Can I be guaranteed a position in the local section (Google Places)?
Google states in their guidelines that “Google Maps and Google Places are a free service, so there’s no way to request or pay for a better ranking”. It is possible to pay a company to help you with the criteria that Google looks at for ranking, but no one can pay Google for a particular spot.
Do people look online to find local businesses?
According to research done by Webvisible and Nielsen, the top resources consumers turn to to find local information include the following:
• 82% use search engines
• 57% use Yellow Pages directories
• 53% use local newspapers
• 49% use Internet Yellow Pages
• 49% use TV
• 38% use direct mail
• 32% use White Pages directories
The percentage of people using search engines and email newsletters is constantly increasing, while the percentage for newspapers, magazines, and radio decreases.
Is positioning on search engines important?
According to a study conducted at Cornell University, 80% of all clicks are designated to the top 3 listings. Most people stay on the first page of a search engine’s results–in the Cornell study, 98% clicked on a website on that page.
Do people click on the paid ads?
Yes. In the 3rd quarter of 2010, Google made 67% of their revenue from paid ads. They don’t make any money off the paid section unless people click: zero clicks would have generated zero revenue.
How many people use Google vs. Yahoo and Bing?
As of April 2011, Google had 65.4% of the market share, Yahoo had 15.9% and Bing had 14.1%. Yahoo and Bing together made up just less than half of what Google had.
Are online directories more important than print ones?
These days consumers go online to find local businesses. A 2008 report called “Say Goodbye to Yellow Pages” by Borrell Associates estimated that the Yellow Pages industry will lose 38.9% of its revenue over the next five years because smaller businesses are focusing more on online marketing.
As users are migrating online, it is crucial to make sure that your business can be found in every popular local online directory. Since there are so many out there, Imprezzio Marketing carefully selects the ones with the highest traffic so that your business listing will be found frequently. Also, we select online directories that will show up on search engines when users enter local search terms. For example, if someone types in “San Antonio insurance” on Google and your website does not currently pull up on the first page, there are probably several online directories that do show up there. By getting listed in these directories, it increases your chances of being found.