Local Content, Local Search Chris Sherman, Executive Editor SearchEngineLand.com May 1, 2009

Let’s Start With Some Stats

Search Is Now Habitual Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project

Flavors Of Local Search Major search engines maps/local Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs) & city guides “ Local/Social” search sites that combine things like business listings, classified ads, reviews & ratings, comments and “community” “ Vertical” or niche sites focusing on specific categories (real estate, service providers (florist, lawyer, plumber), retailers, restaurants, etc) You can easily reach searchers through all of these channels

Major search engines maps/local

Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs) & city guides

“ Local/Social” search sites that combine things like business listings, classified ads, reviews & ratings, comments and “community”

“ Vertical” or niche sites focusing on specific categories (real estate, service providers (florist, lawyer, plumber), retailers, restaurants, etc)

You can easily reach searchers through all of these channels

Local Search Is Bigger Than You Think March 2009: 14b total queries at major search engines (comScore) Depending on which stats you believe, 20-40% of all search queries have local intent That’s roughly 300-600 million local search queries per month, and that doesn’t include searches on IYPs, local/map sites, or other local verticals

March 2009: 14b total queries at major search engines (comScore)

Depending on which stats you believe, 20-40% of all search queries have local intent

That’s roughly 300-600 million local search queries per month, and that doesn’t include searches on IYPs, local/map sites, or other local verticals

Local Search Is Growing Fast Traffic to “pure” local search/map sites grew 58 percent in 2008, reaching an annual total of 15.7 billion searches By comparison, overall U.S. Web core searches grew at a much smaller rate of 21 percent year-over-year, nearing 137 billion searches by the end of 2008 (comScore, YPA)

Traffic to “pure” local search/map sites grew 58 percent in 2008, reaching an annual total of 15.7 billion searches

By comparison, overall U.S. Web core searches grew at a much smaller rate of 21 percent year-over-year, nearing 137 billion searches by the end of 2008 (comScore, YPA)

Why Search Is Important 89% of consumers making in-store purchases have conducted research online (BIG Research) 82% of people using local search sites followed up with an offline action, e.g., in-store visit, phone call (TMP Directional Marketing) 77% searched the Internet for real estate related information during their research process compared to 34 percent for print (Yahoo)

89% of consumers making in-store purchases have conducted research online (BIG Research)

82% of people using local search sites followed up with an offline action, e.g., in-store visit, phone call (TMP Directional Marketing)

77% searched the Internet for real estate related information during their research process compared to 34 percent for print (Yahoo)

Google Search Term Popularity

Searcher Behavior Is Growing More Sophisticated Searcher queries are longer - 2 to 4 words More “tail” queries (specific rather than general) Searchers are increasingly using niche, vertical, or “local/social search” sites Surprisingly, Internet Yellow Pages sites are gaining traction as well

Searcher queries are longer - 2 to 4 words

More “tail” queries (specific rather than general)

Searchers are increasingly using niche, vertical, or “local/social search” sites

Surprisingly, Internet Yellow Pages sites are gaining traction as well

Types of Local Search Explicit: “ denver apartments” “ colorado housing” Implicit: “ property manager” “ apartment rentals” Search engines can serve up targeted results for either explicit or implicit queries thanks to geotargeting capabilities

Explicit:

“ denver apartments”

“ colorado housing”

Implicit:

“ property manager”

“ apartment rentals”

Search engines can serve up targeted results for either explicit or implicit queries thanks to geotargeting capabilities

Natural vs. Paid Listings

Search Engine Visibility You can improve your odds of being found in general search results by “optimizing” your content and conducting a link building campaign And if you’re willing to pay, you can also get visibility through search advertising A well-balanced search marketing campaign uses both approaches

You can improve your odds of being found in general search results by “optimizing” your content and conducting a link building campaign

And if you’re willing to pay, you can also get visibility through search advertising

A well-balanced search marketing campaign uses both approaches

Local Search Ranking Factors Business name in title tag <title> Similar business name or category keyword in domain name Local address on web pages or contact us page Phone number on web pages or contact us page # of user ratings (also not having negative ratings) Business categorizations in Yellow Pages Business site tied to Google Maps listing

Business name in title tag <title>

Similar business name or category keyword in domain name

Local address on web pages or contact us page

Phone number on web pages or contact us page

# of user ratings (also not having negative ratings)

Business categorizations in Yellow Pages

Business site tied to Google Maps listing

Links: The Most Important Ranking Factor Chamber of Commerce Local government & community guides Colleges & Universities (.edu “gold”) Local libraries Local and regional newspapers and online magazines Blogs about the area Targeted vertical directories

