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A guide to local search optimization for the small business owner. Helping businesses direct more customers to their businesses by using mobile marketing, local search and general online marketing.

This Week In Local Search

Drew Barnes - Friday, July 15, 2011

This week in local search…

Locksmiths Local Spam Embarrases Google Maps

Anyone in the SEO industry, especially those that focus on local SEO, know that the locksmith category is one of the most heavily spammed keywords within Google Maps.

David Segal from the New York Times decided to publish an article on it over the weekend. It is named Picking the Lock of Google's Search although NY Times SEO'ed title tag for the story is "Lead Gen Sites Pose Challenge to Google - the Haggler."

The article tells a story around Bob Strom, a legitimate locksmith in the Seattle area who loses out to lead generation sites selling locksmith services to under qualified companies or individuals who rip off customers, at least according to the article. Who's at fault? Google?

Red the full article here:

http://www.seroundtable.com/google-maps-locksmiths-13684.html

Google+ Articles


Andrew Shotland over at Local SEO Guide has been all over the Google+ situation there are a bunch of interesting articles on everything from tips and shortcuts to creative uses on his blog.

Here's just a taste … Go over and check it out at: http://www.localseoguide.com/



Google Plus Google Places Times SMBs Equals…


Justin Sanger, CEO of JoinHere, an interesting new SMB “Social Engagement Platform”,  puts it thus:
“A G+ and G Places integration will create the most powerful discovery, publishing, and social suite the marketplace has seen to date. The G maps algo will undergo more change as content contribution, followers, and +1s begin to affect discovery – rightfully so, as we move closer and closer to an algo that mimics the real world. A G Place will be the heart of G+ just as the personal profile is today and the company will begin to contribute content in the form of tags, deals, and informational posts. G will also bring to bear its mobile assets to complete the suite. For those that have been long-term players in the local space and for those that have watched and embraced the birth of social, the next year will prove to be a watershed period in how we view the space and how we service businesses through what will be a transformation.”



Google Launches Indexed Local Directory Portals


Google has just released city-specific business directories that are clearly going to compete with Yelp, Citysearch, and all the other IYPs in terms of highlighting popular local businesses.

These are indexed, rankable pages within Google’s search results (here’s the proof).  When Place Pages first came out, we were surprised Google chose to index them…which they quickly chalked up to engineer error.  Something tells me these might be here to stay in the search results, though.

Here's the link to Austin's portal: http://www.google.com/austin/

read the full article here: http://www.davidmihm.com/blog/google/local-directory-portals/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mihmorandum
+%28Mihmorandum%3A+Local+Search+%2B+Web+Design%29



New York Times & Digital Due Diligence Target Google's Local SEO Spam Problem


Over the weekend, The New York Times continued what is seemingly becoming a monthly affair of alerting the general public to questionable search engine optimization (SEO) tactics, this time reporting on the problems that exist in Google Maps and on Places pages.

The Times was assisted once again by Digital Due Diligence, which recently outed flower companies for attempting to game Google for Mother's Day as well as startup Milanoo – and DDD's Doug Pierce also was a key figure in the outing of JCPenney, the Times story that started this new wave of SEO exposés and outings back in February.

Read the full article here: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2094113/New-York-Times-Digital-Due-Diligence-Target-Googles-Local-SEO-Spam-Problem

10 Compelling mobile infographics

Drew Barnes - Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Below are some pretty eye-opening graphics about mobile phone usage and the numbers that go with them.
If you can't read the graphics just click on them to enlarge. Enjoy.

How we use the mobile web (via GetElastic)



The Mobile Commerce Revolution (via Microsoft Tag)
 

Mobile coupons (Promotional Codes)
 


Mobile marketing: what's with the attitudes? (Upstream)


Growth of mobile marketing (Microsoft tag)


The mobile payment processing market (Promotional Codes)


The moment of truth. (Nomads) A really well designed piece here.


The mobile payment processing market (Promotional Codes)


QR codes < href="http://www.iwitnessblog.com/?portfolios=jumpscans-infographic-on-qr-codes">(iWitness),/a>


How small businesses rely on mobile (Mashable)


These are all around the web. I'm not the first to post these up just wanted to have them all in one place.

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