Everybody knows that the Web can give any company a worldwide presence. But that's not something all businesses want or need; many are local entities or neighbourhood establishments. Reaching an international audience is of little or no interest. So is the Internet simply useless at short range? No, not at all. In fact, with so many people doing their shopping research online, appearing on the Net can be crucial to attracting customers. The trick is being found amidst all the big global players. Here are some suggestions to help businesses become legends in their own towns.

When it comes to Web sites, the term "localizing" can have different meanings. One common usage is to describe the process of adapting an international site's content to appeal to a particular region-to set up a localized version of a site in order to communicate with customers in their own language and conform to local cultural sensibilities. Or it might mean providing city-by-city versions of a national site, as with a large retailer trying to drive traffic into its brick and mortar stores or a bank listing nearby branches by postal code.

For our purposes here, though, localizing means to optimize the prominence of a business site in the immediate geographical area it operates in. Here are some scenarios of business types that could benefit by enhancing their local presence:

An online mail-order retailer decides to open a storefront in their warehouse to take advantage of their clientele's desire to browse through stock in person (and thus perhaps buy more items), thereby reducing shipping and handling costs in exchange for buying a cash register and hiring a clerk.

A small restaurant or store that has some claim to fame, however minor-the first/oldest/friendliest/earliest-to-open or latest-to-close/lowest-priced/closest to tourist attractions/most complete selection or even that old standby "best coffee in town".

A real estate project wants to be noticed by people who might be relocating within a given area, but also by folks considering a move from another region altogether. Similarly, a hotel or other venture that would also want to be associated with a physical place.

A small business (such as a pizza parlour or grocery store) whose competition consists of large franchise operations with huge national advertising budgets and considerable brand awareness.

A unique shop that happens to be located in the suburbs of a big city or otherwise off the beaten path. Appealing to a niche market can depend on motivating interested customers to travel to you, but first you have to let them know you exist.

You sell items that are too large, expensive or impractical to transport outside a certain area, such as cars or major appliances, or a service only available in a particular region (a moving company, house calls for computer repairs).

Remember, localization is not some kind of sneaky trick or hidden quirk. It's simply part of the expansion of the Web, and it corresponds to one of the ways that people already shop for and research products and services. Search engines like Google and Yahoo! have already developed localizing features, but this trend is still pretty new. The only "trick" is the opportunity to build local relationships before all the other businesses in town figure things out too. In all of the cases cited above, being identified as a conveniently-located local establishment can not only help customers find such businesses, it can also pay off by substantially boosting search engine rankings. Small players with a smart local focus can actually rank higher than their biggest competitors. All it takes is a few simple localization techniques.

First of all, your site has to emphasis the business's location, and it has to do so frequently without becoming repetitive or triggering search engine safeguards against keyword spamming. As discussed in the first part of this series (SEARCH ENGINES 101: OPTIMIZING SITE RANKINGS), there are particular parts of a Web page that search engines regard as prime real estate-words that appear in those spots are given more weight in determining relevance. The title bar along the top and the opening text on each page are especially valuable and should be relevant to both your business and locale.

Accordingly, just putting "Bob's Pizza" in the title bar doesn't help much. You want an informative slogan like "Bob's Pizza Delivery, the Finest Food in Burnaby and Vancouver-Offering the Best in BC's Lower Mainland Since 1978." This serves the dual purpose of advertising (to human eyes) and powerful indexing matches (for search engine spiders). Suddenly simple two or three word searches (Bob's Burnaby, pizza Vancouver, best food Burnaby, best pizza BC) will highlight this business over other competitors.

Similarly, it's important to have a full address early on in the actual page text. A logical position is in the top-left corner, which is heavily weighted in rankings and looks natural (like letterhead stationary). If, instead of text, you display a graphic image of a logo, or your site uses Flash and other non-text features, then make sure the information is included using Meta-Tags (hidden text only the search engines spot).

Be thorough when listing addresses and related text. Include street address, postal code, the full and abbreviated names of the province, even phone number with area code (306 dry cleaner is a very feasible search term). However, when writing an expanded address, don't go so far that it looks ridiculous to people reading it. Write a normal full address and hide all the alternate terms inside Meta-Tags so it looks professional rather than garish. Don't forget to include a few common misspellings and the local name for your section of town (west side, Northlands area, Kerrisdale). And make sure this information is on every page, not just buried away behind a "Where to Find Us" link.

