As a major search engine, Google has been the leader of the pack for quite some time and their constant innovations with things like Google Places are one of the big reasons why. From search to tools to advertising, the Google brand has expanded to unprecedented levels. And one of the most important changes Google has made in the last year has been with the changes to Google Local or Google Places as it’s now called.

By now I’m sure your familiar with the red pushpin on a map showing the locations of 7-10 of the businesses Google can find near the area you are searching for.  Here is a sample screenshot:

"pizza places Metairie LA" Google search results

You are also by now familar with the map which accompanies these markers:

Google Place Search

The Google Local tools recognize that to capture more regional businesses, there needs to be a simplified way to do it. Local businesses like ours deal with many challenges, from customer service, to product and service development and delivery to payroll. Because regional companies have so much to do, it is hard to focus on specific aspects of our businesses.

Google Local includes Google Place Search, designed to offer much more local content from regional advertisers. What this means for me is that I no longer have to spend my time trying to research and find local keywords, monitor the results, and modify bids for those keywords for my AdWords account.

Impact on Ratings & Reviews

The new Google Local format uses the location concept to find out what people are saying about my business in terms of reviews and ratings. These are two things I rarely had time to focus on in the past. This new tool finds all of that info for me so that I can use it to develop relevant Web content. I can also address the issues that I find by writing to consumers directly, which is something I used to have to pay a person to do for me.

Organic Positioning

The other aspect I really like with Google Local is that I can see the details that a local searching consumer is using to find my products and services. Google Place Search issues rewards to local businesses like mine with organic positioning when it finds complete and accurate content. For example, when it picks up a blog entry or article that I wrote, that info is considered and counts toward a higher placement by the search engine.

Since past attempts at organic positioning was something I wasn’t able to master, the new Google Local and Google Place Search has been a lifesaver in terms of leveraging the benefits of local SEO (search engine optimization) listing and placement. Now I can focus on continuing to build a richer rating and review level using these Google resources – which means my business will grow much more easily.

Google Market Finder is a terrific free tool designed by Google which allows users to take a look at local monthly search volumes for specific locations. It also includes the costs of targeting particular keywords in every market, including foreign ones. This has been very beneficial in terms of growing our business on a world-wide basis.

Find New Markets

The free Google Market Finder tool uses world-wide Internet search data to reveal the number of times that keywords are searched for, in 56 different languages. We use the tool to see where consumers search for our products and services. Then we evaluate the new potential markets by comparing the local search volume, estimated keyword price and the competition for each keyword in all markets. This is really helpful in planning our marketing budget for the best results.

Here is an example of how it works:

Let’s say your company manufactures a cool line of sunglasses and you are interested in selling them outside of the US.  And let’s say (just for example) that you had several Spanish speaking employees and could support new business from Latin America.

You could use the Google Market Finder tool to search this type of query, and the results would look something like this:

Translate Key Words

Now that you have identified the countries that had the highest search volume for the phrase “sunglasses” you could use the free Global Market Finder tool to automatically translate our keywords into the language of our choosing (in this case Spanish), for all of our new potential customers. Using the tool, we can also see where people are searching for our products and services. Then we can narrow it down to specific locations to target in our online marketing plan. For this reason alone, it is an invaluable service, since we are not fluent in other languages. We would actually need to hire someone to do these translations, which would be quite costly. By knowing where our target audience is, we can best take advantage of the world-wide marketplace to expand our business and take it to the next level.

Use With Google AdWords

Google Market Finder is particularly effective when combined with Google AdWords. The free Google Market Finder tool showcases all of the estimates of a suggested keyword bid, as well as the competition for each Google translation for that specific target market keyword. In this way, since we are already using a Google Adwords campaign, we can use the Google Market Finder to choose a precise location and language with which to display our ads.

Access to All Marketing Media

The Google Market Finder can be used as a powerful marketing tool to help reach our potential customers on a worldwide level. Used with ad formats such as search engines, mobile devices, video and TV, this tool is extremely helpful in targeting exact marketing locations to find the best audience for our business products and services.

Creating a baseline

One of the key elements to the testing process that WSI follows when assisting our clients in creating an effective marketing strategy is benchmarking. Benchmarking refers to a way of comparing two elements using one as the standard and the other as the variable.

When you compare three variables to a single standard, you are using that standard as the benchmark to measure the relative performance of each variable.  For internet marketing, that means that you can create one set of data from your standard variable whether that is a color, a format, or a graphic, and then compare other options to that data to determine if they are more effective at driving traffic and improving your conversion rate.

In order to use benchmarking to ensure that your marketing program is functioning as well as possible, there are five steps to follow.  We’ll explain here:

5 Steps to Internet Benchmarking

1.  Carefully choose the question you will investigate. This is often the most difficult step for many of our clients because they are not sure where

2.  Develop the testing procedure that will answer this question.

3.  Decide how you will measure the results of your test. Are you looking at conversion rates? Membership subscriptions? The success of one

4.  Make sure that your results are valid and relevant. At the very least, this means testing with a sufficient sample size.

