Internet Marketing: Grand Rapids meets Hollywood…

Posted by Laura Bergells

May 23, 2008

For the past few years, at least one of my websites comes up in the top ten at Google Local Search for the phrases “internet marketing Grand Rapids” or “web marketing Grand Rapids”. Take my Maniactive.com blog, for instance:

internet marketing Grand Rapids

Now, this is a good thing. After all, I specialize in internet marketing. And I work in Grand Rapids, MI.

So why wouldn’t I (or any local business!) take advantage of a free & easy listing at Google Local?

(Note: quite a few of my local competitive colleagues aren’t there, which makes me skeptical about their online marketing abilities! Anyhoo…)

Here’s a fact: not too many people search for those particular terms. But the ones who do are usually pretty valuable to me. They’re looking for something very specific. And I get a few calls a month from this free listing, so it has a high ROI.

How times change! Earlier this year, I received a phone call from a local businessman who inquired about my web copy writing service. He told me he did a search for “internet marketing Grand Rapids” and up popped my name.

“Ah, Google,” I said.

“No, LinkedIn,” he said. “I’d never use Google to find a professional.”

What a quote! Turns out, by using LinkedIn, this businessman found out that “his people knew my people.” (How Hollywood!)

But my transparent personal and business connections increased his trust factor. Aside from my profile and recommendations, it was his personal connection to me that made him pick up the phone.

Conversely, by viewing his information and connections on LinkedIn, I quickly discovered that this was a person I wanted to meet.

We did lunch. (How Hollywood!)

LinkedIn works both ways, y’see.

Earlier this month, I wrote about the decline in search volume at Google for the term “real estate agents”. While this is a very general, non-local example, web findability trends for professional services are definitely changing.

Peer-to-peer and word-of-mouth recommendations are much more meaningful.

In 2008, instead of thinking SEO or “Search Engine Optimization” — think again.

Think “findability”.

Think “trust”.

Social media is changing your internet marketing mix.

How are you preparing for the change?