Targeted Local Search Engine Optimisation

One of the key elements to Internet and Online marketing is identifying your target market. Who are they, how old are they and most importantly where are they located? With the advent of more advanced geo-location software systems being used by Google we are now able to target very specific markets with our online marketing campaigns. The first step in this process is to write down and identify your market with the 3 questions I have listed above. Once you have done that then you should consider the following and address them in order to hone in on your target search engines and then consequently your target market.

I will use the example of a Web Designer and Developer in Melbourne, Australia.

1. The website should be hosted in the country and if possible the city in which you plan on targeting with your online marketing strategy.

2. The website should have on page search engine optimisation which is tailored towards the region - country - city. So, in other words these three elements, if they are identified as the target market, should be mentioned in titles, keywords, meta tags, content, on page titles, links etc within the website.

3. Any controllable external links to the website should have a sprinkling of the region - country - city within them, without over doing it.

4. The website should have a fully qualified domain name. In this case .com.au

5. The website should be listed in the regional Google search index. You can go to your local search engine and simply register and request for the googlebot to scan your website. If you host within the region and/or you have a fully qualified domain name then you should get listed within the regional index anyway but registering will triply ensure.

6. Sign up for Google Webmaster Tools and then go to Tools->Set Geographic Location. Some sites target users for a particular geographic location. For example, a site may target all users within a specific country, or it may target only those users who reside within a very small geographic area within that country. Using this feature allows you to further refine your target your market.

7. Have a regional specific phone number. For example, for website design in Australia it would be 1300 880 841.

8. Get listed in local online directories.

9. Use a Google map that shows your business location. This will ensure that your regional association is further enhanced within the search engines.

Once you have done all of these things then your website should be fully targeted towards your identified target market. Now you just need to make your site interesting, make it sell and get it developed properly in order to do this.