by Michael Dorausch

Early this morning I was commenting on a post appearing on Sphinn related to local business searches and yellow page advertising. Moments after I finished my comment I received a phone call I’d like to believe came as a result of optimized local SEO. In hopes of us all learning from it, I thought I’d share that information with you today.

Case Study on Local Search for September 17, 2007

Health-Care Office: A phone call was received from a female in her late 20s or early 30s. She had been doing some online research and was seeking a specific health care practitioner in the local area. She was calling on behalf of her husband, who works in the tech industry.

The couple recently moved to the area from out-of-state. The caller reported having a good experience with this particular approach to her husband’s health care, but since they were new to the area, they did not have a direct referral.

During the call, the following information was gathered (as relates to our study). The city the individual was calling from, her name, her husband’s name, and a phone number where she could be reached for follow-up. Appointment for her husband was scheduled and she was thanked for choosing the office. She was assured her husband would be well cared for.

In this particular kind of situation (for this type of local business), the goal is to schedule the individual for an appointment. I’d chalk that up as a successful effort. Lets break down what went on and see what we can learn from it.

Analysis

• Phone call from female
• Typically in mid-20s to early 30s
• Calling on behalf of her spouse
• Couple recently moved to area from another state
• Husband works in tech industry
• Husband was at work during the time of the call

Observations
This pattern in local search is common. Female of the household is doing research. She is likely to be somewhat tech savvy, well-educated, and knows what to look for. She uses several online services and methods for search, such as Google, Yahoo Local, and web sites offering reviews on local businesses. If available, she will check the business web site as well.

In this case, the phone call came from the homepage of the local business web site. We know that because the office uses tracked phone numbers, which provides specific data on where the lead was generated.

Why no Yellow Pages?
Think about it, the couple recently moved to the area. They have likely not yet ordered local phone service (they may never do so) and it’s doubtful there is a phone book in the residence. In this case, the number given was a cell phone number for the city and state the couple moved from, further evidence there is not likely to be a phone book nearby. This is common for local businesses receiving calls from perspective new clients who have searched online.

The individual calling was already familiar with the industry and knew what to look for, so once her questions were answered properly, the situation was satisfied.

SEO Tips
Focus on geographic areas that meet the above model. A number of communities across the United States are growing, with young couples being the largest groups moving into the area. Many either work in the tech industry or are at least more likely to use online methods in gathering new local business information. Newly built communities are some of the easiest to optimize for. Many even have multiple rich keyword related domains available. Pay attention to real estate trends and newly created communities. Seek opportunities to provide similar SEO services for a number of different businesses in the same community.

It’s truly amazing how much information you can gather from a single phone call as long as you’re prepared to ask questions. Perhaps, I’ll do a follow up on what methods were used by the caller during her search for a local business. If so, I’ll post that information here.