Localeze’s Gib Olander characterizes Local Search into two categories- recovery search and discovery search.

Recovery search is when a searcher is looking for a specific business. They may or may not recall it’s name. If they do, it should be easy to find. However, this is not always the case. The name that a Search Engine or directory knows it by may be different enough than its commonly-used name to cause problems. What you know as Pop Miller’s Saloon may be Miller’s Saloon or P.J. Miller LLC to a Search Engine.

In another scenario, the searcher may only know a brick and mortar business’ location and not remember its name. This is when they must rely upon the search process to “recover” that information for them. This task becomes more difficult for the Search Engines when the business does not have a website or if the website is poorly optimized-neither of which is uncommon for a local shop, service person or tradesman.

Recovery also occurs when the searcher knows the business name, but wants to find additional information. Perhaps, they are simply looking for the phone number or address. This information is generally easy to find. Problems often occur when a business moves, changes its phone number or adds a new location, since the information can be slow to update online. Business owners  may also find it hard to correct inaccurate data about them that they find on the web.

Discovery search is when the searcher is seeking to fulfill a specific need and wants to find which businesses meet their requirements. In Local Search this need is within a specific location - a city or town or neighborhood or zipcode, typically. 

Other needs may be general, such as an auto repair shop. It doesn’t present much of a problem for the Search Engines to serve up results for a search like “auto repair Greeley”. But if the searcher wants to find a “factory certified Saab technician in Greeley”, that’s more complex. Add another parameter or two, such as a place that’s open on Saturdays and accepts American Express, and it gets even trickier.

There are ways to satisfy the needs of both recovery and discovery searches.  If you don’t have a website, you absolutely need to register with one of the many business data compilers and distributors to assure up-to-date information about your enterprise is readily available to the Search Engines.

If you have a website, then optimize its pages for local terms, brands, products, services, address, location, multiple locations, areas served, hours of operation, payment types and anything else you think searchers may query. In addition to good website optimization, register with a local business data provider, as well.

These data providers collect your business information from the best source - you. Then they feed it out regularly to many locally focused Search Engines, directories and shopping and social sites across the web. Each is a little different and nearly all claim to be the best. In reality, most of them appear to do pretty much the same thing.

If I had to recommend a couple, they would be Localeze, because of their experience and partnerships and because they are free for small business people to use. My other choice is Local Launch, which is part of the RH Donnelly empire of Yellow Pages-again for their time in the business and their industry connections.