LOCAL TARGETED CAMPAIGNS

90% of consumer purchases are made within 20 miles of where people live or work. 70% of businesses view search engines, directories and social networks as their primary sources of local business information. According to E-Consultancy’s UK Search Engine Marketing Benchmark Report last year, 30% of companies are using local search as a marketing tool, while a further 21% plan to do so in future. 2012 is certainly THE year for local marketing campaigns, since the recent 'Google Venice' update in February, where local results will be ranked higher for broad search terms. Google now returns the searcher more relevant, specific, personalised results relating to the location. So when a business combines a local strategy as part of the integrated marketing strategy with social search, multi-channel marketing campaigns and localised optimised content in their onpage SEO and offpage SEO, Google will give that website favourable ranking.

Rocktime’s Flashlight Search Marketing team has also found that mobile search and advancements to mobile handhelds, combined with advances in local web applications have made Geographic search a reality, they have noted also in recent studies that it is anticipated that local search will attract over 40% of mobile searches by 2013. Google mobile searches has climbed by 400% over the last two years.

If someone is searching for a particular type of business in any one city it is extremely likely they finish up seeing a results page that contains both regular entries and companies plotted on a map.

The above statistics indicate opportunities for businesses to maximise their sales leads & improve local search rankings (visibility) via the creation of locally targeted campaigns. This is why a growing number of Rocktime clients are benefiting from the creation of GEO/Local targeted campaigns directing traffic to their website.

One of the most popular products for local targeted campaigns is the creation and optimisation of a client's Google Places business listing. Google integrates local results into ‘standard’ organic results, so businesses benefit from claiming and  optimising their Google Places business listing with real time information, reviews, optimised images and videos, useful links and geographical business areas serviced. Google Places is also a strong source of quality, inbound geo-targeted search result links to your website.

During Google searches, we are sure you would have found that if someone is searching for a particular type of business in any one city it is extremely likely they finish up seeing a results page that contains Google Places listings. Most search website results page have a mixture of paid and organic adverts, and the organic ones are usually the most relied upon by the public, as these are results that have been gained over time and by the business enhancing their websites or business listing with content related to the actual keywords being searched.

The Flashlight team has found that local targeted campaigns can often bridge the gap between online and offline marketing activities. The types of local campaigns you can talk to the Flashlight search marketing team about include; Local search engine optimisation, Paid search optimisation, Google Places optimisation, Local targeted Facebook Advertising, Customer loyalty rewards, Incentives for customer acquisitions and Community building. Multi-channel campaigns, Mobile websites, Mobile Apps and our fast growing specialism in bespoke web based software development.

For further information on how Rocktime can assist in developing a Local Targeted Marketing campaign to suit your online business please contact the Sales Team at Rocktime 01202 678777.