Tag Archives: local search techniques

seomistakesAre you a search engine optimization (SEO) newbie? There’s so much information on the Internet about SEO that you may get confused when trying to distinguish the truth from the rumors. Let the experts tell you the real facts. Here are 4 common SEO mistakes to avoid from MarketingProfs.com.

Don’t assume social media is enough. Some business owners think that if they have an engaging social media campaign they don’t need SEO. Although Facebook and Twitter can bring in new customers and help build customer loyalty, without SEO you’re losing the opportunity to be seen by thousands of potential customers in your area via search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Don’t build a Flash website. Although Flash looks cool and can be appealing to the eyes, it’s not SEO-friendly. In order for the search engines to know what’s on your page and see keywords, tags, etc. you need an HTML version of your website for it to read. If the search engines can’t read what’s on the page, there’s no point of having any content to begin with because no one will ever be able to find or view your site.

Don’t keyword stuff. Keyword stuffing is loading your content with keywords in an effort to appeal to the search engines. However, overloading your site with keywords does the opposite. It will hurt your ranking and also annoy visitor to your site because the awkward wording will likely be difficult to understand.

Don’t only focus on the approval of the search engines. Focus on pleasing your visitors too. Make sure you create a site that’s both SEO and user-friendly. Without SEO it may be hard for visitors to find your site. However, you need to remember that once they do, you want to make sure they have engaging and interesting content to read that encourages them to buy your product or service.

Avoid these 4 SEO mistakes and your business will be getting found on the search engines in no time. Local Splash can optimize your business information for search engines and more. Find out more about Local Splash’s service here.

keywordsThe keywords you choose to use while optimizing your business information for local search are extremely important. The right keywords can boost your business to the first page of Google while the wrong keywords can ensure that no one from your target audience ever sees your company information. Don’t have the slightest clue of how to begin choosing keywords for your business? Here are some tips for beginners on how to choose the right keywords.

  1. Know your customer well enough to predict how they communicate. What are some words that your customers use in speech and writing? Pay attention to how your customers communicate in order to spot keywords. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. If they were searching for your business, what keywords would they search for?
  2. Use the Google Wonder Wheel. Type in a keyword phrase in the Google Wonder Wheel and you’ll be provided with more keywords similar to that one. It’s great for getting new ideas and helping to inspire more creative keywords that you might not have thought about using before.
  3. Use the Google Adwords keyword tool to see the competition for each keyword. When a keyword is more competitive, it means more people are optimizing for the phrase. This means it will be harder to rank on the first page of the search engines for it. Try to focus your efforts on optimizing keywords with less competition. You can also use the Google Adwords tool to find out whether the keywords you want to optimize for are being searched for. The best pairing would be to find a keyword phrase with low competition and high searches.
  4. Come up with long tail keywords if you are in a more competitive market. These are longer keywords that are more specific to your business. For example if you are a beauty salon in Long Beach, CA, a long tail keyword for you could be “curly hair stylist long beach.” Since this keyword phrase is so focused, less people will think to go after it, which makes it more likely for your business to show up on the first page of the search results if you optimize for it. It’s also good to think outside of the box and cover all the possible keywords your clients could be searching for.

These tips will help you during the process of choosing keywords to use when optimizing your website and business listings for search engines. Once you’ve established which keywords you want to use, use them everywhere; on your site, blogs, social media networks, business listings as well as when link building and social bookmarking, and more. Local Splash can help you choose the right keywords and optimize your business listing to enhance your online presence today.

JulieLimJulie Lim, owner of the OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar, has been a customer with Local Splash for over a year. She was recently featured in OC Metro as one of the “20 Women to Watch.” According to the article, her business, the OC Wine Mart has become a destination for wine tasting and a popular venue for parties.

Julie bought her first hotel gift shop after graduating from USC Law. Now she owns five gift shop locations, four in local casinos and one in a hotel. After over 10 years of operating gift shops, Julie decided to purchase a liquor store in Irvine. She then renovated the store into what is now the chic, OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar.

The OC Wine Mart saw success early on. In fact, it was named one of Orange County’s Top 10 Wine Bars by Gayot during its first year. The store has a lot to offer its customers, including a wine concierge service which specializes in premium gift baskets, local delivery and an online store that ships across the U.S. There is also a self-serve wine tasting system located inside the shop that allows customers to taste the wine before they make the decision to buy it.

The OC Wine Mart is not only becoming a favorite among wine drinkers. The allure of hard-to-find beers and large selection of microbrews has attracted beer lovers to the Irvine store.

Local Splash’s superior local search techniques have helped the OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar get noticed online and grow as a business. When potential customers search online using keywords such as “wine and spirits Irvine CA”, “wine in Irvine” and “wine tasting Irvine”, the OC Wine Mart appears high in the Google map and organic search results. Local Splash also submitted the business information to a variety of top directories such as Yelp, Merchant Circle, Super Pages and Yahoo! Local which helps Julie’s shop dominate the search results for her local area.

Julie’s OC Wine Mart is just one Local Splash success story. The company helps businesses expand every day with the magic of online exposure. It’s important to remember that your target audience is online; you just need to find a way to reach them. Let Local Splash start or continue to build your business’s online presence and you will outrank your competitors in the search results in no time.