What Are The Best Sites For Local Search?

So you want to know where to place your effort in order to get your business seen on the Internet. Who doesn't. Problem is, it's different for every business and it's different for every community. Fortunately, finding the best sites to promote your business is easy to do. Here's how it's done.

1. Start by doing a search on Google (just as a potential customer would) to find your business. I'm not suggesting that you search for "Dollies Gourmet Pizza," but rather, "Pizza Kihei." (Product/Service + Location) This is how real people search for pizza in their community ... unless they're looking specifically for Dollies. And if they are looking for Dollies Gourmet Pizza, it doesn't matter where your pizzeria shows up on the Internet anyway. If they're looking for Dollies, they're going to find Dollies.

Look at the results. Who comes up first, second, third etc.? These are the sites where you need to focus your attention. These are the sites where you need to be listed. In this example the results are as follows:
* Google Represents 65% of all searches

1. Google Maps
2. Local.yahoo.com
3. Yelp
4. Yelp
5. TripAdvisor.com
6. MatteosPizzeria.com
7. UrbanSpoon.com
8. IAF.net
9. CitySearch.com
10. SwitchBoard.com
11. Boorah.com

2. Next, do the same search on Yahoo! Here are the results for Yahoo!
* Yahoo Represents 19.6% of all searches

1. Local.yahoo.com
2. Local.yahoo.com
3. local.yahoo.com
4. Yelp.com
5. Yelp.com
6. ShakaOizza.com
7. TripAdvisor.com
8. Maui.CitySearch.com
9. JustClickLocal.com
10. Travel.yahoo.com

3. And then do your final search on Bing. Here are the results for Bing.
* Bing Represents 8.4% of all searches

1. Bing.com/local
2. Yelp.com
3. Local.yahoo.com
4. TripAdvisor.com
5. Local.yahoo.com
6. Kiheihi.web.aloha.com
7. TripAdvisor.com
8. Yelp.com
9. TripAdvisor.com
10. Travel.yahoo.com

This exercise will show you exactly what your potential customers are finding on the Internet when they search for your product or service in your community. Based on the results you will know exactly where to spend your time and effort.

Based on my findings in all of the search engines (and knowing that Google represents the lions share of the searches) for "pizza in Kihei," here are the top five sites where I would focus my local search attention.

1. Google Maps
2. Local.Yahoo.com
3. Yelp.com
4. Bing.com/Local
5. TripAdvisor.com

If you want to learn how to get listed in these locations, please contact us for more information.