Archive for September, 2010
What is Local Search?
Posted by: | CommentsLocal search is any search whose purpose is to find something within a specific geographical area.
For instance, let’s say I want to order a pizza. I might search for “pizza”. Generally speaking Google will read your IP address and know that you are in Buffalo or wherever. Google is so smart! It will then list the pizza places in Buffalo. But that doesn’t really narrow it down too much especially if you are in a strange town.
So let’s get more specific. Type in “pizza on Hertel Ave”.
The result will look like this:
You can also type in the zip code of the area where you want to find the pizza.
That’s local search. You’ve probably done searches this way yourself.
You can see why Local Search is important if you are hungry for pizza but what if you own a pizzeria? Wouldn’t you like to be on the first page of Local Search like Bob & John’s is?
With Local Search, getting on the first page of Google is easier than it used to be. Wouldn’t you love to have the extra business that comes from being listed in Local Search?
If you have any questions or want more information on getting listed in Local Search let The Blog Builder Guy know.
Local Search Marketing for Business-to-Business ( B2B )
Posted by: | CommentsIt is important to understand that the relevance of local search marketing isn’t just for B2C sales. Business-to-business (B2B) sales are also becoming increasingly dependent upon search engine utilization. In a survey done by Nielsen/Webvisible found that 41% of B2B business owners use search engines to find local businesses from which to purchase the good and services they require to keep their businesses operating efficiently.
The Data Points to the Relevance of Local Search Marketing
The search engines, such as Google, are very familiar with the data and the significance of search marketing at the local business level. Google recently said that 20% of all Google searches have a local purpose behind them (and that percentage goes to about 33% for Google searches using the mobile Web). Now that does not mean that 2 of every 10 Google searches are done by people looking for local business information, but it does indicate that significance of local search marketing should not be denied.
For more information on how local search can help increase your profits feel free to ask The Blog Builder Guy any questions you may have.
Local Search Marketing for Your Business
Posted by: | CommentsDo you need to increase your business’s awareness throughout your local area? Local search marketing zeros in on increasing the visibility of a local business’s presence in the search engines, primarily Google. That means they can be found quicker and more frequently in the search results and get clicked on more often by those people who search online for local businesses to buy from.
The Kelsey Group did a study that showed that the local search marketing domain has a increasing need to meet. The study they did discovered that an amazing 97% of American consumers use the Internet to gather information about local business. The breakdown is as follows:
- 90% use search engines (Google being the most important no doubt)
- 48% use the Internet Yellow Pages
- 42% use comparison shopping sites
- 24% use vertical sites
The vast majority (9 out of 10) of American consumers who take advantage of the Internet to find local business information use search engines as their main resource. Plainly the relevance of local search marketing to the success of a business-to-consumer (B2C) sales model should not be undervalued.
If you are a business owner you need to be in the local search listings. It is one of the easiest ways to get on the first page of Google. And that means more buyers will become aware of you and want to do business with you.
If you have any questions about local search marketing please let The Blog Builder Guy know and I’ll be happy to help you out.
Remove the WordPress Version Number from Your Blog Setup
Posted by: | CommentsWhy would you want to do that? Because this can be a security issue.
Many updates are created to fix security problems. If a hacker knows what version you are using in your blog setup then they know what vulnerabilities they can exploit.
So it is best to always run the latest version of WordPress. To update all you need to do is:
- make sure all your plugins are up to date.
- Backup your site. You do have a backup solution in place don’t you??
- Your WP Dashboard will tell you what version you are using. Just click Update and that’s it.
But if you don’t update as often as you should ( shame on you ) then here is an easy fix that will help keep your site secure.
To completely remove the WordPress version number from both your head file and RSS feeds, add the following code to your functions.php file. Simply copy and paste it:
function wpbeginner_remove_version() {
return ”;
}
add_filter(‘the_generator’, ‘wpbeginner_remove_version’);
By adding this code, you will remove the WordPress version number from every part of your site.
So you can now afford to be lazy and not have to worry about a hacker knowing where some of your vulnerabilities lie.
If The Blog Builder Guy has built your blog then you don’t have to worry about any of this because I always keep your site up to date.
And as always if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Go to the Contact page and leave a message.
WordPress Plugin for Paypal Donation Button
Posted by: | CommentsJust a quick post to let you know about a great plugin I just found.
If you have a blog setup for a charity or some other special cause and you would like a donation button WordPress has a plugin just for you!
Here is a link to it.
WordPress Themes for Your Blog Setup
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a post from Jon Bishop’s blog. Rather than copy the whole thing I’ll just give you the link and you can see the post in its original form. And while your on Jon’s site wander around and see all the great information he has to share.
