Soon, more hungry people will search Google for local restaurants than will look in the phone book.

Are you ready, or will your business be invisible?

How to out-hustle, out-smart, and out-position your competitors in local search engine results--and spend less than they do, too!

"I can't stress this enough: you must fix local [search] now before your competition does."
-- Joshua Palau, Search Engine Watch

It's time to get on the bus now, before it leaves the station.
-- Steve Maheny, Search Engine News

 

Highly paid search optimization professionals all know that a major, tectonic shift in the search engine landscape is underway. They are using this knowledge to rake in huge sums of money for themselves and their large clients.

Those of us running small businesses--and especially those of us in smaller towns--are so busy keeping the wheels on that most of us don't see what's coming, and we'll suffer the consequences. And the consequences are pretty dire:

Your business can become completely invisible to well over half your prospective customers.

The flip side of the coin is that this is also a tremendous opportunity. Your company can bask in Google's spotlight and you can be the one shoving your competition off the stage.

Let me show you what I mean: Wenatchee is a small-to-medium sized town of about 50,000 in north-central Washington state. It is a sportsmen's paradise, too. Located along the Columbia River and nestled against the mountains of north-central Washington state, Wenatchee is home to at least half a dozen stores that sell to hunters. But as far as Google is concerned there is only one:

The above is an screenshot of actual search results returned for "Wenatchee hunting supplies" on November 8, 2009.

High Mountain Hunting Supplies is the only business listed in Google's local business box at the top, and almost every page one result will eventually take you back to the company's web site, http://luvtohunt.com.

As far as local search goes, this is like being able to rip out all of your competitor's ads from every phone book in town.

NOTE: I'm not claiming you will be able to do this. However, it can obviously be done and we can help you make sure it is not done to you.

Here's what Steve Maheny, publisher of Search Engine News, tells his clients (emphasis mine):

Local businesses are at an extreme advantage if they learn how to leverage Local Search! The growth potential for local search is staggeringly high, and the impact on your business could be enormous!... It's time to get on the bus now, before it leaves the station.

Non-internet, brick-and-mortar businesses stand to profit the most!

If you're thinking that your auto repair business or your janitorial service or your flower shop or your [pick a business that doesn't really operate on the web] is "just local" and doesn't need all this "internet crap", think again! You have the most to gain!

Why? You might be able to make your competitors invisible, because they probably think they don't need it, either!

Whether we like it or not, and whether we are prepared or not, within a very short time more people will be searching for local shops and services on the web than will use the phone book. The reason is that the advantages to searchers are obvious--look at this screenshot for restaurants in Wenatchee:

In addition to a link to your web site and a map to your place of business (something the phone book can't do unless you pay an arm and a leg), note the links to reviews. Searchers can now see what your customers are saying about you.

This feature alone is helping to drive searchers to Google, even for local services.

The important truth is this: It is going to happen, it is happening, and to a large measure it has already happened. My guess is that if you are reading this, chances are you've searched for something local in a search engine yourself!

Let the Dirty Tricks Begin:
Business Identify Theft

Like almost any new technology, the scammers, spammers, and ethically-challenged are all over local search, too. We've all heard of identity theft for individuals: Sadly, it is all too easy for scammers (or your competitors, if they play dirty) to steal your online business identity, too.

How would you like it if a searcher clicked on your listing in a Google result and it went to your competitor's web site? If you've got any underhanded competitors, I can almost guarantee they will try this very obvious trick.

I've seen it firsthand, and it is hard to undo. You need to know how to protect yourself.

I can help.

Announcing the Local Search Mastery Seminar!

Search engine gurus around the world are routinely charging thousands of dollars just to evaluate a web site and make recommendations for improving local search results. Being a small business owner myself, I am pleased to announce an affordable, information-laden seminar jam-packed with the information you need to effectively compete--and maybe even dominate--local search results.

Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that I am High Mountain Hunting Supply's web developer and resident search engine expert. I designed and executed the plan that enabled High Mountain to compete so effectively in the local search space.

I'm more than just a nerd, though: I was a certified teacher and taught school for many years. I know how to break concepts down into small, understandable chunks. I am not targeting this seminar to software or web developers.

This seminar is for owners and managers of small-to-medium sized businesses.I will provide enough details and follow-up that you can either execute our Local Search Checklist yourself or hire a non-technical person to do it for you.

In short, I can help you and your company get up to speed with local search at a price you can afford.

First, let me say again there is no previous web experience required. You do not even need to have a web site to implement many of the techniques I will teach you, although I will try very hard to convince you to get one--or more!

In the Local Search Mastery Seminar you will learn:

• How internet search engines work, and how to give them what they want
• Why any business without a web site needs to at least reserve a domain name and put up contact information now.
• Why you want more than one web site
• Why understanding your customers' behavior is the number one task in ranking well in search results
• How to protect yourself from "business identity theft"
• A detailed checklist of the exact steps you need to implement to be competitive in local searches
• How to monitor your position in search results
• How to improve your visibility over the long haul
  

Caveats: Please read--there's no fine print here

1. In an effort to fight scammers and spammers, search engines are slow to react to change (this is often called the Google Sandbox). High Mountain's current results took about six months.
2. Most of the techniques we describe are free, however a few do cost between $120 to $300. Even so, we have no connection with the companies and tools we recommend nor do we receive any financial compensation for our recommendations. This seminar is already full of content and we do not share the podium with folks shilling for their own products.
3. Your results will vary. It depends in large measure on your own effort, possible changes to search engines themselves (there have been many major changes over the last several years), and the web-savvyness of your competitors: Some local markets are just more competitive than others. However, I can say that if you do not prepare for local search, you will almost certainly get steamrolled.

 

The Local Search Mastery Seminar is only available via live, in-person presentations. The reason is simple: I tailor the content on-the-fly to those in the room and allow lots of time for questions. Not only that, but as much as possible I answer in the context of your locale, which can make your application of our techniques easier and more meaningful.

We are committed to your success in local search, so seminar attendees get an additional benefit that will help you over the long haul:

• A free one-year subscription to the electronic version of the Local Search Mastery Newsletter. This quarterly publication will help keep you current: The local search landscape is a new and fluid environment. Google, Bing, and the others will change the "rules"--they always do. ($197 per year value)
  
  

What people are saying...

Disclaimer: There were no payments or consideration given for any of the testimonials above.

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Reserve Your Seminar Date Early!

The seminar length can be 1, 2, or 3 hours; the longer the seminar, the more in-depth the presentation.

One Hour Seminar:	$650 plus expenses
Two Hour Seminar:	$900 plus expenses
Three Hour Seminar:	$1100 plus expenses

These are introductory rates and will be going up substantially in the second half of 2010.

You may charge seminar attendees any price you choose (including free), although my speaking fee must be paid in advance to reserve the seminar date. Please Note: There is a 50% cancellation fee within 30 days of the seminar date.

We also offer a 20% discount for seminars booked and paid more than 90 days in advance.

Please use this web form: http://digitalprovisioners.com/contact-us

 

The First-Mover Advantage

I truly appreciate your time and consideration. If you're still not sure, there are a few things to consider... First, local search is going to increase in importance with time as it is a major emphasis at all the search engines, especially with mobile searches on iPhones, Blackberries, etc. This is not going away.

Second, there is a tremendous advantage to being first on the scene, or at least early to the game. I'll explain why in the seminar.

Yours for small business success,

R. W. Lambert, President
Digital Provisioners, LLC