Most companies have the main Search Engine Optimization tactics already memorized. (Not always followed, but always memorized.) Most articles on SEO press the need for headlines, metatags, and alt tags, but there are a few SEO tips that aren’t always included with the ‘Big Guys.’

True SEO can get complicated, and in all that complication, sometimes the little things are forgotten.

Here are some simple hints to remind you take a step back and get a fresh perspective on things. We’ll cover the more complicated stuff in a later post.

Fortune Favors the Bold. Remember to use your bold tags around one or two of the keywords on each page. Don’t overuse it, though! Fortune doesn’t favor the obnoxious.

Ezine Articles: Search out Ezines in your particular industry and offer them good content about your specialty. Ezine’s usually archive their articles and the links stay live for a long time.

Create Multiple Domains. Search Engines often only list one page per domain, so if your company can warrant multiple domains, you just scored yourself multiple listings on the search engine.

Back off on the Anchor Text: With all the pressure of including anchor text, some inexperienced businesses and SEO consultants over do it, to the detriment of the site. Vary the anchor text on your site and published content; don’t always use the same phrases! If it was that easy, the cheap software promising to optimize your site for SEO would cost a whole lot more.

Site Maps: Every site, no matter the size, needs a site map. Why? Because if every page links to a site map, then search engine robots can scan your site in two steps… page, site map, done.

On the ball marketers are starting to figure out how to make Social Media Marketing pay off on a Local front. Social media marketing has many wonderful applications that be used for local businesses to join the party and cash in. While savvy marketers know how to strategize and pull off a great site for their clients, many businesses are having a go at Social Media Marketing without any professional help.

Social Media Marketing is the use of social media to market one’s business online or through digital media. Social media marketing has grown into a big slice of the Internet marketing pie, with websites like Flickr, YouTube, StumbleUpon, BlogCatalog, Digg, Facebook, and MySpace dominating the social networks.

One of the best ways for a small local business to join the Social Media Market is by creating a blog. Every business, no matter how locally defined it’s operations, should have a blog. The problems arise when businesses unfamiliar with the social media market forget that a blog should never be a little island unto itself. That would sort of defeat the entire concept of a Social Media network.

Do your research on local networks, defined by geography, market type, or whatever your particular business niche is, and build your site or blog to draw those people in.

With Social Media Marketing, you will need to be an expert on dealing with the integration of social networking, social media, online reputation management, and local SEO to bring it all together in one beautiful, cash rich advertising campaign.

What is SearchMonkey?

Essentially, SearchMonky is a potential goldmine for Yahoo Local businesses, large or small. It is Yahoo’s (better) answer to Google’s Onebox and Microsoft’s WebSlices.

Yahoo is opening up its search platform , and the results can be big. There are a lot of layers and abilities that being built into the platform that will enable 3rd parties to really influence search results.

What’s the big deal about an open platform?

An open platform will give all web site owners the opportunity to present more useful information on the Yahoo! Search page, in comparison to what is presented on other search engines. It doesn’t matter if your website is big or small, all site owners will be able to provide additional information about their site directly to Yahoo! Search.
The results mean that instead of a simple title, an abstract and a URL, users will finally be able to see in depth results on the search.

Don Campbell discussed how could have a huge affect on Yahoo Local businesses.

Yahoo hinted that they they might turn on some “applications” by default, for example Yahoo Local. This means that small businesses listed in Yahoo Local might produce enhanced search results, for example including a map or other information about your business.
Recommendation for Small Business Websites:
1) Get your business listed in Yahoo Local. That way, if Yahoo decides to include a Yahoo Local SearchMonkey app as a default, your business will show up with enhanced results if you are listed in Yahoo Local with a complete profile.
2) SearchMonkey looks for special data inside websites, based on a standard called microformats. Your website should include this data so it is available to Yahoo as they crawl and index your site. This way your business information is available to any developers who build SearchMonkey apps, and you will show up with enhanced results as this gets adopted over time.

Each of the main search engines are using gadgets in one form or the other in their results. , and Yahoo has SearchMonkey.

News of a beta version of Google Merchant Search is creating a real buzz all over the local advertising blogs. It appears to be a search and compare engine for services. Right now, the service being used in the beta version is loan providers.

From what I can see in snapshots and the FAQ, you can compare loan providers, choose a vendor, and then be put into contact with that vendor, all within this system.

The current beta being tested is for loan providers in the UK right now, however the new search will spread rapidly once it’s testing foothold is firm.

What Google is doing here, simply by the nature of this search product is adding their reputation and respectability to the companies they are recommending. It should be a pretty big deal for local merchants in the days to come.

Here are the Google Merchant Search FAQs, and here is a demo page.

Google Merchant Search is an easy new way for you to find products or services from providers who match your needs.
What products or services are supported through Google Merchant Search?
The service is currently only available for secured loans from financial services providers.
How do you choose which providers to show me?
Our search results are based on the criteria you provided in your request; we compare your request with our list of participating providers, and show those that are most relevant for you. Participating providers pay Google when someone requests a quote through this system.