Localization - Are you doing it right?

How many times have you gotten up in the morning and tuned into the national weather forecast? Did you find yourself saying, “Button up kids – there’s two feet of snow in North Dakota!”?  Unless you are in North Dakota, you probably didn't – the only weather that really matters to most of us – is the weather wherever we may be at that time.

Did you know that 80% of consumers prefer locally relevant ads and more and more searches are being conducted with a local intent. Some prime examples of this can be found in research that explores the importance of localizing mobile campaigns. Here are a few examples:

Local vs Top-Line Query Volume

Local search is growing in search query volume as more and more users are searching with local intent. This is expected to continue to grow as searchers become more savvy and devices like smartphones and tablets with geo-location are more widely used while searching for local businesses.

Local Numbers in Search Ads = Higher CTRs

According to Google, Click-through-rates are generally 6% to 8% higher on ads with local numbers vs. search ads without phone numbers. Local phone numbers also boost search-ad performance in mobile. We understand that mobile users typically search with local intent and delivering an ad with a local phone number and a strong call to action will improve relevance which could translate into an increase in conversions and calls.

Mobile Ads Should be Optimized for Local

A high proportion of smartphone-influenced activity and buying behavior is offline. It makes sense that users would respond better to localized ads. Local ads are usually seen as more relevant. While this may seem to be common knowledge, many advertisers and marketers are not fully recognizing this or taking advantage of such an opportunity. Below are 3 common areas where marketers are falling short and some ideas for improvement:

1. Non-Local Ad Copy - most mobile ad creative is often derivative of PC advertising. Marketers must recognize the subtle differences between a mobile searcher and a searcher using a PC and use that information to create custom campaigns that speak to the intent of each. Remember that mobile searchers have a phone in their hand at the time of their search, it is likely their intention is to connect immediately. A connection can be made via a phone call, an email or text, and even directions to a location. Remember this when writing ad copy and specific call to action for mobile ad copy.
2. Poor Quality Landing Pages - ads directing users to landing pages or sites that are not optimized for mobile. Most landing pages or sites created for PC use are not "touch friendly" and the content, when shown on a mobile device, is small and not easy to read. If you are running a campaign that directs mobile users to your website, you should have a mobile friendly site or landing page. If you do not, you will loose customers and will not meet the goals or expectations of the campaign. 
3. Failure to Geo-Target - creates wasted impressions and clicks. Why waste money on non-qualified visitors to your site. If you are paying for advertising that will drive traffic to your site, you want that traffic to be from users that are interested in the services or products you offer and are within your service area. Would it benefit a plumber in San Antonio, TX to have 30% of their traffic from search engines coming from New York City, NY? This plumber's service area would be in and around San Antonio, TX and the expense of traveling to New York would likely outweigh the profit of any plumbing job. In this case, the plumber would not want visitors to his site that were interested in Plumbers in and around New York. Think of this example on a more local level. If you are an advertiser with a well defined service area or you have franchise locations with target markets, geo-targeting is essential to the success of your advertising programs. 

With all of this in mind, wouldn't you want all of your media to be localized?  Localization takes time and expertise and typically the digital agencies that run campaigns target them nationally or they target markets vs. targeting locations.

What do advertisers need to do to build local campaigns and be more relevant locally?

1. Consider the 3 common mistakes above and evaluate your efforts. You may find that you have a little work to do before you can truly optimize your "local" programs. 
2. Seek out an expert to help guide you along the process. Work with a partner that has had proven success with "localization" and can assist in the organization, optimization, and management of  your advertising campaigns.

Your Business, In the Palm of Their Hand - Mobile Ad Localization

In 2011, there was a shift in the market. The year 2011 marked the first time more smartphones than PCs were sold. According to the market research firm Canalys, Vendors shipped close to 489 million smartphones in 2011, compared to 415 million PCs. Smartphone shipments increased by 63% over the previous year, compared to 15% growth in PC shipments.

When you consider numbers like that, the mobile landscape simply cannot be ignored. Marketers and Advertisers are working vigorously to develop and or find advertising methods that will successfully target and attract potential customers via their mobile devices.

Smartphone ownership directly translates into mobile internet usage. Smartphone users are always connected and have the web at their fingertips. In fact, people searching with mobile devices act more quickly than PC users. Studies have shown that mobile users are usually farther along in the buying cycle and are ready to take action. This kind of demand for "on the go" information creates endless opportunity for businesses. 

What are some actions you can take to make sure you are attracting this mobile audience?

1. Optimize your site for mobile browser compatibility. There are many tools available that will allow you to either create a mobile site from scratch or convert your current site into a mobile friendly version. There are plenty of web development companies that can assist with this as well. Be sure to contact someone for help.
2. Be sure your local business listings are up to date, accurate, and visible to searchers. This could be quite a daunting task if you have multiple locations. A local listings management program may be worth looking in to.
3. Run paid ads on search engines that target mobile devices. Pay per click ads are a great way to generate new traffic to your site. The increase in traffic can also contribute to improving your site's overall organic relevance.
4. Mobile Display ads are great way to build awareness and even supply incremental lift to your monthly website traffic. Make sure that you are tracking any and all activity resulting from these ads. The information you collect will help show value and assist in refining target parameters as well as target audience.
5. Run promotions exclusively for mobile visitors. This is a great way to generate short term traffic and create awareness.
6. Put in place some sort of customer loyalty program that includes mobile text alerts.
7. Using Social Media, promote your mobile website or apps and create awareness. Also, encourage people to share this information with their friends. You could even provide some sort of incentive to really encourage this action.

Don't miss out on this growth opportunity. Learn what works best for your business and implement strategies that will generate growth.

Casual Search - Not So Casual For Businesses

With the rise of virtual assistants that have been introduced into our lives (Apple's Siri for example), we have seen a new form of search emerge. This new form of search has been coined "Casual Search". This "Casual Search" is an approach to search where users of mobile devices and tablets  are quickly finding routine information like a restaurant location or phone number.

This kind of search could potentially change the search landscape. As a marketer, I've spent the last few years working with other businesses to improve their page rank and quality score on Google and other search engines through various SEO methods and paid-inclusion programs. Of course, that job is never done. Changes to algorithms, competition, and new promotions or offers sometimes start a process all over again. This new "Casual Search" is one of those changes.

All of the virtual assistants found on mobile devices are connected to a search engine of some sort. When a user asks a question such as "Where is the nearest pizza place?", a search engine returns the results based on the user's current location. The user then has a plethora of choices and is able to quickly connect to a local pizza restaurant and place an order. Apple's Siri, uses Yelp as the search engine for these types of searches. Not only do the results returned include location information and a phone number for each of the pizza places but ratings and reviews of peers and other visitors to the restaurant are often displayed.


A casual search like the one mentioned above is the equivalent of a geo-modified search query on a traditional search engine. The competition is generally a little more fierce with this type of search. Someone looking for a product, service, or a location near them is probably ready to make a purchase or contact a business. Which is all the more reason businesses should supply as much relevant information as possible.


Marketers and businesses have their work cut out for them. They must stay on top of the local listings tied to each of these search engines, provide as much information as possible for someone searching for a business like theirs, and encourage customers or clients to submit ratings and reviews to communicate the quality of service they received.


Make sure your business stands out from among the crowd.