Local Search Marketing


What is Local Search?

Lets first take a quick look at what Local Search looks like. I did a search within Google for: Storage in Sacramento, CA and this is the Local Search portion of the page:

You can see the full search page by clicking here: Storage Sacramento CA. As you can see right off the bat, the Local Search area sticks out like a sore thumb. The colorful map, the red pins on white background next to the blue and green listing area makes the Local Search area the first thing most searchers see on the page.

That’s one of the many reasons Local Search is so important for self storage.

 

Why don't I see the map everytime I search?

Google, Bing/MSN/Live, and Yahoo all have different algorithms to try to guess the intent of the searcher. But basically if a search engine infers from your search that you’re looking for a local service it will show the map. So a search for ‘self storage’ will not produce a local map but a search for ‘self storage in san francisco’ will.

 

How do search engines rank facilities from A to G?

Just like with Organic Search, search engines use a complicated algorithm to rank the listings. First you need to be found, setting up a listing within the Google Places or claiming said listing is a start. From there, it really takes an expert to set your listing, website, facility up for Top Ranking within the Local Search listings.