Local search is hot, and it will continue to be a significant driver behind many internet marketing programs. Find out how to build your business by dominating your local search listings.

Want to dominate your local search listings?  Follow these three recommended tactics.

Domination Step 1: Verify your Google local business listing.

The local business listings provided by Google are always prominently displayed on the first page of search results. To get your business listed in Google’s local business listing requires submitting and verifying your business information to Google. You can do this at the following link.

While many businesses are included in the full list, 7 or less are displayed on the first page. We manage our clients local business listings as part of their monthly optimization services. Our techniques are designed to get our clients the first page listing they deserve.

Domination Step 2: Invest a portion of your ad budget in a locally targeted AdWords Pay Per Click campaign.

Let's take a theoretical ad budget of $500.00 and compare results from three different direct marketing programs.

Direct Mail. If we send a direct mail piece, over 90% of the mail will never result in a response. For $500.00 we'll also only be able to produce a limited amount of mailers. Add in postage, and our ROI sinks even further.

Local Radio. Our direct response should be better than Direct Mail but our $500.00 budget will at best get us one week of 15 second spots during either morning or evening drive time. If we want coverage during evening and morning, we can plan on doubling our budget. The cost per lead can be very high and it usually takes several weeks of advertising to have an impact on call received.

Google AdWords. Imagine investing in advertising that is only presented to interested viewers. That means little to no wasted advertising. Imagine advertising that charges us only when an interested party interacts with our ad. AdWords is also very cost effective, and can be targeted to any geographic location. While the cost per click can vary, a range between $0.50 and $4.00 per click is a good average. And thanks to Google Analytics, we can immediately see what ads are working and what ads are not so we can further optimize our results.

Domination Step 3: Develop your organic search listings.

While this step takes longer to benefit from, it is the core of creating long term sustainable results.  Organic rankings are improved over time by optimizing website content and building links to your website. Conducting keyword research and effectively blending keywords and phrases provides Google with the relevant information it's looking for. In turn, sites with solid content and external links rank higher and command better position than sites with underdeveloped content or two few links. How well a site and its individual pages are performing can all be reviewed using Google analytics.

In Summary:

By utilizing these three techniques, your business can be displayed in up to three high ranking spots on the first page of Google's search results. If you were choosing which link to click on wouldn't you choose one of the dominating sites?