Search Engines 101: Part 2
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Advertising and Local Search

Local search allows users to designate a geographical locality when they search for Keywords and phrases. The local-search search engine then restricts results to the location the user specified.Some of the larger local search sites are:
  • Yahoo! Local (local.yahoo.com)
  • Windows Live Local (maps.live.com)
  • Google Maps (formerly Google Local) (maps.google.com)
  • Superpages (superpages.com)

Like their traditional counterparts, these search engines compete for traffic and ad revenue. Traditional local media are adding local search capabilities to their sites so they can share in the local search traffic and ad revenues in the local markets they serve.

If you want to increase your visibility in these search engines, make sure you embed location information in your website. If you don't, local search will not locate you.

The Opportunity

The number of small businesses in the United States totals about 25 million. Because most of these have a local trading territory, relatively few advertise online. Online advertising reaches the masses of the Internet world, whether they are local or not. As more and more of their customers migrate to the Internet, small businesses will need to consider some form of online advertising.

Your awareness that this growth is coming makes for a huge Get Rich Click opportunity. Learn as much as you can about local advertising and marketing via the Internet. Then help firms accomplish the transition from radio, television and billboard marketing to Internet-based marketing.

Click Tip

"Geo-targeted" domain names are gaining a huge following. Names like NewYork.com, Dallas.com or Bahamas.com have become instant profit centers. For that reason,
these domain names have become the ultimate Internet real estate investment.

Marc Ostrofsky is a New York Times bestselling author of Get Rich Click and owns 300+ websites including CuffLinks.com, Blinds.com and eTickets.com. He's been seen on ABC's The View, the Today Show, and 20/20, as well as in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today. His sale of the URL "Business.com" landed in the Guinness Book of World Records. He can be reached at www.GetRichClick.com, where you can also read more of his business insights and review his schedule of speaking engagements.

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