Avatar News : January 2010

Happy New Year Avatarians! We trust you're feeling refreshed and ready to rock into a great 2010. Hopefully you've had time to check out the incredible Avatar movie by now. It's been amusing how many people have asked us if we're behind the film and the movie hype has contributed to a considerable traffic spike to our web site. We consider this month's local search strategy article to be one of the most important actions you can take in online marketing this year. If you need a (quick) break from the mess that is your desk, then don't forget to take a look at our assortment of tidbits and our sites of interest.

In This Edition

• Local Search Strategy
• Case Study: Getting Listed With Finda
• Tidbits
• This Month's Sites Of Interest

Local Search Strategy

When you're searching for a business phone number or address these days, do you search through a hard copy phone book or do you search online? There's a clear trend that more and more activity is happening online. If you haven't already, then you need to nail down an effective local search strategy for 2010.

If there's only one online marketing action you take this year, this has to be it. It is vitally important that you regularly take an objective look at how people are finding your type of business or organisation online. In particular, research how viewers are using the new local search facilities to find your category of site. There can also be some real gains to be had if you effectively advertise online at the right places.

For starters, we recommend:

• Get listed in all of the relevant online directories (for example Google, Yellow, Finda and NZS.com)
• Once listed, you will likely need to claim and verify your listing — this is so you can make updates/enhancements and increase your chances of appearing on first page results
• Update all contact details so they are accurate
• Quality local search listings can help flow Google juice to your site which will result in better rankings, so include keywords where possible
• For best results don't copy and paste duplicate content across all your listings, it's best to have unique content that individually caters to each local search site
• Start encouraging customer reviews and link them to your listing, this can be a useful way to increase traffic to your site
• Take a look at your site statistic referrals (and if you're not already, then sign up to Google Analytics) to see what local search sites are giving you good free traffic, then consider advertising with them since these sites have already proved their value

Google has over 90% of NZ's market share of the search game, so is the key player by a country mile. You will likely have noticed that over the last few years Google has been including a wider range of web content matches - such as Video, Images, Google Merchant, Local Search and Paid Listings. We suggest you regularly do typical searches for your keyword phrases and see what options are coming up, then look for ways of getting a presence in each key area.

If you're not already signed up, it's very useful to sign up with Google's Local Business Centre. Some of the advantages include:

• The ability to easily edit and modify your listing
• Engage potential customers
• Track and measure the results of your listing

Google Local Business Centre now includes a customised report feature:

• View how effective your listing is
• See how many impressions your listing has had and how many actions have been taken over a given time
• Identify where your listing could be improved

If you are interested in creating a listing on Google and improving your sales, there are a number of helpful online resources. Google's guide on how to create a great listing is worth a read. However, if you'd like an online listing created hassle free with Google and other key local search sites, then contact the know-hows at Avatar and we'll do it for you. One way or another, make sure local search hits your priority list early this year.

Case Study: Getting Listed With Finda

We contacted Finda to see what the process of listing with their site involved. Vegetarians New Zealand is a web directory that provides valuable resources for, you guessed it, vegetarians. The site has restaurant locations and ratings, recipes, dating and shopping resources.

A business interested in being listed with Finda must first register with them. This is a simple process as they can do it all online or over the phone — and it's free. Once registered, Finda can have a look through your site, see what you're all about and determine which of their categories you'll fit into best. Vegetarians New Zealand was suited to the categories Fruit & Veges, and Health Products. As our site had a connection to restaurants, we were not only listed with Finda, but also Menus.co.nz, allowing us to receive traffic from both sites.

While registering with Finda is totally free, they also offer a variety of packages to businesses wanting to use this listing to really increase site traffic and improve their page ranking. During any local search listing process think about your keyword phrases and add them into your profile in the appropriate places.

Tidbits

• Publicity Hogs. You wouldn't spot Avatar anywhere on this list, but check out these Mock Buster hopefuls!
• Space Saver. Got limited space in your home or office? Why not try out this clever picture table combo in the dining or meeting room.
• Winging It. In a bold and daring move, America's Cup team BMW Oracle Racing has pushed the design-rule boundaries and done away with the old cloth sail to produce one of the most unique vessels on the water.
• Did You Know? An eye-opening presentation about the physical and technological worlds we live in. Where do you fit in it all?

This Month's Sites Of Interest

Towards the end of last year, Avatar created a Christmas game for Duns, a business consultancy and accountancy firm, and supporter of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Using this game as a form of viral marketing, it was sent out to various friends and clients as something slightly different to the standard Christmas card. Play the Duns Christmas game.

MotorWeb is an online service provider that delivers valuable information to the motor industry. Rather than sending out a Christmas card to their clients, Motor Web wanted something a little bit special and so a Christmas-themed racecar game was developed. Play the MotorWeb Christmas game.