So it may just be that the internet is now this boundery-less world where small businesses have access to markets that they never had before. True, but on the flip side of the coin is the fact that the internet customer still, for the most part, wants to do business with someone in their area (see the last post on local search). Beyond that fact is another one. Your site may also need to target areas not in your neighborhood, yet still be relevant to your business - Ian Felton, in his post-- Does Your Website know Geography?
gives a good example of this.
Geography doesn't only play a part in determining navigation and categorization of a website. It also plays a vital part in determining the location of an audience for a specific product type. If a website's product relates to investments, many more potential users will be in New York City as opposed to Kansas City. Likewise, if a website's product relates to fashion, many more potential users will be in Paris or Los Angeles than Oklahoma. Each production team must determine the demographics of their customer base and then design a plan to suit that geographic area.
Here is something else to think about, although to some this may come at a cost-- leveraging online yellow pages. According to the post Search Engine Optimization through Yellow Pages,
"Yellow pages sites have higher PageRank and better keyword positions than smaller sites will typically be able to achieve for "business type" searches." In short, your customers may be "letting their fingers do the walking" in more ways than in print.
Scratching more than the surface in terms of local search would be looking into Google's local search "machine" found within their Google Maps. Jim hedger's post Google Maps is Local Search has this to say:
A completed registration will place your business on a Google Map and help insure it comes up correctly under relevant keyword phrases in general web searches. There are too many reasons to outline why a site needs to be listed in Google Maps aside from bettering their chances of coming up in a general web search.
There is more than meets the eye with local search - the right way to see it is through the eyes of your current or potential customers. How do they conduct their "local" search? What would be the best way to reach them? Find the answer to that, and you solve the mystery of what to do and where to market your website.
