Yellow pages are DEAD! If you are not using the internet to promote your business, you simply are not getting enough new customers to stay busy. Tough times demand utilizing all the tools in your arsenal to promote your business. And the good news is contractors can embrace the internet to gain new customers with little or no money involved.

4 out of 10 consumers use local search to conduct research and make purchasing decisions. – Business Wire

So what is local search engine marketing?

Your potential customers have rapidly changed their buying habits. Right now 40% of consumers use the internet when making their buying decisions, and this number has grown 31% in just the last year 2008.

Which brings up the question, how do consumers use the internet to find you?

• Area search – An example of this is “roofing contractor sacramento”
• Hands On search – This is a search where the consumer is looking to visit your place of business to see what options are available or to compare prices first hand. Example – “tile store chicago”
• Finding a specific business – This type of search was traditionally done with the yellow pages, which is time consuming at best. Instead, using the internet one can quickly find the business they are looking for – “lumber yard sunrise blvd”

Consumers looking to do business with contractors use the internet to find you. By far the most common type of search for contractors is an area search. And for those of you who rely on a storefront, like kitchen and bath design centers, to aid in your sales process, the hands on search is also relevant.

Your sales are impacted by local search!

Let’s take a moment to see exactly what is seen by your consumers when they do a local search for your company. Google is constantly trying to determine if the search has local intent. For example, when someone is looking for a specific company in an area Google will display a specific location.

At other times, Google can’t determine if the consumer is looking for a specific company. In this example, the consumer is looking for a contractor in an area. When Google see this, it will display a map with many of your competitors. If your company isn’t shown, you are not going to get the call!

One last way, that Google serves up a search is when they know the business, but can’t determine the location. This is what I call a 3 pack.

As you can tell, local search is important for your company to embrace. As a business, you need to take the steps necessary to list your company and take control over your listing. Doing this well, will have you placed near the top of Google’s local search.

Consumers are using the internet to find contractors and businesses. Can they find you?

In the next article in this series, I will discuss mobile search and the rapidly changing way your customers are using not only their computers to find you, but their iPhones and other smartphones.

Please feel free to give me your comments and suggestions as to what you would like to learn in future articles by commenting below.