| may be the year when the convergence of hardware, | | | | functions hoping to cash in on the market already |
| software and consumer behaviour makes a | | | | dominated by the iPhone (and RIM’s BlackBerry |
| business’ ability to be found through local | | | | line for business-types), Google’s dominance of |
| search an online marketing necessity. The importance | | | | local search and mobile search is likely to be cast in |
| of having a business web page that ranks for local | | | | stone. Accordingly, for small businesses who wish to |
| search terms on Google, Yahoo!, MSN and the | | | | turn web traffic that is already searching for products |
| plethora of other search engines that drive Internet | | | | and services online into foot traffic that will drive |
| commerce is particularly pronounced for small, local | | | | customers to and into their storefronts, having an online |
| businesses that compete for the foot traffic that pass | | | | presence that will rank on Google becomes ever |
| their storefronts in competitive marketplaces. | | | | more important. |
| The hardware that is driving this convergence and | | | | Survey results from Nielson/NetSurvey, in conjunction |
| fuelling the emergence of local search as a | | | | with marketing firm WebVisible, indicate that 86% of all |
| business-critical issue for small business is the | | | | Internet users in 2008 search for local products and |
| new-generation of handheld mobile phones and PDAs | | | | services online. This number is up from the 70% of |
| – particularly Apple’s iPhone, the | | | | Internet users who were conducting online local |
| next-and-latest version of which is being rolled out in | | | | searches in 2007. Significantly for small, local |
| 22 countries July 11th. The software is search engine | | | | businesses whose focus is their company’s |
| giant, Google’s Google Maps and the similar | | | | storefront, rather than an online business, the Nielson |
| mapping applications on the other search engines. | | | | results show that 90% of the transactions that are |
| More and more consumers, particularly in the youngest | | | | initiated through online local searches are completed |
| and most coveted marketing demographics, are using | | | | offline. |
| smart phone technology as a preferred method for | | | | Thus, the importance of local search, mobile search |
| searching the Internet. Typically, the products and | | | | and an effective online business profile for small |
| services these young and mobile consumers are | | | | businesses that are seeking to stay competitive in an |
| searching for online are local products and services | | | | increasingly crowded and digital marketplace. And, |
| – be it a coffee shop, a live entertainment venue, | | | | hence, the importance of Google Maps, perhaps the |
| a clothing shop or any of the other myriad goods and | | | | chief software application that is refining and defining |
| services that are advertised both online and off. | | | | the race for local business web pages that rank well in |
| Google is set as the default web browser on | | | | search engine – read Google – results. |
| Apple’s iPhone, and the iPhone is the leader in | | | | Google Maps gives the potential customer who is |
| smart phones – a position that is only likely to be | | | | searching for a local product or service on the fly from |
| enhanced when the next generation of iPhone comes | | | | his or her mobile handset the maps and directions that |
| onto the market in July. Google has long been the | | | | specify where the products and services can be |
| hands-down leader in Internet search. The synergy of | | | | purchased in the geographic locale where the |
| having the world’s leading search engine as the | | | | customer is. |
| default setting on the world’s most popular | | | | There are a multitude of 200+ factors that are |
| smart phone gives a huge impetus to the emergence | | | | constantly being tweaked by Google to determine a |
| of mobile search as the rising tide in small business | | | | specific page’s ranking, and over 45 factors |
| marketing. Already, Google – thanks to its | | | | that are used to determine a site’s specific |
| collaboration with Apple – is riding the rising tide | | | | local ranking. Optimizing the on-site and off-site factors |
| of mobile search. In the first quarter of 2008, Google | | | | that determine a web page’s ranking and local |
| captured 61% of the mobile search market, while | | | | search ranking is no easy feat. Yet, at a minimum, |
| Yahoo! raked in an 18% share and third-place MSN | | | | small businesses will want to have a web page that |
| accounted for only 5% of mobile searches, according | | | | sets out there products and services, and to register |
| to survey numbers from Nielsen Mobile. This, of course, | | | | that site with Google’s local business listings so |
| leaves a paltry 16% market share for all other search | | | | that they can tap into the web traffic that is |
| engines combined. | | | | increasingly turning into foot traffic thanks to the |
| As more and more smart phones come to market | | | | emergence of mobile search and its convergence with |
| with advanced Internet search capabilities and GPS | | | | smart phone technology. |