“We will submit your website to hundreds of search engines for only $199″

If you’ve been around websites long enough, you’ve probably seen an “offer” like this. Here’s the truth of the matter — search engine submission services are a waste of money better spent elsewhere. There are actually two things wrong with this picture.

First of all…
Once you get beyond the “big three” search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN, in that order) , do the other 97 really matter?

Secondly…
Anyone with Internet connection can submit a website to a search engine. It doesn’t take any special talent, so why pay for it? On top of that, you really don’t even need to submit your site to the search engines. If a website is properly optimized, the search engines will find it and index it within a matter of days.

What’s more…
The search engines report that the majority of submissions they get (up to 95%) come from automated scripting programs designed by unethical search engine marketers. These tools bombard the search engines with multiple, repeat submissions in the vain hope of improving a website’s ranking.

Many search engine experts (myself included) agree that it’s better for web pages to be found by search engine spiders during their normal crawling process. Build a well-structured website with plenty of content around a topic (like your local real estate scene), and the search engines will find you on their own.

What to take away from this…
Beware of search engine submission services.

The overwhelming majority of US Internet users research online to find local products and services, according to the “User View Wave VII” from BIA/Kelseyand ConStat.

The most common online tool used for local research was search. Nearly one-half of respondents used Internet yellow pages and 42% checked comparison-shopping sites before heading to local businesses.

In summer 2009, TMP Directional Marketing and comScore found that and 46% of local online searchers contacted a business by telephone after Web research, and 37% visited in person.

“The Internet has indeed become an integral part of consumers’ local commercial activity,” said Steve Marshall, director of research, BIA/Kelsey, in a statement. “The data suggest we’re at an inflection point where the balance of power in local shopping is shifting to online.”

Local advertising dollars will follow eyeballs; BIA/Kelsey expects the Web to get an increasing share of local ad spending over the next several years, reaching one-quarter of the total in 2014.

Over time, the researchers have noted an increase in the number of sources used for local shopping research, suggesting audience fragmentation that can be challenging for advertisers.

“These challenges may be outweighed by the targeting opportunities available with tools like coupon promotions and appointment scheduling, the latter being among the best lead sources possible, since you know where people are actually going,” said Peter Krasilovsky, vice president and program director, Marketplaces, BIA/Kelsey, in a statement.

According to the report, 58% of respondents said they had redeemed an online coupon when shopping locally in the past year, and 19% made a local appointment other than a restaurant reservation on the Web.

source emarketer http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007566

Local Interactive offer 3 different grades of video production in order to provide a client with the most flexibility possible, in order to more easily incorporate a VSEO program as part of their advertising strategy.

Research has shown that more and more consumers have declared their preference to viewing commercial videos to find what it is there looking for, as opposed to reading through pages of text copy on a website, and this trend continues to grow daily.

Additionally, the addition of a video to a website adds to the static nature of the website, as well as the professionalism.  It is one of the key aspects of landing page optimization.

In many instances it may be more advantageous to initiate a VSEO program as opposed to or before an SEO program.