Businesses relying on print advertising alone are losing customers to their competitors who are savvy to Internet advertising. Online advertising is becoming critical as more and more people are turning to the Internet to find local businesses to deliver the products and services they need.

The scene is so familiar. Someone is looking to buy a guitar in their local town. They fire up their computer, browse to Google and type “guitars Nashville Tn” in the search box. A page appears with a map and 10 businesses, they review the list and either call or go visit a store.

There are multiple pages to the map, but how many people actually browse the other pages unless they are looking for a specific business? How critical is it then with your small business advertising strategy for your business to be on that first page? Huge!

How do you get there and how do you stay there? The algorithm that Google uses to place businesses on the map is a well-guarded secret, but there are experts who through experience have learned some of the tricks. Most of the experts agree on a few of the secrets.

1. Have a website–You can get on the first map without a website and Google will list your site as maps.google.com. But you are very vulnerable to being bumped off if you happen to luck into a top spot without a website.
2. Physical address–Google’s intent with the maps is to highlight local bricks and mortar businesses. A business with a physical address will trump one with just a PO Box all else being equal. The address should be accurate and checked for proper placement especially if there is a directional factor like East in the address.
3. Categories and keywords–Selecting the proper categories is critical for showing up in searches. Keyword research in your niche can yield big results allowing you to carefully select the most “searched for” keywords.
4. Other Data Providers–It is believed that listings in other directories like Internet Yellow Pages, Superpages, etc. provides Google with a higher credibility score. But just having those other listings will not help if there are discrepancies between the listings.
5. Customer Reviews–It isn’t clear what role customer reviews plays in the ranking, but most experts believe that they do play a role and should be encouraged.

Cagora is offering a very attractive advertising package called the Local Search Dominator which carries a guarantee of a first page placement and a website for a very reasonable price. If we accept your business into this program, you don’t pay anything until you show up on the first page. To get more information about this and other advertising products go to Internet Marketing at Cagora and Be On The First Page of Success.

Contact Me for a free consultation.

Author: Christine Cobb
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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