Below is live coverage of the Proven Tactics For Targeting Local Searchers from the SMX East 2009 conference.
This coverage is provided by Brian Ussery - Beu Blog.
We are using a live blogging tool to provide the real time coverage, please excuse any typos. You can also interact with us and while we are live blogging, so feel free to ask us questions as we blog. We will publish the archive below after the session is completed.
| Proven Tactics For Targeting Local Searchers | (10/06/2009) |
| 10:45 | Brian Ussery: Good Morning and welcome to SMX East!
This session is "Proven Tactics For Targeting Local Searchers" – Shoppers continue to use a variety of online and offline resources to find local business information, according to the third annual TMPDM/15miles Local Search Usage Study conducted by comScore. This session explores the findings of that study, confirming that consumers do a majority of research online, but continue to make purchases offline. Key insights include where and how search marketers should focus their local marketing campaigns for maximum impact.
Moderator:
Chris Sherman, Executive Editor, Search Engine Land
Speakers:
Brian Jurutka, VP of Telecom, comScore, Inc.
Gregg Stewart, President, 15miles |
| 10:46 | Brian Ussery:  Up first is Gregg Stewart
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| 10:49 | Brian Ussery: Brian and Gregg have been researching several topics in this space and are here to share some of what they have found. |
| 10:52 | Brian Ussery: Brian talks about objectives and methodology.... Solving for primary source of information.
Study objective: Understand the use and value of common tactics using several test sites.
Invites were sent out to survey participants. |
| 10:52 |  |
| 10:55 | Brian Ussery: Frequency of use of population who said social networking site search is primary source which is up over previous years at 26%.
Gregg points out that this 26% denotes users and future trends. |
| 11:01 |  |
| 11:01 | Brian Ussery: Gregg and Brian found that 64% still use search engines as primary source. This is important to media planners as different folks use different sources.
Brian talks about search intent online vs offline and the graph seems to show more potential for influencing offline sales. |
| 11:03 | Brian Ussery: Largest change in online buyers is focused on price. |
| 11:04 | Brian Ussery: Gregg suggest using call tracking to help better make determinations in terms of ROI. |
| 11:05 | Brian Ussery: Brian talks about searcher growth and says a 25% increase in terms per searcher has taken place. |
| 11:06 | Brian Ussery: Key point: non-search engines driving growth |
| 11:08 | Brian Ussery: Fox
Ebay
Amazon
Facebook.com
craigslist
Have you thought about how to leverage for local? |
| 11:09 |  |
| 11:10 | Brian Ussery: Gregg and Brian move into importance of ratings and reviews. (Rich snippets perhaps?) |
| 11:10 | Brian Ussery: Gregg goes on to mention Google Maps use of ratings and reviews as user gen content.... |
| 11:12 | Brian Ussery: Gregg's next graph shows ratings and reviews are critical for future success.
Brian looks at what other elements are important:
- phone numbers
- address
- maps
- website |
| 11:12 | Brian Ussery: Gregg dives into call tracking as including phone numbers are so important to local users..... |
| 11:14 | Brian Ussery: Gregg is giving a short history of call tracking and how it works. |
| 11:16 | Brian Ussery: Gregg's tip is to assign unique numbers for use in tracking via dynamic insertion because you want to "pull from a pool." |
| 11:17 | Brian Ussery: Gregg says local numbers over 800 (888, 886) numbers. Brian goes deeper saying that 15% of users consider 15 miles local. |
| 11:18 | Brian Ussery: Gregg says, "People think local for local purchases." |
| 11:19 | Brian Ussery: Local sites and IYP sites are split almost even. Local 51% / IYP 49% |
| 11:22 |  |
| 11:23 | Brian Ussery: Gregg points out that Yelp is on the rise but that Google is still the leader. |
| 11:24 | Brian Ussery: Brian goes into more detail about Google Maps and it's rocket movement in the past year..... |
| 11:26 | Brian Ussery: Greg and Brian talk about "10 pack". Google Local Business Center results in SERPs... |
| 11:28 | Brian Ussery: QUESTION about YellowPages.com from previous graph due to company branding issue if noticed in previous graph |
| 11:29 | Brian Ussery: One third of IYP searchers visit with primary goal to get phone number. Second to searchers looking for driving directions.... |
| 11:31 | Brian Ussery: Post Search Activity
- 46% contacted business, up from 39% last year
- 37% visited the business, up from 32% last year |
| 11:32 | Brian Ussery: Gregg makes a good point, removing phone numbers from site is not helpful to users. |
| 11:34 | Brian Ussery: In store purchases have decreased since 2007 due to econimic reasons. (Again local searchers) |
| 11:37 |  |
| 11:37 | Brian Ussery: Brian looks at what terms were used |
| 11:39 | Brian Ussery: 32% of local busines searchers with internet capable cell phones conducted a local business search. |
| 11:42 | Brian Ussery: How do folks use cell phones for local search? |
| 11:43 | Brian Ussery: Most local search via cell phone is brower based. |
| 11:43 | Brian Ussery: Brian shares some comscore which shows strong growth in online directories.... |
| 11:46 | Brian Ussery:
Summary:
- Online channels remain solid but up a bit.
- Local searchers lookin for a deal
- Local searchers looking for phone numbers
- Compared to 2008 greater number of users expect to find local results within 15 miles.
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| 11:49 | 
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