Mark and I first opened our Bed and Breakfast in Colorado Springs in 1996, and by the late nineties, Google and Yahoo were just starting to get a foothold in the search industry. You could build a web site, use the correct metas and get a few inbound links and like magic you were on page 1 for your chosen search phrases. And you tended to stay there as long as you weren’t cheating by using any black hat tactics!
Today, Free Google Placement is much more difficult. Traditional On-Page and Off-Page SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is no longer enough, but still VERY necessary. Today, growing and maintaining your Local Placement is now a MUST for any Location + Product search.
What used to be simple tasks to gain great placement is now a time consuming, multi-step maze of ToDo’s to balance both sides, Organic and Local, to be able to result in a blended (merged) listing on page 1.
ORGANIC PLACEMENT
Yesterday, during my daily Google Alert reading I came across an article published by Search Engine Land. This pictorial is spot on. These are all the things we’ve been teaching as part of Organic SEO (On-Page and Off-Page) considerations for placement. This is what makes up the Organic part of the Equation.
LOCAL PLACEMENT
Also Published recently is this year’s Local Search Ranking Factors by David Mihm, THIS is the Local Part of the Equation. Click to Learn More:
Take a moment to look at each of these references for both Organic and Local. By studying both sides of the placement equation, and taking action on the ToDo’s is the best way to stay ahead in the Free Google Listings.
Finally, just to put all this information in perspective, almost 50% of our customer’s bookings come from FREE Search Engine related searches. And to take it just one more step further, recall your 2010 revenue, somewhere around HALF of it most likely came from FREE Search engine results. That is why this topic is so VERY important. It’s money in your pocket.
Want to learn more? Need help understanding how to make these two key factors work for your business? Consider getting involved in an ongoing educational program so that you can keep on top of these factors that contribute to your bottom line. You either have to do learn how to do this work yourself, or pay someone to do it for you. Leaving it unattended is no longer an option.
Lisa Kolb
President and Co-Founder
Acorn Marketing
