With the rise of mobile search and social media, local Web-presence optimization is becoming paramount to small businesses. Local businesses need to understand how Google can drive awareness and traffic to their locations, and they need to recognize the critical role that search-engine results play in their competition against their peers.

Consumers are more likely to click on search engine results that appear on the first page, according to research. When consumers hear of a local business that is not well known, it’s only natural that they conduct some research before making a purchase. Thus, “owning” the first page of the search engine results page (SERP) is an important part of Web-presence optimization for any local business.

You can optimize your Web presence to own page one of the Google SERPs in a variety of ways. Use a “build and buy” strategy that begins with paid advertising, and claim and create sites and social profiles that are active, optimized for search, and linked to one another.

Here are 10 effective ways your business can own the first page of search results.

1. Search Engine Advertising

2. Website

A business website is important for ranking well on search engines, especially if your domain contains your exact business name. By creating a search-optimized site with a front page that strategically lists your business name, address, phone number, and other important details, you can help your site rank well for searches that use your business name.

3. Optimized Website Pages

Create keyword-optimized pages throughout your website (e.g., the About, Products, Contacts, and Press Releases pages) to increase the chances of getting your business website ranked for your business name and getting individual pages of your site to rank high on SERPs.

Typically, up to four additional pages can rank on SERPs before Google displays a “Show more results from [website URL]” link.

4. Blog

Search engines love relevant, fresh, dynamic, and regularly published content about your business, industry, and community. Blogging is one of the most effective ways to dominate the first page of SERPs. In addition, social “likes” and “shares” are becoming important signals to search engines. People tend to share timely, informative, or entertaining content from blogs, rather than static pages from websites, so you can create search-friendly links and social authority via your blog.

You can create and host a blog in several ways. For example, you can integrate your blog with your business website, or create a blog on a different Web address and cross-link the blog with your website. The latter will enable your blog—with its unique Web address—to rank on its own. Moreover, your blog will be deemed a unique site, which means multiple pages from your blog could rank individually on SERPs for your business name.

5. Google Place Page

Claiming your Google Place page is an absolute must for any local business. You can optimize your Place page for search around your business name and business keywords, and your listing can also appear in Google Maps and at the top of the SERPs.

6. Google Profiles

The launch of Google+, Google’s social network, along with its recent decision to open up the network to businesses, too, bodes well for those seeking attention from search engines.

Those profiles can rank high on SERPs for your business name; of course, you should include business-name keywords in your Google Profiles or Google+ About pages.

7. Online Directories and Listings

List your business on digital directories and listing sites, such as Citysearch. Think of such sites as the “Yellow Pages” of the Web. By making sure that all of your listings are accurate and the information on all the sites is identical down to the details, you can help search engines such as Google pull your listings data higher in search.

8. Social Profiles

Claiming, optimizing, and using social profiles are important ways to own more real estate on page one of SERPs. The four most popular social networks used for ad campaigns are Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Company profiles on those social sites will often rank high for your business name, especially if you optimize your profiles to include your official business name in the content.

9. Review Sites

Listing your business on local review sites, such as Yelp, is another way you can own more territory in search. Customers may already be leaving reviews about your business online, so it’s important to claim your business profiles on review sites to monitor and manage your online reputation.

10. Syndicated Press Releases

Creating search-optimized press releases when major news occurs and syndicating them via a wire service can spread news about your business and help you own more SERP territory. Major news sites can pick up your press releases off the wire and run them, word-for-word, on their sites—which would pack a lot of authority with search engines.

To add more authority to your overall Web presence, optimize your press-release content just as you would a website page, and include links to your business website, pertinent blog posts, and social profiles.

* * *

Local businesses today have more options than ever for optimizing search engine rankings and owning page one of SERPs. Begin by thinking strategically about what would make the most sense for your business based on your available resources and what would be most relevant to your target customers.

Searching – Google, Bing and other search engines are the places where consumers go looking for a business.  (The traditional media equivalent: phone books.)

Surfing – News, entertainment and lifestyle sties are grabbing more and more consumer media time (Magazines and newspapers.)

Socializing – Facebook and Twitter are the two main places where people connect with friends, family and followers online.  (Word-of-mouth)

Take a look at this slide presentation with 75 eye-popping stats regarding consumer behavior online. Know more about your customers… to get more customers!

But let’s try to tackle this question on its own… Should I bid on my own business name?

You already know that consumers are looking for your business online. Many are searching for yourbusiness by name because they are researching your company or looking for your contact info.  After all, the easiest way for consumers to run a free “background check” on your business is by looking for you on one of the three major search engines:  Google, Yahoo! or Bing.  But what shows up for those searches, known as your online reputation, can convince a consumer whether to purchase your product or service, or buy from one of your competitors.

When it comes to search engine marketing, bidding on business category keywords (ex: “Dallas spa”) is a must if you want your business to show up in a paid ad when someone is looking for your kind of products or services. But it’s just as important to bid on your business name keywords (ex: “Sally’s Swanky Spa”).  Here are some reasons why:

The Competition

It’s your business name – so why pay for it? Because your competitors are! According to Performics, leading brands only receive 87% of traffic from their business name keyword searches. The remaining 13% are “poached” by competitors!* That’s because they know that when your customers search for your business, they have an opportunity to snatch the sale straight out of your hands with a well-worded sponsored ad.  Don’t give them the chance.

