How Google influences Your Local Business

One of the most significant local marketing tools available is the Local business listing.

It is ushering in the demise of the traditional yellow pages and equally the traditional coupon. Mobile devices and mobile applications are useful tools to the local consumers, but we have to wonder how this will affect the traditional coupons that are printed and cut the old fashioned way. This change is taking place in three distinct ways:

First, there is a savings for the local business from having to pay for their coupons to be printed and distributed. The cost reduction goes down to $0 and helps fatten those profit margins.

Second, the companies that rely on printing and distributing these coupons are losing clients and competition for remaining clients is fierce. This includes large corporations like Valassis, Val-Pak and your local coupon printing company.

Third, is a change related to the traditional Yellow Pages. Local business listings are on mobile devices have been eroding the position of the Yellow Pages for years. The way things are going, this erosion will only get worse.

Cost to the local business is going down to zero is because the local business can post their coupons to their local business listing for free.  Particularly with Google, although, electronic coupons through local business listings will all reduce the costs for the local business.  The benefit is twofold: businesses can reduce their printing costs and those businesses’ coupons have a larger reach geographically without any additional costs.

More good news about local listings is that they show up on the first page of a search engine result based on the search term and the locality.  This is why claiming your local listing and having it up-to-date is a step ahead of optimizing a website.  Local businesses no longer need to understand the intricacies of search engine optimization (seo) of their business website. If you’re wondering why you need to manage your local business listing at all these locations the answer has two parts:

One, is the local consumer who will decide which website they will use to submit their reviews and comments about a business, product or service. Equally where they will go to get your coupons. This one is probably the most important.

Two, is the mobile marketing industry.  Google is a web giant, but in the mobile industry, the mobile application developer will decide whose database of local listings they will use to display on mobile devices and this includes the mobile coupons.

Certainly this local business marketing tool is going to evolve and mature over the next few years.  Planning and preparing for success lies with getting started now.  This may be the first time we can see into the future and not wait to be behind the eight ball.

Local business listing management services are provided by SmartFinds Internet Marketing. You will find SmartFinds Internet Marketing to be of great benefit to your time resources and the low cost service may eliminate your Yellow Page ad costs.