5.  Interpret your results with care. Do not rush to conclusions about your data because the purpose of testing is to use this data to design the best possible campaign, and that cannot be done based on incorrect interpretations.

With benchmarking, it is possible to get a better idea of what influences customers as they interact with your marketing campaign online. And if you are not setting a benchmark of data for evaluating your progress – how can you really evaluate if you are going forward or backwards?

Website traffic is one of those things that it seems like you can never get enough.  And for those who are struggling to find the right amount of web traffic this can be a serious pain point in your business.

While we work with clients on some complex internet marketing strategies for building web traffic, there are some simple things that we can offer as tips you can do on your own.

5 Steps You Can Take To Increase Web Traffic:

Step 1: Add local meta data and content to your site.

If you don’t know what “meta data” is read our article “Meta Data Explained for People with Real Jobs.”  However for those of you that know where to find a page title – the first suggestion is to never leave it blank.  The biggest mistake we see is that someone just put your company name there which is an enormous waste of space.

Adding your local information to the website in the following areas can have a big impact on attracting more local users to your website.  Make sure to take advantage of the following on each page:

• Page Title
• Content
• Footer

Step 2:  Get rid of Generic or copied content.

Most people have heard that you need good articles or news on their websites.  However they post other people’s articles or news which really does them no good.  The other big mistake is when companies take “stock” content from vendor sites and put it on theirs.

The bottom line is Google rewards fresh, original content.  So do some writing of your own and you will start to attract more web traffic.

Step 3:  Use free local tools.

There are a whole host of free tools out there such as local listings in Google, Yahoo and Bing.  Creating a good listing in those search engines will definitely bring more traffic to your website.  The same can also be said for creating profiles on customer review sites which are also usually free.

Step 4:  Get serious about social.

There is a whole world developing online of social media outlets for information.  The big 3 are Facebook, Twitter and Linked In.  But there are also sites such as Squidoo, Scribd, Hub Pages and StumbleUpon where you can post and share content with millions of other web users.  And these days you can even hire a social media consultant if you need help in this area!

Step 5:  Write and share your expertise or passion.

If you have any subjects that you have expertise or passion about – start writing.  The online world is full of enthusiasts for one thing or another and the best way to reach them is to write something compelling and interesting that you will want to read.

I hope these tips on internet marketing can help drive more visitors to your website.  If you would like to discuss them further please contact us today at 504-669-3207 or email info@mywsiconsultant.com.

My former CEO was well known for his ability to see the big picture in our industry.  In fact the speech he became best known for was, ironically enough, the “Big Picture Speech.”  The beauty of the Big Picture Speech was that by keeping our eyes on the big picture it made a lot of the details in our work lives easier to manage.

Lessons Learned

The lesson I learned is that by focusing on what was happening on the larger scale, we could always check to make sure our planning and daily activities were helping row the boat in the proper direction.

So with that said, here is my own version of the big picture speech for the online world in 2010:

Digitization of our world

Depending on your technological bent, it’s either really cool or really alarming the pace at which our world is becoming digitized.  What I mean by that is, no matter how you slice it, people are consuming and sharing their information in an increasingly digital format at a faster rate than ever before.  As further proof who would have ever heard of a digital marketing consultant even a few years ago?

Lesson – make sure your marketing efforts are participating in the digital revolution.

Mobile devices

According to a recent study by Quantcast, mobile usage of the internet grew 110% last year.  This should come as no surprise for anyone who has 2 eyes and can see just about everyone using a smart phone of some type.

Lesson – make sure your website and marketing materials are friendly to mobile users.

Local search trends

in the past year or so the 3 biggies Google, Yahoo and Bing have all begun showing you local search results.  If you are searching for something related to plumbing (for instance) they assume your intent might be to find a plumber or a plumbing supply store and will show you a various number of possible results.

Lesson – take full advantage of free local listing services.

There are no shortcut secrets in online marketing

Believeme I’ve tried most of them.  But this $20 per month “do it yourself SEO program” is still my favorite.  A client called me this week and asked me what the difference between my offerings and the $20 “Do It Yourself SEO” package on his host company’s website.

Lesson – if there was a $20 shortcut to success online I’d take it.  However be prepared to work hard at it and recognize these trends if you want to win.

Good Luck with This Program!

Big Picture Summary

Make an Appropriate Investment into Digital Marketing

So stop treating your website like a brochure and breathe some life into it.  Add some content, write some articles, start a blog and get involved in the conversation online.  Find a way to invest some time, money (or both) to making an effort to participate in the big picture changes being discussed here.

The online world seems to be getting more complex every day.  It also seems to be getting more intertwined with our offline world as the 2 are becoming increasingly difficult to separate.

Being “in the field” everyday and talking to business owners here are some high level observations of trends in the internet marketing world:

1.    5 pages websites don’t win anymore.  The days of putting up a 5 page “brochure website” and being able to generate meaningful results are over.  In other words just having a website is no longer enough. You have to create a web presence that engages customers and offers them something of value.  Having a friend build you a Yahoo starter site is so “2006″!

