Find out how to best use Facebook local search for your business through optimization of your page and the generation of user interaction. • The recent introduction of new Facebook features such as Graph Search and Facebook Home show how fast the user social experience is moving. • With over 751 million mobile users to Facebook it is imperative that businesses are fully prepared to optimize their online digital presence to enhance the ROI potential that exists there. • Facebook Local Search is a great way to start, as making the best of this app for a business page will also serve to establish a presence that can instantly be incorporated into these new features. The Business Case for using Facebook Local Search According to Facebook 2013 Q1 Financials on Facebook there are currently: • Over 1.1 billion active monthly users • 665 million users daily • 751 million mobile users • Over a 150 million people visit Facebook Pages daily. • 17 billion location tagged Facebook posts • 2 billion connections between local businesses and users • 645 million weekly local business page views • 13 million weekly comments on local business pages. In a survey Facebook Local Search was one of the top apps used, second only to Google Maps.

1. Facebook Local Search: A Guide for
Business
Find out how to best use Facebook local search for your business through optimization of your
page and the generation of user interaction.
 The recent introduction of new Facebook features such as Graph Search and Facebook Home show
how fast the user social experience is moving.
 With over 751 million mobile users to Facebook it is imperative that businesses are fully prepared to
optimize their online digital presence to enhance the ROI potential that exists there.
 Facebook Local Search is a great way to start, as making the best of this app for a business page will
also serve to establish a presence that can instantly be incorporated into these new features.
[Image: InsideFacebook.com]

2. The Business Case for using Facebook Local Search
According to Facebook 2013 Q1 Financials on Facebook there are currently:
 Over 1.1 billion active monthly users
 665 million users daily
 751 million mobile users
 Over a 150 million people visit Facebook Pages daily.
 17 billion location tagged Facebook posts
 2 billion connections between local businesses and users
 645 million weekly local business page views
 13 million weekly comments on local business pages.
In a survey Facebook Local Search was one of the top apps used, second only to Google Maps.
How to get your Business on Facebook Local Search
Well firstly a business needs to have a page! The benefits for having a business page are numerous. If a
page has not been set up it is more than likely that users have already used the Facebook location tagging
feature to check in and there could be numerous unofficial pages already on Facebook relating to your
business.
TIP: Unclaimed Facebook pages show a list of your nearby competitors putting your business at an instant
disadvantage.
Remedy this:
Claim your Page
 Report the unofficial page to Facebook and request to claim it.
 Click on the settings icon on the page
 Select Is this your business?
 Verify your business with address and web information
 Use email or documentation to verify your connection to the business with Facebook
It can take up to a week for Facebook to accept the claim request and once they have you can begin to
manage the page.

3. You now have the opportunity to merge the duplicate pages that have already been set up as long as the
business details and address match yours.
Add Location to your existing Facebook Page
If you haven’t already, it is vital that you add your location to your Facebook Page. Facebook users are
going to check into a venue or location whether they can find your official page or not. This means that
you will consistently have unofficial pages created on Facebook which will ultimately dilute the impact of
your official page.
What to do
 Make sure to select the Local Business or Place for your category
 Click Edit Page at the top of your page.
 Click on Select Public Info
 Input the exact address of your business in the Address Field or drag the pin on the map to pinpoint
your exact location.
 Click on Save Changes and check the tick box to show the map on your page.
TIP: It is advised that businesses with multi – locations create a separate page for each one in order to
enable user check-ins to the specific location.

4. What can Facebook Local Search do for a Business?
For a business it is all about the return on investment to be gained by being proactive online. Facebook
Local Search is an ideal way to incorporate user gratification with raising brand awareness and increasing
footfall to your business.
Until recently Facebook Local Search was termed as Facebook Nearby which Facebook described as
making “it easy to discover what your friends like”.
Peer recommendation can have a massive impact with the current generation of digital natives and the
opportunity for a business to capitalize on this is huge.
To understand the opportunity for a business it is best to also understand what can be gained from the
user experience.
The user can access the Facebook app through their smartphone and will be shown local business and
places in their area.
A map will detail ‘suggested places’ based on your own activity and your friends. The activity is based on
a number of variables including
 Likes
 Recommendations
 Visits or Check Ins
 Ratings