In some cases, simply being one of the first to offer a Web site is enough to attract attention and an online customer base. In a web study published In the April Issue of Webnames.ca's The Server Room newsletter, interior designer Carol Reed (Carol Reed Interior Design, http://carolreeddesign.com/) reveals that part of her site's success was simply that she had one online for people to find when they entered "Toronto interior designer" into a search engine. In the same way, any businessperson who notices that few of their competitors have yet to see realize the value of the Net can establish a certain prominence just by simply having an online presence. If you think about how people search-and about how many consumers automatically reach for their Internet mouse to research products before heading out to buy in person-sometimes just being a "Halifax record store", "Montreal haberdasher" or "Saskatoon dinner theatre" result is enough. But if you can't be first, try to be the best in some way, shape or form.

It helps if there's something unique to promote about the business. After all, location without some other drawing card means very little. A dining award from a local newspaper, an unparalleled selection of model railroading supplies, the least-expensive housewares, a family-owned business since 1992, 204 flavours of ice cream, Moncton's first organic produce grocery store. Once again, it's both advertising and it's an opportunity to insert more keywords in a natural manner. If you have received any positive media notices, credit the reporter and outlet-you never know how someone might be searching when they find your site. And don't get carried away with slogans-a phrase like "Yellowknife's Happening Nightspot" might be fine in a print or radio ad, but it's probably not a phrase anyone would use to do a search. Instead you have to be specific, to expand and refine exactly what your business does and why it's special.

It's important to realize that having an international presence AND a local one are not mutually exclusive. The same site can do double duty. The trick is being found in either context. An international wholesaler of a particular commodity can also present itself as a local shopping solution. This can be as simple as stating "Fred's Bulk Bottle Supply is located in Ballard, near Fife and Woolerton in Saskatchewan, Canada, so drop on by if you're in the neighbourhood for all the bottles, bottling and canning supplies you'll ever need," at the top of your pages. The important thing is to associate as many relevant references as possible in listings and keywords-notice the plural and alternate forms of some words. "Woolerton bottles", "Alberta bottle supply", "bottling Alberta" and "bulk bottles" will all be indexed, while also providing a folksy, local tone to the page. Basically, distant potential customers will be judging your offerings on price, selection and shipping costs, while a certain potential pool of regional shoppers might now opt to visit in person.

Don't forget to use a localized domain name, for example choosing a .CA over (or in addition to) a .COM. This is what the big companies do when they want to appear friendly and local. It's a simple way to proclaim nationality, and to rank higher on results from search engines that offer results by country.

Once your site content is set up to highlight your place in the world, and all the big search engines have been notified, the next step is to boost its relevancy in search query results by connecting it to other sites. Do some research and submit your link and contact information to every locally-themed directory, industry-related subject site, local business association and print publication you can. Troll for local listing places that might feature your site for free. The more sites that establish links to you, the higher you rank. To be a local player it helps to establish credibility in media and sites you don't control-winning a local newspapers' poll, for example. Ideally, if someone searches for "Best Pizza in Thunder Bay", your business is mentioned in more than one search result.

Pay attention to what's going on in the local scene. If a Weblog called Larry's Lethbridge Lunches pops up in the newspaper or on the evening news as a human interest story because 250 people a week visit to compare meal notes, and you run a restaurant in Lethbridge, get in touch with Larry.

Purchasing paid listings (as on a directory or newspaper site) is a judgment call that depends on your budget. Most likely there are free listing services that will weave you into the local Web just as efficiently. However, buying pay-per-click advertising through services like Google's AdWords might be wise-you can limit the daily maximum you'll be willing to pay and it will help elevate your site ranking in searches.

And don't forget to always promote your Web site off-line as well. Put your URL on your business cards, signage, windows, stationary and shopping bags. The smaller your business is, the more intrigued people will be that you actually have a website. Of course, it has to be worth it when they get there: offer an extra discount on delivery, a web-only special, a Web log on local issues, or even a dissertation on the role of comic books in the development of popular culture. Whatever your claim-to-fame or quirk might be, let it shine for all to see. If none of that is appropriate, at least offer a simple, clear, well-composed promotional site that might actually inspire somebody to drop in or place an order.

Dave Watson, Writer/Editor, The Server Room

Dave Watson is a Vancouver-based writer and editor (The Server Room) with more than 20 years of professional experience. A life-long technology enthusiast, he writes frequently about technology for magazines such as BC Business, the Georgia Straight and is the feature writer for Webnames.ca's The Server Room, an Internet and Technology newsletter for Canadians.

www.theserverroom.ca || www.webnames.ca

Articles Summary