Over Half Of Us Rely On Search Engines For Local News And Information, Says SEO Agency SachaMango Media

Online, February 28, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The survey by PEW Internet sheds new light onto how people obtain information about their local communities, and looks at all the sources that could be used to find it and which sources they rely on in particular.

PEW Internet asked 1087 participants how they searched for information about local businesses across a variety of sources. Some 60% of the participants claim they use the internet to find new and information about subjects about what's going on within their local communities separate to searching for information on restaurants and bars.

Nearly half of the participants relied most on the internet, with over a third (36%) using search engines while just a measly 1% use social networking sites like Twitter. Of the rest, 22% use word of mouth, 8% use local TV broadcasts, 5% radio broadcasts and just under a third (31%) use local newspapers, of which 2% use the online versions.

A spokesperson for SEO Agency SachaMango Media, said: "The results of this survey contrast with what many business owners perceive that their local communities are using search engines for. The perception is that locals use the internet to look for information about restaurants or bars, but in reality they're using them to find a whole host of community information. As a result, many businesses almost totally ignore the opportunities that are on their doorstep.

"This survey demonstrates that savvy business owners should be using search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to bring their products and services to the attention of their local communities. If they don't, they're leaving money on the table."

Among the many SEO techniques that could be used to promote a business locally some of the most popular include:

1. Making sure your keywords are prefixed or suffixed with your local area or postcode e.g. painters and decorators in Oldham
2. Get your details on local directory sites, like yellow pages, city search, yelp and Google Place among others
3. Make sure your full postal address is on your webpages
4. Exchange links with relevant local businesses

However, general SEO techniques shouldn't be overlooked. A good global SEO campaign can provide support for a local campaign and help bring back links if there are not enough local ones, while a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign can reap dividends, although PPC Management can be quite labour intensive to setup.

"The key to really good SEO is to know your market and do your research on relevant keywords. A good SEO Agency will help you find the undervalued keywords and phrases that could be the basis for a really effective PPC campaign," said the spokesperson. "Social networking can also be good, but businesses have to be aware that media such as Twitter or Facebook are not the holy grail for SEO that many make them out to be. It can be difficult for smaller businesses to build a professional reputation and keep the content published on them fresh and interesting for their customers."