More searchers are looking for local products or services.  With this in mind it is fast becoming important to keep Geo Targeting in mind when you are optimising your site for search engines.  Including Geographic location into your SEO strategy may change the way you do business.

Geo Targeting offers searchers the means to conduct searches relevant to particular area which is especially helpful for small to medium companies who have no reason to expand internationally.  Being able to search using keyword phrases that contain specific locations will provide better result listings.

The concept of Geo Targeting

Geo Targeting is fairly simple and makes complete sense yet many websites omit this concept from their SEO strategy.  Being able to develop SEO around the concept of Geo Targeting will increase search engine rankings.

One of the most popular ways to get a website listed on major search engines is called organic search optimisation or natural search optimisation.  This is a continuing process that enables a website to get free listings without incurring costly marketing fees.

Yet including Geo Targeting into organic search optimisation will offer not only a cost effective marketing strategy but one that is able to drill down to specific locations an din doing do target clients in those areas.

Geo Targeting needs to include

The full name and address at the top of each and every webpage.  Web copy also needs to include the areas where you conduct business throughout it.

In the Title tags and Meta tags you need to include the Geographic location and you need to link the city when you form links from other sites to yours.  You also need to register for local search with major search engines.

An alternative way to get listed in major search engines is thorough PPC or pay as you click campaigns.  Using PPC entails you having to pay each time someone clicks on your adverts.    It therefore makes sense that local companies that use PPC should take advantage of Geo Targeting as major search engines allows marketers to specify Geographic locations in which their adverts appear.

For instance a company located in Surrey England will want to target consumers in that area.  When they set up their PPC campaign they are able to set up their campaign so that only consumers in those areas see the advert.

Relevant results

Major search engines are only able to maintain their market share if they consistently offer relevant results.  In the beginning this meant matching results to a query via algorithm calculations.  Today search engines are attempting to provide relevant data via timeliness and through Geographic region.

Search engines today have their own mapping software which is populated with local results achieved through advertising channels.  Google embed their map results in their main results whenever there is a Geographic factor to a search.

In order for a search engine to provide tailored results they need to get an idea of an individual’s location.  They can get this either by information supplied to them via such things a signing up for their ancillary services and are also able to get it an individuals IP address.

Related posts:

1. Geo Targeting Search Engine Optimisation
   Basically Geo targeting is a way to return searches that are area specific. This can include regions, provinces, cities and even countries. Google for instance...
2. Geographic SEO
   Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is not necessarily targeted to be worldwide. There are thousands of online businesses keen to only reach a niche geographical audience....
3. Google Increases Focus on Local Search
   Google has confirmed that the search engine is increasing its focus on local searches. In a recent blog post, Google Software Engineers Jenn Taylor and...
4. Geotargeted Keywords And SEO
   Geotargeted keywords are used in various types of online marketing. In SEO terms, they can be considered a type of niche keyword because by geographically...
5. Geo targeting for single country and multiple countries
   It is a fact that search engines rank differently for different countries.  If you want your website to rank consistently well in the search engine...

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 4:02 pm and is filed under Link Campaigns and Search Engine Optimisation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.