5. Users can search via specific categories and sub categories such as arts, shopping, nightlife and
restaurants which means it is vital that a business has carefully selected the best category in order to be
easily found.
Once a place has been selected, the user can then navigate to access the business page, read the about
section displaying details such as opening hours or use a map app to obtain further directions to the
location. They also have the option to contact the business directly.
Users can check into a business and share that check in with their friends online. Once a user checks into a
business they can like, recommend and rate the business through a star rating.
Once the activity appears on the users news feed it can then be shared, liked and commented on by their
friends. This in turn shows up on their friends’ newsfeed which means that the potential reach for a
business is huge.

6. Five ways to optimise Facebook Local Search for your business.
# 1. Use your in store marketing material to invite customers to check in to the
business
A business can ask a customer to check in and provide feedback on their experience using Facebook Local
Search. This can be displayed on counters, posters and business cards.
# 2. Offer an incentive to check-in to your place of business
This could be in the form of a discount or upgrade on the service/product provided. Decide what suits
your business in the form of promotion and again use your in store marketing material to promote this
offer. Users can then access the Facebook app on the spot and share their experience on their news feed.
This is a win-win situation as the user gains the offer and the business placement reach is extended
online.
# 3. Make sure your business page is fully updated with the correct information
As a business you want to be found easily. If a user prevails of the Facebook Graph Search facility, with the
use of clever keywords and the correct information integrated with a strong user interaction, it is more
likely that your business will feature prominently.
# 4. Businesses with multi- locations go local!
It’s all about the combination of local with social. It makes sense to increase local user interaction by
using individual pages for each business even if you have a number of locations on a national or even
global scale.
# 5. Optimise in preparation for the recently introduced Facebook Graph Search
Graph Search was released in January 2013. Whilst it has been rolled out to a minimum amount of users
at this time it will no doubt become accessible to all. We will explain Graph Search in more detail in a
future post but for now it is beneficial for a business to be aware of the new feature and take steps to fully
optimise themselves in preparation.

7. The four main areas of Graph Search are:
1. Places
2. People
3. Photos
4. Interests
We have explained how to maximise the online impact of your business through places, people and
categories (interests). The focus here is on Photos. In the new graph search when you hover over a locally
searched business there are two buttons that can be accessed; Photos In and Visitors.
When you click on the Photos In button it brings you to a page which displays all the photos that the
business has been tagged in by Facebook users. Experts are not entirely sure if this currently affects the
search rankings for business in Facebook’s search algorithm but suspect that it does.
With this in mind, encourage visitors to take and post photos when they visit and check in using the
methods above. As well as maybe affecting the search ranking’s it gives potential visitors a visual of what
to expect from your business and visuals are good!

8. Focus on metrics to impact search
We have consistently mentioned the metrics that add impact to Facebook Local Search results in the post.
The core message is that interaction with your business through Facebook is key to gaining traction
within a search. Types of interaction include:
 Likes
 Check Ins
 Recommendations and Comments
 Visuals such as tagged photos
 Ratings
The sharing capacity allows for extended reach which can only be of benefit to increasing your business
profile online.
Are you utilising Facebook Local Search for your business? Tell us what has worked best for you.

9. Understanding the Digital Economy
Reports:
 E-Commerce
 Food and Drink Sector
 International Student Recruitment
 General and Health Insurance
 FMCG Sector – Retail and Ecommerce
 Attracting Top Tier Talent
 Social Media in Politics
Guides:
 Social Media Strategy
 Blogging
 SEO
 Facebook
 Facebook local search
 LinkedIn
 Twitter
 YouTube
 Foursquare
 Google Analytics
 Pinterest
 Instagram
 Adwords
 Google+
 Klout
 SMS Marketing
 Mobile Commerce
 Infographics
 Hootsuite
 BizSugar
 Slideshare
Contact us
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Email: info@ahaingroup.com
Address: Unit 206 | NSC Campus | Mahon | Cork | Ireland