Chamber of Commerce

Local government & community guides

Colleges & Universities (.edu “gold”)

Local libraries

Local and regional newspapers and online magazines

Blogs about the area

Targeted vertical directories

Even More Targeted: Local/Maps Results Maps are emerging as a key interface for interacting with many types of information All major search engines have local/maps “catalogs” that let searchers search specifically for local information And people aren’t just using them for local search – Google Maps is the #1 travel site (Hitwise)

Maps are emerging as a key interface for interacting with many types of information

All major search engines have local/maps “catalogs” that let searchers search specifically for local information

And people aren’t just using them for local search – Google Maps is the #1 travel site (Hitwise)

Showing Up On Maps: Business Listings Business listings are yellow-page like company info Be sure to claim your business listing! If you don’t, someone else may, or it may be inaccurate How? Google: www.google.com/local/add MSN: https://llc.local.live.com/ListingCenter.aspx Yahoo: http://listings.local.yahoo.com/

Business listings are yellow-page like company info

Be sure to claim your business listing! If you don’t, someone else may, or it may be inaccurate

How?

Google: www.google.com/local/add

MSN: https://llc.local.live.com/ListingCenter.aspx

Yahoo: http://listings.local.yahoo.com/

Google Business Listings

Advertising On Google Maps “ Local business ads” appear directly on Google maps results, associated with a specific address Can be icons or images Great for showing pictures of locations Not yet available on Yahoo or Microsoft (well, kinda) How? http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/ answer.py?hl=en&answer=34033

“ Local business ads” appear directly on Google maps results, associated with a specific address

Can be icons or images

Great for showing pictures of locations

Not yet available on Yahoo or Microsoft (well, kinda)

How?

http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/ answer.py?hl=en&answer=34033

Google Maps Sponsored Listing

Where You Want To Be Listed Search engines: Google, Yahoo!, MSN / Live.com, Citysearch, Local.com “ Local-social&quot; search sites: Craigslist, Insider Pages, OpenList, Yelp, Topix IYPs: YellowPages.com, SuperPages, WhitePages, InfoSpace/Idearc, Dex, Yellow Book, Yellow Page City Business data aggregators: infoUSA Express Update, Acxiom

Search engines:

Google, Yahoo!, MSN / Live.com, Citysearch, Local.com

“ Local-social&quot; search sites:

Craigslist, Insider Pages, OpenList, Yelp, Topix

IYPs:

YellowPages.com, SuperPages, WhitePages, InfoSpace/Idearc, Dex, Yellow Book, Yellow Page City

Business data aggregators:

infoUSA Express Update, Acxiom

Consider Apartment-Specific Sites Rent.com (#7 real estate site – Hitwise) Apartments.com (#15 real estate site – Hitwise) ForRent.com DenverApartments.com StapletonApartments.com Bonus: Link to your listings from your own website, blog, social media sites, etc. for added search engine visibility

Rent.com (#7 real estate site – Hitwise)

Apartments.com (#15 real estate site – Hitwise)

ForRent.com

DenverApartments.com

StapletonApartments.com

Bonus: Link to your listings from your own website, blog, social media sites, etc. for added search engine visibility

The Value Of Local Blogs Local blogs can serve two purposes: Valuable source of links pointing to your sites Good word-of-mouth marketing Consider starting your own blog. Local blogs may not be interested in linking to your corporate/sales site, but will link to interesting/compelling content on your blog

Local blogs can serve two purposes:

Valuable source of links pointing to your sites

Good word-of-mouth marketing

Consider starting your own blog. Local blogs may not be interested in linking to your corporate/sales site, but will link to interesting/compelling content on your blog

Other Online Marketing Channels Upload videos of your rentals to YouTube Engage with social media sites (carefully!) Twitter Facebook MySpace Consider mobile advertising

Upload videos of your rentals to YouTube

Engage with social media sites (carefully!)

Twitter

Facebook

MySpace

Consider mobile advertising

Future Trends: Search Engines vs. MLS

Already The #2 Real Estate Site

Take Aways Search, and specifically local search, is a huge marketing opportunity for the multifamily industry Local search opportunities come in many flavors, and many are extremely cost effective compared with other types of marketing and advertising Be creative in your approach, by exploring lots of different channels and embracing “new media” such as blogs, video and social media sites

Search, and specifically local search, is a huge marketing opportunity for the multifamily industry

Local search opportunities come in many flavors, and many are extremely cost effective compared with other types of marketing and advertising

Be creative in your approach, by exploring lots of different channels and embracing “new media” such as blogs, video and social media sites