Google Local Canada & Word of Mouth Advertising
Let’s roll back a few months to what Ian Portsmouth of PROFIT Magazine / November 2004 wrote:
“In the first decade of the Web Age, local marketers got off easy. Whether a Main Street business sold hardware or haircuts, having a website was never a make-or-break proposition. If someone wanted your product, they’d notice you as they walked or drove by. If you sold something more rarified, such as fireplace mantles or Swedish massages, then other forms of marketing would probably do. That’s all about to change. On Sept. 21, Mountain View, Calif.-based Google Inc. launched a beta version of Google Local Canada (http://local.google.ca). “
What are 2 sources used to provide data to Google Local Canada, they are Google’s own index of websites and YellowPages.ca.
Why is it so important for businesses to be listed on Google Local Canada. In my opinion if comes down to one primary reason that I believe consumers will find most valuable;
Google Local as a White Pages Directory
Everybody single person and business knows how important a white pages directory is. Now with Google Local Canada you have the ability to use Google as a regular white pages phone book. All you have to do is type in the company name that you are looking for and include the city within the search. Here are some examples,
Shaw GMC Calgary – Click to see Google’s results at the top of the page
Oasis Spa Calgary
What about for networking or word-of-mouth? Do people remember you by name? Listing your name and your company within YellowPages.ca, to get onto Google Local Canada can be a great way to increase your WOM and networking strategy. Check out Ron Weldon Calgary, a friend of mine and a great mortgage broker.
The moral of the story for businesses in Calgary, local marketing on the Internet cannot be ignored. If you are like me and subscribe to the thought that Word-Of-Mouth is the best form of advertising, then you better have a strong strategy to make sure people can find your phone number when they are looking for you, otherwise you are going to waste a lot of word-of-mouth resources.
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