Mary Bowling will be presenting at GetListed.org’s Local University in Spokane in early February 2010. Learn more about this cheap, cheap, cheap event designed to help small businesses navigate the complex world of internet marketing.

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In creating a website, there’s a real danger of building web pages that are not useful to either the Search Engines or the searchers who might land on them.
Content is king! You’ve heard that over and over again and it is most definitely true. Content is what makes your pages:

relevant to the Search Engines […]

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Are you following Google Maps’ new Local Business Listing guidelines? Or are you engaging in unsafe search? Read more about Google’s early warning system here.

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Google is currently testing a new type of ad for local businesses in the West Coast markets of San Francisco and San Diego. Unlike the auction bidding of Adwords, these Local Listing ads are sold at a flat monthly rate. The rate, which is determined by the niche and market area, is based on prevailing […]

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It was probably a relief for many businesses to see their phone numbers back in their 7 Pack local listings in the Google search results. What is Google up to now?
Here are a few possibilities:

Google may be testing click through rates to both Maps listings and websites from the 7 Pack to see how behavior […]

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The Google 7 Pack, which was a 10 Pack until about a month ago, has undergone another change. There are no longer any phone numbers displayed next to the businesses listed there. There’s no telling if this is just a glitch that Google will soon correct, if it is a test to see what the […]

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More are more of the searches that previously displayed the Google 10 Pack of local results above the organic search results are now showing only 7 business listings, instead.
This was at first something that was being tested in just few West Coast markets as a way to make room for local ads above and/or below […]

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Want to know how to rank better in the Google 10 pack? How to rank better in Google Maps? Join us at SMX East 2009 in NYC!

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I recently had the pleasure of attending a 2 day Google AdWords seminar conducted by master marketer Brad Geddes of bg Theory. The advanced Google sponsored workshops were part of the Seminars for Success series. It’s so nice to have one of these in Denver. Apparently a lot of other folks thought so too, as […]

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Recently, my colleague, Mike Belasco, and I conducted a webinar on Local Search hosted by our good friends at SEMpdx (Search Engine Marketing Portand) and moderated by Portland internet marketer Hallie Janssen of Anvil Media.
I discussed Google’s new emphasis on Local Search, the increasing appearance of the Google 10 pack in the Universal results, and […]

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It’s obviously been way too long since I posted here. So, here’s a quick run down of what’s been keeping me so busy lately:
My Job
Everyone’s asking about my job, so here’s the short story: The SEM company I worked for for 5 years got themselves in deep financial doo doo and there was a […]

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Take a closer look at K Packs, a feature in Google Maps that has leveled the playing field a little bit more and will help most local businesses be found more often.

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If you market local businesses online, check out this cool new time saving tool from David Mihm and Patrick Sexton at Get Listed.

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I’ll be speaking at SEMpdx’s 2009 Searchfest in March. Read more about it here.

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See a listing of- and links to- Local Search Marketing articles written by Mary Bowling on ClickZ.

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Google Maps “do no evil” guidelines are now official for Local Business Listings. Spammers can be reported and banned.

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Google Maps allows business owners to create their own attributes or categories in their Local Business Listing. Learn how to use this to help both searchers and Search Engines find you.

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ROBO, which stands for Research Online, Buy Offline, is becoming a popular buzzword in Local Search. Read more about how these offline conversions can be measured here.

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SMX Local Mobile is an advanced conference that anyone who promotes brick and mortar businesses online should plan to attend. Here’s why…

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While researching Local and Mobile search results for travel and hospitality industry clients, I was surprised at how far off my preconceived opinions were. What works and what doesn’t work?

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