Dominate the Page

Instead, dominate the search results page when someone searches with your business name keywords.  Efforts you’ve made to manage your reputation will help you dominate the organic listings, but bidding on your business name will ensure you dominate the sponsored ad listings on the search engine results page.

Control the Message

Controlling what appears in natural (or “organic”) listings is difficult and happens slowly. But you can control the message using a paid ad quickly and easily! Highlight seasonal specials, new inventory, a rewards program or unique features and convert an interested consumer into a paying customer. Plus, a paid ad for your business name keywords lets you control the click-through destination to a special landing page featuring a promotion or product.

It’s Inexpensive

More businesses like yours are bidding on the same business category keywords because many businesses may offer the types of products or services you do. That makes category keywords more costly. But although a few sneaky competitors may bid on your name, it’s yours which means the search engines will typically give you the best placement at the best price.

Strategic Defense

Bidding on your own business name keywords lets you seed the page with more positive results to actively “counter-attack” any negative links on the page. A negative review looks more serious when there are lots of them, but when the bulk of the results on the page are positive it looks more isolated and rare.

Big Brands Know Why

Still not convinced? Then consider this: big, well-established brands like Apple, Verizon or Walmart bid on their own keywords. These brands have enough global recognition, local presence and customer loyalty that most customers know to go to them directly. Yet they still run television ads and understand the value of locking out competitors by dominating the search engine results page. So take a page out of their multi-million dollar marketing playbook and be sure to bid on your business name keywords!

By the way, your brand name or business name may qualify as being “trademarked” by some search engines.  That will protect you from competitors who might want to bid on your business name keywords! Check the link below to see if our business name is eligible on Google.  http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.

1. Make sure you get help from an expert.  This was the first realization.  Time is better spent running the business than dealing with keywords, bids and optimization across all the major search engines.

2. Tracking is key.  A good search engine marketing provider will show you more than clicks and impressions.  The number of “conversions” like phone calls and online inquiries are crucial and need to be measured.

3.  Know your Lifetime Customer Value.  Since search engine marketing (and online advertising in general) is trackable, you will be able to determine ROI.  But many businesses have never asked themselves about the real financial value of a customer.  Consider the amount of money your customers spend in your business over time.  Consider your profit margins, cost structures and capacity.  Since word-of-mouth referalls are key, how many people does each customer refer?   Most people severely underestimate the fiancial value of customers and what they should expect to spend to attract them.

4.  Respond quickly and effectively to prospective customers.  When valuable calls come in, are your phones being answered?  Are the inbound calls and emails being handled well?  Are you building a marketing database from the prospects who call your business?  Do calls come in after hours?  (Prospects usually will not leave messages when they get voicemail.)  These leads are valuable and need to be handled with care!

5.  Brand advertising can turbo charge search engine marketing.  When people know your business already from advertising (or your prime business location), they are more likely to click on your link on a search engine when faced with several choices.  Brand advertising can give your search engine marketing an edge and also helps your quality score.

6.  Your Reputation Matters.  When people do click on your search engine link, they many not call you immediately.  Many will research you first on key sites where they investigate businesses.  People “background check” your business on sites like Google Maps, Yahoo Local, Yelp, Citysearch, Angie’s List and more.  The sites they use depend on the type of business they are researching.   (My “foodie” wife researches all her favorite restaurants on Chowhound and Yelp.)  If customers like what they see about you on review sites, they will call.  If they see bad reviews, they call someone else for their needs.  Your happy customers can help you build a good reputation on key review sites if you ask them.  (And in foodie circles, they even take pictures of their meals and upload them to blogs and review sites!)

7.  Remarketing gives you a second, third, fourth chance and more.  There are many ways you can target banner ads online.  My wife uses remarketing which is a very targeted technique used primarily by big companies like major banks, airlines and auto companies.  When someone visits her website they are “tagged”, then shown banners as they surf the web.  This “reminds them” of her business at a later time in case they were not quite ready to buy.  Or maybe they were interrupted and never finished checking out her site.  (Since remarketing is a new concept to many, you can go to reachlocal.com to learn more.  When you leave, you will likely see some of our banner ads because we will start remarketing you as you surf the web!)

Bottom right: an example of a remarketing ad

As we are sitting here typing this, my wife is recounting even more search engine marketing revelations.   (She is also considering her menu selections for tomorrow night’s dinner at a spot we love.)  The big lesson is this.  Search engine marketing requires a holistic approach.  Running a good search marketing program is important, but is part of a bigger picture.  Understanding the financial value of customers, handling leads effectively, having a good reputation, having an established or well advertised business, using remarketing techniques and more can help you attain a strong ROI.

I think Anita has decided on the ribeye with a special Bearnaise for tomorrow night at Nana.  She thinks I will go for the duck, but I will decide tomorrow night when I get there.  Or maybe I’ll just check out some reviews and see what the foodies recommend…