The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article: June 2006, Volume 5, Issue 7
Local Search: Embracing Change
by Victoria Clark, Search Marketing Specialist, iProspect
There is a saying in New England – if you don’t like the weather then wait a minute. Hot, cold, raining or snowing, the weather quickly moves from one extreme to another. Some may find this unpredictability frustrating, however when you live in it, you have no other choice but to embrace the only constant: change.
Today’s local search market shares the same constant as New England’s weather. As local search moves from offline sources, such as newspapers and the yellow pages, to online sources, all of the major search engines are eager to develop their local products. Currently, the five major search engines – Google, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL and ASK.com – all have local search products. However, Google and Yahoo!’s products are the most developed and continue to enjoy the majority of the local search engine market share.
Google Maps
Within Google Maps, website marketers have the opportunity to purchase listings (referred to as “sponsored listings”) or submit free, basic listings. When a searcher performs a query for a product or service within a particular location, he/she is presented with a list of search results and an interactive map of the world that includes a route planner and business locator. Free listings appear on the left-hand side of the screen with the sponsored listings at the top and bottom of that list and the map of the chosen location on the right, which highlights the location of each free listing. It is important to understand, however, that sponsored listings, though they may appear prominently in the search results, do not appear on the map.
On the other hand, submitting a free listing does not guarantee placement within the search results, though it is guaranteed that if your free listing does appear, it will also appear in the map. Submitting a free listing also does not guarantee that the listing content will appear within the results exactly as it was submitted. Google’s algorithm may utilize some of the original information – the most relevant to the user’s search – and add other information from the Web and other 3rd party information databases (e.g. InfoUSA).
Yahoo! Local
Similar to Google, Yahoo! Local offers the ability for marketers to buy sponsored listings or submit free, basic listings. Like Google, only free listings correspond with placement on their interactive map, and Yahoo!’s algorithm may also alter the content of the free listings.
Additionally, Yahoo! has developed a feature that allows marketers to both control the listing content while not losing the mapping feature. This option is called an “enhanced listing.” For a fee, businesses are able to submit a detailed description, choose multiple categories and also upload photographs. Unlike the sponsored listings, enhanced listings are integrated into the natural results (free listings). It is important to understand, however, that by purchasing enhanced listings you are guaranteed to show up within the search results, but you are not guaranteed specific placement. Enhanced listings do, however, make for a better user experience when the searcher comes across your listing because they are provided with more engaging content.
But Local Search is Always Changing…
Google Maps and Yahoo! Local are continuously changing their products to meet the needs of searchers. Both are constantly updating, and adding and removing features in order to provide the most relevant and user-friendly results. Google Maps is currently working on developing Maps Business Ads, which are sponsored listings that appear on the map, along with the free listings. Yahoo! has a new, more sophisticated Maps product currently in beta and is beginning to integrate it with their Yahoo! Local listings.
Here are a few tips on how to embrace these ever-changing local products:
Create and submit a free listing to both Google Maps and Yahoo! Local, thus creating an accurate, local source for your business’ information. Decide whether sponsored listings and Yahoo!’s enhanced listings are appropriate for your business and proceed accordingly.
Monitor traffic driven to your site by local search engines. Note whether traffic generated from local search is converting at a higher percentage. If so, consider purchasing a sponsored listing or Yahoo!’s enhanced listing to increase your presence in the local search engines.
Monitor offline traffic driven by local search.
Have telephone inquires increased to certain locations?
Have onsite/in-store conversions increased?
Are you tracking how customers heard about you?
Visit both Google and Yahoo! regularly to monitor the changes being made to their local products and ensure your listing(s) is up-to-date and optimized for the latest local search enhancements.
As the local search market continues to grow, so does the opportunity for major changes to occur within the top engines’ local search products. However, unlike New England’s weather, the changes occurring in local search will certainly be for the better.
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