Local Search Engine Marketing

I hear one of three stories when talking to someone about their experience with local search engine marketing, search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing-when they are being honest with me:

1-"We tried that before from this guy who promised us the world, but it never worked, and that guy is out of business."

2-"We have someone doing that for us, butwe aren't sure how it's working for us."

3-"We have that taken care of, and we are getting great results from our ______ program."

Of course, it's no wonder that the majority of businesses are doing very little to strategically and successfully market their business online in such a way that matches their needs, while providing a solid return on investment (ROI)

What are your best options for local search engine marketing?

First thing you need to ask-is selling your product or service online going to be profitable?

If you are selling a product that is a commodity and that people think they can get anywhere-like a 250 gig hard drive, you are going to have a hard time selling it online successfully, unless you have some kind of unique differentiator, because you are competing against hundreds if not thousands of companies selling the same thing on the Internet. There is a gentleman named Chip Roepke who owns a computer store by Park Meadows Mall south of Denver who offers superior service for local businesses and good prices, but my experience is that he cannot compete online against Gateway, Dell, Best Buy, etc. on price alone. I still have friends who buy from Chip because they know him and trust him, they know they will get a good deal, and his service is impeccable. His advantage is great local service, but he is not the price leader.

If you have a service that someone wants and needs to use locally like a landscaping contractor, a massage therapist, or a beauty salon, you can likely and easily profit very well from local Internet marketing.

That doesn't hold true for local insurance brokers, real estate agents, and attorneys. They CAN profit from local search engine marketing strategies, but not without a strong solutions provider, the right strategy, or a lot of luck. You can find a strong solutions provider, you can implement the right strategy, but you cannot depend on luck.

If you are unsure of what will work for you, call me-Dan Stratford at 720-985-7945 for a FREE 15 minute Internet Marketing Consultation. I will give you honest answers to your questions and within 15 minutes help you pick a direction to go that will help you succeed. If you get my voicemail, just leave a message and I will call you back.

You can also come back tomorrow for some FREE online advice, and answers to the question:

Where should I invest my time and money in Internet marketing?