Local Search Tools

Navigating and managing the fragmented local search ecosystem can be a bit of a challenge. As mentioned in one my earlier blogs on local search optimization, there are seemingly an endless number of review sites, local search feeds, vertical directories, maps, and geo specific directories. Attacking this disjointed mess by setting up profiles at each spot without careful strategy and not having a local search management plan to handle feedback can lead to a digital public relations disaster and the need to pursue reputation management. My goal with this blog is to arm you with local search tools that will dramatically increase the likelihood of executing and maintaining a successful local search marketing campaign.

Local Search Marketing Books

In every industry, there those who publish books as self-proclaimed authority figures on a specific subject matter and those individuals reference third-party examples to make their points. On the other hand, in his book, Local Online Marketing Claude Whitacre offers a first-hand account of the challenges and wins that a local business owner can experience with local search marketing. Claude provides real world experiences from his retail operation as he evolved from traditional outbound marketing tactics to inbound local search marketing strategies like video marketing. This book is a short easy read that is a must consume for any local business owner.

In their book, Marketing Your Local Business Online, Sherry Han and Daisy Huang outline a comprehensive approach for operating a local search marketing campaign. From the standpoint of application to local search, they cover a wide range of topics including search, social, video, and reputation management. From the simplicity of their method of explanation to the content that they present, this local search marketing book is a great quick reference guide for the pertinent macro elements that are essential to online marketing for a local business.

Local Search Marketing University

What would a local search marking university be without classes that are taught at the local level? Local University offers four hour classes on the basics of local search that are taught by industry leaders such as David Mihm. These classes are ideal for beginning level small and medium sized business owners who are interested in gaining an understanding of what it takes to execute an online marketing campaign at the local level. Attendees are taught a variety of local search marketing tactics that span both search and social spheres. The Local University seminars are excellent pursuits for those seeking to gain a foundational base on local search.

Local Search Marketing Conferences

The preeminent local search marketing conference is the Search Starts Here Conference. This conference is brought to you by the Local Search Association. It is a high level conference that is geared toward local search industry experts and it features a guest speaking panel of the most influential players in the space. Presentations and workshops cover the current state of local search and provide insight on the future path of this critical marketing discipline.

Several of the other leading SEO conference including those mentioned in my On Page SEO Tools and Off Page SEO Tools blogs include breakout presentations and workshops on local search strategies.

Local Search Marketing Software

Two of my favorite local search marketing software applications are GetListed and BrightLocal. GetListed was originally created by David Mihm and it has since been absorbed by SEOMoz. This dynamic software allows end users to run a search query on a business name and it will return results that indicate the local search providers that currently have a listing created for that business. The results also illustrate the primary local search providers that have an unclaimed listing as well as those that do not have a listing created at all. Furthermore, for each local search provider, GetListed displays consolidated data on reviews, photos, and categories.

On the other hand, BrightLocal offers a full suite of local search marketing software solutions. These solutions allow an end user to accomplish the following tasks with ease:

Analyze local search rankings
Conduct a comprehensive audit on Google+ Local, Local Directory Listings, On Site SEO, and Social Media, and more
Google+ Local profile optimization
Run competitive analysis on local search citations
Create custom review buttons

These two software platforms streamline the setup, optimization, analysis, and management of a full scale local search marketing campaign.

No Need to Go Loco Over Local

Well there you have it. With the aforementioned local search tools added to your toolkit, there is no need to go mad over the unruly local search landscape. Like all Internet Marketing disciplines, an investment of time, research, studying, and hands on application can lead to the creation and ongoing management of a successful local search campaign. Make no mistake about it, local search marketing can and should be an extremely powerful revenue generator for any local business. While it is a time consuming process to manage, with the right tools, the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.

Local Search Tools