Local Search Visibility (LSV)

The most significant change in the major search engines during 2010 was in the area of local search. The numbers reveal why...

• 73% of all online activity is related to local content. (Google)
• 82% of local searchers follow up with a phone call or a visit to a physical location. (TMP/Comscore)
•  66% of Americans use local search to find local businesses. (Comscore)
• 54% of Americans have replaced phone books (Yellow Pages & Business Directory) with Internet and local search. (Comscore)
• 43% of search engine users are seeking a local merchant with the intent of buying offline.
• 41% of consumers say they use a location in their search. For example, “Florist in Kansas City”.

Localized search results now occur whether or not the searcher enters geographic terms. The likelihood of your website being included in those local results increases with the confidence Google has about your company's location.

Optimizing a website for local search used to mean prominently displaying a business address on every page. These days, this is only a minor part of the local SEO process. Ranking well for local search requires optimized listings in Google Places, Yahoo Local, and Bing Local, listings in multiple local directories, numerous external citations, positive reviews from authoritative sources, and more.

(n)genius will get you "on the map" by creating your custom search engine listings, placing your location information in over 100 relevant directories, building unique incoming local links, and localizing your website content.