising a directory of doctors and dentists. While the email was blatant spam, it did serve to illustrate that even professions that are decidedly offline, such as dentistry, can use local online advertising to get ahead.

You might feel that your business has absolutely nothing to do with the internet, but the truth is that you can make local online advertising work for you with just a bit of research. Here is the minimum you´ll need to get started with local online advertising:

1. A basic website that gives contact info, a bit about your business, etc. Adding more webpages with informational articles is a great way to get free local online advertising, as search engines will list you and other sites will link to the articles.

2. Targeted keywords. You´ll want to use keywords and phrases that people will type into the search engines when looking for your business, such as “Orlando dentists”.

3. An advertising budget. While you can obtain local online advertising fairly economically, you will still need to spend some cash in order to make things happen.

The fact of the matter is that more and more people are turning to the internet when they are looking for local businesses. Starting a local online advertising campaign will give you a leg up on the competition, still stuck in the days of paper ads and Yellow Pages, so get started now.

Did you know that you have a distinct advantage when someone finds you via a local search engine search? It´s a proven fact that local searchers are more ready to buy than those who search for a general term. This is where local search engine optimization helps you pull in higher sales.

Let´s say you want to know more about flavored bottled water, so you look it up online. You learn everything you could possibly want to know and you´re ready to buy a case. Now, you need to order some, but you need a supplier nearby. So you search for “Chicago flavored bottled water” to bring up possible suppliers near you. See how it works? Most people will do a general search to get more information, but a local search to buy.

Using local search engine optimization ensures that buyers will find you when they start searching for what they want to buy in your area. If you didn´t think local search engine optimization was super important before, now you know!

Local search engine optimization may seem fairly straightforward, but if you aren´t using the best keywords for your business, then you could still be losing out on some customers. The idea is to get high rankings for all the main keyword phrases that could relate to your business.

For example, if you have a pizza place in Vancouver, you might try for the keyword phrase “Vancouver Pizza”, by repeating it various times on your webpages. However, this isn´t the only search phrase that could relate to your business. Local search engine optimization will be far more effective if you take into consideration other options.

In this case, people might be doing a little more detailed searching. They don´t want Vancouver pizza that is on the other side of the city, so they look for “Pizza, Burnaby, Vancouver” If your website neglects to mention that you are located in Burnaby, you could end up ranking fairly low for this search. And even lower if they just look for “Burnaby pizza”.

Taking other search phrases into account could really help your business. Your stats program should tell you what people are searching for, but you may need to do some experimenting as well and test other phrases. Trying the zip code along with your main keyword phrase and make sure that your business name is also on your webpage, included in the text. Some people will actually search for the business name and if they are just looking on Google, you want to make sure yours is the business that turns up!

Remember, people don´t just search for one phrase in order to find your local business. Using local search engine optimization techniques can be very useful, but don´t forget to expand your horizons a bit and include other potential keywords to bring in the most clients possible.

We know that the Google phone will be out sometime in April, but now there is an additional feature that should interest local business owners. A recent press release from Thompson has this interesting tidbit:

Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS), and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), have partnered to help consumers save money on 411 business information calls by integrating the first ever one-touch, auto-dial GOOG-411 button into many of its latest GE-branded DECT 6.0™ Interference Free phones for 2008. One of many new innovative features for consumers from Thomson, GOOG-411 is Google’s free, voice-activated, business directory assistance service, and the GOOG-411 button will be incorporated on more than a dozen GE phones, which will be available in April.

This could be quite exciting, as it is the first time that 411 has been made into a button. It will make finding a local business far easier and will be used more often now that the Google phone has incorporated the button right into the phone. Instant access to local business directories will be a big help to businesses, as well.

A little news for 2008, Google has recently filed patents that indicate they have the ability to read text in images. The idea behind this could be very useful when applied to local businesses. Robots would take snapshots of the shelves within stores and with Google´s technology, inventory would be virtually instant, taking the names from the images.

