By DWAIN BERLIN
Client Case Study
It’s no secret that your customers are searching for you online. Statistics show that a majority of people prefer to research a product or service before buying rather than looking in the Yellow Pages for instance. Consumers have matured over the last decade and will make a buying decision once they are satisfied with what they find.
Smart business owners recognize that trend and are taking steps to increase their online visibility, so the competition is heating up right now. The entry fee for an effective online presence can be pricey, and the choices are either do it yourself or hire someone. Online marketing done correctly it is a time consuming slow growth process with purpose.
How Customers Find You Online
Studies show that a majority of online searches have local intent and that about 30% of those searches end with a purchase. Optimizing online for your local market is where the smart money is going these days especially when you consider that natural search visibility sends FREE traffic to your website.
Another great place for your business listing is to the right of Google Maps. Their map image shows up when someone adds a location to a search term like “Vancouver Painters” for instance. This area has created huge interest for local businesses because right now there are seven links on the right hand side of the map above the natural results. This means a well optimized website could have three listings on page one when done correctly.
Maximizing Visibility
- The quickest way to advertise online is by using Googles AdWords
- Your ad is seen on the right hand side of the page in your specific market
- The next place to focus on would be to optimize your Google Places Profile
- That gives you the chance to show up beside the Maps
- First page placement in Natural Search is the third listing I referred to
- Showing up in Natural search gives you “Authority” by default
Stake Your Claim Online
Local online search is heating up, and right now is a good time to re-direct your advertising budget to an online strategy. Every market is different of course regarding competition, but the end results of a fully optimized website can be a game changer for your company.
When you watch the Painting company case study video you’ll see how we were able to push our client onto page one in the “7 pack” beside Google Maps. This campaign was done over a six month period and the results have been dramatic for them. We encourage you to type in any search term you think would be important in this market to find out how many keywords they actually show up for. At the end of the video I show how they are even dominating Natural search for specific “Commercial Intent Keywords” that have a high probability of converting to business.
In SEO circles we know those types of keywords are not searched on very often, but dominating that space increases your chance of closing business much more often. That category of keyword is the most highly sought after, because prospects have usually reached the end of their research cycle and are ready to buy at that point. So being the dominant choice makes you the winner!
Keep in mind that we had not yet started a “Natural Optimization” program for Heritage Painting & Decorating at the time of this video. The work we did for Heritage Painting was strictly focused on creating their website and optimizing their Google Places Profile. First page domination for terms like “Heritage Home Painters Vancouver” was the side benefit they got from that work.
These results are not typical because Heritage Painting had nothing online when we started. We had a blank slate to start with and were able to take advantage of every angle in the known Local SEO universe.
If you would like to see a private case study for another local business, please call and request it. I will generate a private video for you within 24 hours showing where one of our clients is at that moment in time.
