The Internet has become one of the most powerful marketing tools in history, but it still has a mystique that small business owners have a hard time with. When the Internet was first taking off, it became the way that people all over the world could use to stay in touch with each other and sell products. Because of its international reach, small businesses had a hard time envisioning the Internet as a mode of local marketing. That mystique is slowly going away and the local element of Internet search marketing is something your company should take advantage of.

There is a very good chance that your local customers are using the Internet to:

• Search for the best pricing in the local area on specific products.
• Using local terminology to find products they are familiar with.
• Find new businesses to supply products or services.
• Get information on new products and services.

When was the last time that you used the local phone book to look up a vendor or local business? The chances are very good that you do much of your phone number and business searching on the Internet because it is fast and efficient. If you are using the Internet to find business information, then so is your local customer base.

One of the great advantages local search marketing gives a business is the ability to utilize local terminology to quickly reach local customers. For example, a sandwich shop that is located in an area where submarine sandwiches are referred to as hoagies would be able to get his website seen in local search results ahead of shops that do not utilize that local terminology. When you use the Internet to market your business to local customers, you can speak the same language your customers do to get better results.

Local search marketing can also be enhanced by the contact you have with your clients every day. If you are a retail sales business and you have been told by a large number of your clients about a popular new product that your competition is selling, then you can bring in that product and then create a local search marketing campaign to announce the new product in your store. That kind of speed and market exposure is almost impossible with a newspaper or any other kind of marketing vehicle. That is why every business needs to become proficient at utilizing the Internet to expand its local customer base.

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