2.    A crummy site with good content beats a flashy site with no content. More than ever the search information drives the internet.  And while web awards are given each year for creative designs that continues to be the exception rather than the norm.  Google the word “mortgage advice” and you will find a dated, but very popular website called the Mortgage Professor.  This site ranks #1 for a hugely competitive phrase simply based on the value of it’s content – not design work.

3.    Free tools can make you money. The search engines continue to provide us with free tools that can absolutely make you money.  Local listings, review sites and blog platforms are great tools for attracting web followers and making money even though they are free.

4.    Invest some time, money or both.  The irony is that just about everyone has a phrase they wish they were #1 for but don’t want to commit the time or resources to achieving it.  Gone are the days when you can just put up your website and be rewarded with top rankings.  It takes time (either yours or someone you hire) to build sites into a resource that web users will want to visit.

Let us know if there are high level ideas you think are important.  And for more information on internet marketing in New Orleans, Louisiana please visit our website.

As the events of the last few weeks have reminded us, life in southern Louisiana is never dull.  A few years ago it was Hurricane Katrina and now it’s the oil spill in the Gulf providing stark reminders of the role that technology plays in our lives, especially here locally.

Think about the lessons we’ve learned from these disasters:

1. People are communicating differently – As my neighbor and I like to argue, most people are consuming their news in some form of electronic medium either via television or online.  Fewer and fewer people are “taking the paper” so to speak.  News from these disasters spread almost instantly across the internet including photos, news and video.  However by the time the paper comes the next day that news cycle is almost a full 24 hours old.
2. Communication has never been more important – With so many tools for communicating at our disposal the need to stay in touch is higher than ever, as is the reliance on technology.  If you took away the blackberry’s and iphones of busy people they might actually go into convulsions.
3. Multi media is king - if you look through Google search suggestions for “gulf oil spill” you will see suggestions for things like “gulf oil spill video,” “gulf oil spill photos,” etc.  What that tells you is that people are looking for more than just writing and words – they are looking to experience this story through all the types of media available to us today.
4. Reliable Information is invaluable – Getting accurate and fast information has never been more critical.  Maybe it’s because everyone has a mobile phone bu the truth is that our margins for error have gone way down in recent years.  What used to take days now takes seconds when it comes to distributing information..making it all the more important to become a trusted source of information no matter what you do.

So how does this relate to your business?  Simple really.  If you think that you can get by with a 5 page brochure website and actually claim online success I think you are in for an unpleasant surprise.    The people who are succeeding online have recognized these trends mentioned in this post and are using their websites and online tools to engage their clients and provide them what they are after.

Don’t wait to do something about these changes.  Get yourself engaged online in the discussion.

2 sides to the story

• staying updated on news
• connecting with friends
• killing time
• research
• be entertained

And the study shows that is exactly the case. Sadly, killing time ranks as the #1 reason to go online. Followed closely by educating yourself, connecting with others and research.

So what does this mean?

So what does this mean for folks who want better performance out of their website?

The answer is simple – QUIT SELLING AND START TEACHING!

What this survey drives home is the fact that people, for the most part, don’t go online with the intention of buying things. They go online with the intention of learning something. Maybe it’s about your product or maybe its about a problem that your product may solve. But in either case they are NOT looking to find out how great you are when they first go online.

Givers Gain

The best advice for building a website is to give away as much of your knowledge and expertise as you can in hopes of helping consumers learn more about what you do. The more people you help by providing them with information the better chance you stand of converting them into a customer.

Think about it – isn’t that how YOU like to use the internet? We want to learn about how to fix YOUR problems and needs, then maybe look at some vendors who can help. Chances are you will check them out online before calling or making a purchase.

So if you can provide the information needed in step one of the online search behavior you stand a better chance of keeping someone with you through the natural cycle which happens with online

One of the great parts of my work as an Internet consultant is helping clients who are “first timers” to the Internet. Often times when I talk to colleagues the first reaction may be quick to jump into “well it took long enough – it’s 2009 and they are just getting around to a website!”

But I look at it a little differently. As a self employed person I have tremendous respect for people who have successfully run a business for years without a website. That means the person knows how to run a business and is profitable and successful even without a site.

So before anyone snickers about being too late to the party – tip your hat to people who have been successful and are open minded enough to embrace new ideas and technology.

Adding new wrinkles, so to speak

What gets me excited is to help businesses like this add a new element to their “repertoire” so to speak. Just in 2009 we have helped 3 very well established businesses establish their first website and in all 3 cases it has added straight to their bottom line profit.

So I prefer to look at this as helping good businesses get better – and teaching them about the tools that the Internet has to offer.

And no matter what I do – there is nothing cooler than getting a call from a client and they tell me they got their first customer or closed a first deal from the Internet!

So welcome to the Internet – Greenberg & LaPeyronnie, LLC!