The Internet develops faster then any other media on the planet. Every now and then you hear of the “next big thing” on the web. Social networks, facebook, second life, and so on. The amount of Internet users worldwide outnumbers the people watching TV already.
But you might say: What has it got to do with me? I am just a small business owner in Marbella! What can the Internet do for me?
Here are your options:
1. Google Local Search
Google invented a system that displays local businesses in the search results and on Google maps. Your business can be listed on those local business listings , displaying the name of your business, your contact details, a link to your website and a spot on the map to tell your costumers how to find you.
Local search results always appear at the top of the main search results whenever the algorythm detects a search for a local business.
The major search engines often have partnerships with local information providers, such as Ask Jeeves’ partnership with Citysearch. Professional SEMs can utilize listings from local search providers so that they get greater search engine visibility and branding impact on the major web search engines.
Lets say for example, you own a Restaurant in Marbella.
Did you know that in average 1700 people search for “restaurant in marbella” including several similar phrases per month? The word “marbella” is actually searched for 550.000 times in a single month. That is 6.600.000 searches per year.
Here is how the search result for “restaurants in fuengirola” looks like:
You can see on the very top of the search results the “local business results” . Which consist of a the map and the first ten results of the businesses listed in Google local search. Under the listings is a link to all local businesses listed.
Do you need a website to be listed in Google local search?
No , you need to give Google a valid domain to information about your business but its highly recomendable . If you don’t have one, Smart Media can design you a small but professional website for as little as 500 Euro.
2. Local media
Smart media is building at the moment local blogs, called the souts. There will be a individual blog for each of the bigger towns on the Costa del Sol. Blogs are becoming the the most popular social media on the web.
Record numbers of people are now visiting blogs, proving that blog visitation is now part of mainstream online behavior for many Internet users.
Once bastions for the tech elite, blogs are now as ubiquitous to the web as reality shows are to television. Blogs are redefining how people experience the web and, in many ways, have helped precipitate the shift towards user-generated content on the Internet (otherwise known as the Web 2.0 movement).
Our first local blogs are:
http://www.marbellascout.net
http://www.fuengirolascout.net
The blogs will be promoted using Adwords, back links from other blogs, online advertising in other local media ( www.surinenglish.com ) and on the sites of the local puplisher we work with. Most importantly, we will use our skills in search engine optimization to assure the blog does get listed well in the Google search results.
You own a restaurant in Fuengirola
You can have a full page article about your restaurant on this blog. The page will include as much text as you want, a picture gallery with up to 12 pictures, your contact details and a map for people to find your restaurant.
Here an example:
Restaurant Old Swiss house in Fuengirola
Your advert on the scout in Google local search
What really makes marbellascout.net unique is this: You do not have to have a website to advertise your business in Google local search! We simple create a sub domain for you like this:
http://yourrestaurant.fuengirolascout.net
Then we submitt this address to Google for inclusion into Google local search and Google maps. This is probably the most effective way for you as a small business owner to advertise your restaurant to thousands of people that are actually searching for what you have to offer.
Matt Cutts and small business owners
This video is an interview with one of Google’s senior managers. He gives tips to website owners about how to increase the visibility of your website and explains Google local search. Matt Cutts actually recommands the use of blogs and social media for small local businesses.
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In this Interview he gives tips to small business owners. He again insists on creating blogs and recommends wordpress.com as being seo friendly blog software. Smart Media uses exclusively the wordpress.com software to run our blogs.
For a limited period of time Smart Media offers small business owners in Marbella an entry on marbellascout.net for as little as 200 Euro for a whole year!
The entry includes:
- A full page advertorial artikel about your business
- A picture gallery of up to 12 pictures
- All your contact details
- Link to your website if applicable
- Sub domain pointing to your advert
- Inclusion in Google local search
Interessted?
Call us today under +(34) 665 841 138
Or email: info@smartmediaspain.com