Jeff Ferguson Local Search Marketing

1. Local SEO: Getting On the Map

2. Who We Are
NASDAQ: Local.com
IPO Q3 2004
Website launched Q3 ’05
Today
Flagship www.local.com local search engine, plus
business directories on 700+ regional media sites
Patented local search technologies
Large market share
Growing organic traffic across site and network
>20MM unique visitors per month
Top 10 in search with growing share
Top 3 fastest-growing in local online advertising
Advertising revenue model
>20,000 small business customers
Ad partners include Yahoo!, Superpages.com,
Yellowpages.com and many more
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3. Overview
Don’t Fear the 10/7 Pack
• Seriously, it’s there for a reason
REAL Content is King
• Don’t fake it until you make it, just make it
Fight The Right Battles
• Don’t take on the big boys
BONUS: The Most Powerful Search Tool EVER

4. Here, There Be Monsters

5. Don’t Fear The 10/7 Pack
What is it?

6. Don’t Fear The 10/7 Pack
What is it?
AdWords
10/7 Pack
AdWords
Ad Extensions

7. Don’t Fear The 10/7 Pack
What is it?
• AdWords
Pay-per-clicks text ads, the life blood of Google
Can be geo-targeted, but rarely are despite Google’s best efforts
• AdWords Ad Extensions
Map Marker & AdWords with Maps
– Relatively new test in the AdWords family, ran only in San Francisco & San Diego
– Test completed last week, Google is analyzing data for possible continuation
– Flat monthly fee based on location, etc.
– Included click and call tracking
Traditional AdWords with an address
– A little hard to find in the AdWords interface, but worth the effort
• 7/10 Pack
Similar to Google’s organic listings, but map related
Google grabs this data from a variety of sources, but you can also add it yourself via the
Local Business Center
Usually the most relevant result for a local search

8. REAL Content is King
Content – A great way to get great organic placement

9. REAL Content is King
Content:
• A great way to get great organic placement
However, you have to make it your own content
• Don’t steal your content from the corporate office, the franchise
company, industry specialists, etc.
While duplicate content is low on the list of poor SEO habits, it
certainly doesn’t help
• Be the industry expert you are, online
Write articles, start a blog, get the word out there
If you can’t write a lick, there is plenty of help out there

10. Fight The Right Battles
David & Goliath in local search

11. Fight The Right Battles
David & Goliath in local search
• As mentioned previously, be the product and service expert in
the form of great content on your site, however, do it locally, not
nationally
• Target your content via locally relevant articles
Don’t just write about “radon”, the EPA has that covered
Write about “radon in Phoenix, AZ” because that’s what your
customers are looking for when they are shopping for a product or
service

12. The Most Powerful Search Tool EVER

13. The Most Powerful Search Tool EVER
You!

14. Jeff Ferguson | jferguson@local.com | @countxero
THANK YOU!