Here´s a snippet of what SEL has to say about this new development:

There’s a science fiction element to this world of robots running amuck in supermarkets, but there’s also a lot of science involved in the documents. The descriptions of how text might be taken from street view images describes a number of techniques that account for problems with images, such as those caused by low contrast from shadows and shading. The use of consecutive images from the Street View cameras can also enhance the reading of text that might be blurry or partially hidden from view in one or more shots.

The applications that this technology could be used for are vast. Google local search could become much simpler, with everything indexed. Not to mention, you could easily check to see which stores near you have a certain product in stock. Definitely some interesting ideas!

You´ve probably noticed that the internet is being taken over by video these days. Everywhere you look, you see YouTube videos being added to blogs and websites, Google AdWords is using video, and new video content sites are popping up all over. Video can also be a big advantage in the arena of local online advertising.

People respond well to visual content. They don´t have to read anything, it´s simply shown to them. Those who are really comfortable with the internet are generally used to having technology at their fingertips, so they are more likely to prefer videos. Using video in your local online advertising can help you catch the attention of the non-readers that surf the net.

With local online advertising just starting to get big, it´s important to grab every advantage you can now. Add some videos to your website or YouTube and you´ll be surprised at how quickly people will find them. The trick is not to make your video just an ad for your business.

If it is entertaining (”banned commercials” and “funny commercials” are two huge search phrases on YouTube), or instructive and useful, there is a good chance your video could go viral. Include your URL at the end and make sure that your video profile is directed to your local business.

Google is now beginning to add YouTube video to search results in Google Maps and if yours gets on there, you will be getting a lot of traffic! Just make sure that you use your keywords in the Tags section when entering your video into a video content site. Add some video and watch how your local online advertising results soar.

While Google may be the biggest player on the block, Yahoo Local is right behind them in terms of local online advertising. With a super easy to use interface, Yahoo Local is rapidly becoming a favorite among internet surfers who are looking for a local business.

There are several ways to find local businesses on Yahoo Local. First, at the top of the of the page, you have a simple search box where your search term can be typed in and then you select a location. Presto! You have a list of related businesses in the area you are looking for.

Yahoo Local also offers maps, clickable tag clouds with hot keywords, events and categories. However, perhaps one of the most useful areas on Yahoo Local is the reviews section. Here, you can read reviews on any of the businesses in the area you are looking at. This benefits both the user and the business (provided you get a good review!). If someone loves the ambiance and lasagna at your Italian restaurant enough to write about it on Yahoo Local, you have a pretty good chance of getting more customers through their review. Likewise, if someone is unhappy with the service, this could dissuade others from dining at your place.

Yahoo Local offers such a range of information for visitors to use, from maps and reviews to ads from the businesses themselves that it is a very valuable tool for local businesses. If you are looking to enter the world of local online advertising, this is a very good place to start.

Small and medium sized businesses have been in a catch 22 situation for years and years when it comes to advertising. They need to advertise to grow their business but advertising takes money that small and medium sized businesses often don’t have.

The solution to this has actually been presented, by evolution the internet is offering the small and medium business a way to advertise at a cost they can afford. As more and more people get online the small and medium businesses get more traffic. One report says that while the average weekly use per person for print Yellow Pages is down from 2 in the 1990s to 1.4 now.

The yellow pages is only one example of affordable online advertising. Paid ads are another way to advertise locally and affordably. In one type of paid search, the ad appears right in the search results and is indistinguishable from the algorithmic or organic hits — those actually found by the search engine. In the other type, the ad appears in a separate part of the screen alongside the search results.

Paid search is extremely attractive for a couple of reasons. First, advertisers pay per “click-through” — in other words, only when a user chooses to follow the link from their ad.

“The value proposition is simple,” Sterling says. “You know exactly what you’re getting. In effect, you’re only paying for leads.”

This is in marked contrast to the dominant form of small business local advertising, print Yellow Pages, where you pay upfront for the year, hope the ad delivers customers, but never really know for sure.

Start advertising online today and boost your sales, it can be done and it can be affordable for the small and medium business owner.