Can I be guaranteed a position in the local section (Google Places)?
Google states in their guidelines “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, these are the top sources that consumers use to search for local information:
• 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
When compared with 2 years ago, the % for search engines and email newsletters increased and the % for newspapers, magazines, and radio decreased.
 
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. 98% of the contestants clicked on a website located on the first page of the search engine’s results.
 
Do people click on the paid ads?
In the 3rd quarter earnings of 2010, Google made 67% of their revenue from the paid ads on Google. Their revenue increased 23% compared to 2009. They don’t make any money off the paid section unless people click on the ads. Therefore, no clicks would generate no revenue.
 
How many people use Google vs. Yahoo and Bing?
As of April 2011, Google has 65.4% of the market share, Yahoo has 15.9% and Bing has 14.1%. Yahoo and Bing together make up just less than half of what Google has.
 
Are online directories more important than print ones?
These days consumers are going online to find local businesses that they wish to contact. A report called “Say Goodbye to Yellow Pages” done in July 2008 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 on every popular local online directory. Since there are so many of these directories 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 in 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 on these directories, it increases your chance of being found.