The kicker? It’s free. F-R-E-E!

Yep.

Every online business needs to be found in the search engines but we often forget that one of the easiest most obvious places to promote ourselves and our businesses is locally. Google, Yahoo and MSN have local searches and your odds of being found there are pretty darn good so come on and let’s get to it.

Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Check to see if you/your business is already listed.

Follow each of these links. Look for your business name or general category in your zip code. This will also give you an idea of what the local search listings look like.

• Google Local link: http://local.google.com
• Yahoo Local link: http://local.yahoo.com
• MSN Live Local: https://llc.local.live.com/BusinessSearch.aspx

***Note – Your business may already be in there (even if you didn’t actually put a listing in) and if that’s the case, click the “edit” link or the “add it” link in Yahoo to update the listing with the information you are compiling in step 2.

Step 2. Get your info ready

This just makes it easy because you have all the pertinent information at your fingertips when it comes time to fill in the blanks to get your business listed via local search. We recommend using a simple text file to store your information so you can easily copy and paste.

• Your business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Web site address (URL)
• A brief description of your business – always include your keywords (the search phrases you want to be found for in the search engines).
• Gather together your logo and photos (Google allows you to upload 10 photos)
• Think about categories where you’re business fits…For example, do you sell services or tangible items? Do you maybe own a pub, a laundromat or an online retail store that sells eco friendly items?

Step 3: Create Your Listing

Create an account for each search engine. If you have one, you can just use your current account. No need to make a new one. And, remember, if you get stuck, you can always come back later to edit your listing.

• Google Local https://www.google.com/accounts/ManageAccount

Once you've created an account, go to "Local Business Center" and just follow the instructions to add a new listing. Yeah, we know, we know….easy!

• Yahoo Local http://listings.local.yahoo.com

After you create your account with Yahoo, just enter your details Yahoo keeps it all pretty straight forward and doesn't require confirmation which saves a little time and is a nice perk.

• MSN Live Local - With MSN you first have to check to see if your business is listed. https://llc.local.live.com/BusinessSearch.aspx

If your business isn’t listed you’ll be prompted to enter your information. From here, just follow the instructions…again, easy!

That's it - three steps, three F-R-E-E- and easy steps to move you along. 

Now, here’s a little trick for you.

Use local reviews to get yourself some added exposure. You’ll notice (if you are even only a bit observant) that some of the Local listings contain ratings via stars and customer reviews.

You want reviews.

Wait.

Let’s say that one more time to make sure you will remember….YOU WANT REVIEWS…preferably good ones.

Here’s why.

The reviews make your listing stand out and the search engines love reviews – they are content that is easily indexed and listed so the more reviews the better. Plus it helps in the decision making process that is happening in the potential customer’s head. You’ll go for a business that has rave reviews over one that has no reviews any day of the week and so will your customers. Word of mouth referrals give you a slight advantage over your competitors because word of mouth is the strongest type of business referral you can get especially if it’s from a trusted source.

Now, here’s a little hot tidbit to get you some reviews.

Contact (oh, let’s say) 10 of your best customers just for starters and ask for a review.

Yes, that’s it. ASK. Most people will be flattered you want their opinion.

But do make it easy.

Give them the link to go do a review. And give them a demo question to answer like…did Our Company help you with X, Y or Z?

Um…in the off chance you are wondering, X, Y or Z would be some kind of benefit to the customer like saving time or bargain pricing or fast customer service or a high quality product.

You are probably getting the picture by now.

But, when you ask, be sure to give something back to the customer. Give them some tangible thing be it a free service or discount or maybe offer to review their business for them and always, always, (did I say always?) remember to say THANKS!

Oh and one last (but very important) thing.

Do not write your own reviews. Fake endorsements have a really bad odor. People can smell them from a mile away.

Green Marketing Tip #1

I get a lot of traffic to this blog for search terms about 'green' and 'eco friendly' marketing.
And, if you read this blog somewhat regularly, you'll know that I'm taking a web site and transitioning it into being 'green' and adding a blog component. It's an ecommerce site and the goal is quite lofty. You […]

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Green Marketing Tip #2 - Know Your Market!

The green market is booming and FAST. Determining who your audience is, who the market demographic is can't be stressed enough.
Right now, everyone (and I mean everyone) is trying to figure out who these people are and what they want. I've talked a lot about eco-chic and luxury green. But Alex Williams over at […]

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Tip #3 Participate in Green Events - Think Globally, Act Locally!

Participating in Green Events like Live Earth on July 7 is an absolute must for any business going green. Whether it's hosting an event locally in honor of an event like Live Earth, or creating your own event, a big part of being green and reaching the green audience is about "thinking globally and acting […]

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Green Marketing Tip #4 - Participate in Online ‘Green’ Communities!

It is an absolute must to participate in community. After all 'green' is grassroots. And, using technology (that whole web 2.0 idea) to socialize and increase awareness of your company is not to be overlooked.
Communities have long been an internet staple but with the increased socialization of the web, it's important to find […]

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Green Marketing Tip #5 - No Greenwashing

WARNING – No Greenwashing Allowed…
Greenwashing is a term used to describe companies that are pretending to go ‘eco’ in an attempt to cash in on the green market trend. In effect, they say they are green, create a couple of green educational resources or throw up a few eco friendly products and shout to the […]

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Green Marketing Tip #6 - Purchase Ads On Green Blogs

Okay this is an obvious one. You've probably already thought about it but I have to throw it in, just in case it's slipped your mind.
Purchase online advertising where your green community frequently visits to collect information. Yes, for this particular tip, I'm talking about green blogs. Here are a few, but I encourage you […]

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Green Marketing Tip #7 - Make New Friends…

This isn't a tip, exactly. It's more of a helping you in the right direction. You know, sharin' the love.
Remember the song that goes…"make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold?" Well, here's your starter list of new friends in the green blog arena.
This is not the […]

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Green Marketing Tip #7.5 - Why You Need Friends

Okay, okay…I really couldn't justify this as a full blown tip. It really just explains tip #7 so it's kind of an add on to yesterday's post about making new 'green' blog friends.
This is the WHY of making new friends in the 'green' blogosphere.
First off, these bloggers are people who really know a lot about […]

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Add to Your List, More Green Blog Friends

We aren't quite to #8 but we'll get there, I promise…
Here's an add-on to #7 - more green blog friends to add to your list. If you don't know about making new green friends, check out green marketing tip #7.
JetsonGreen - green building, sustainable architecture, and eco-friendly development with a modern perspective.
Inhabit […]

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Green Marketing Tip #8 - Be a Green Resource

Okay, this tip applies to you if you are selling a product or service. Once you know who your market segment is and hopefully pinpointed WHAT they are looking for product-wise. You can further establish your positioning and branding by being a resource.
Providing resource information to your customers is extremely important. It legitimizes who you […]

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Green Marketing Tip #9 - Speak to the Senses

There are many products that are not geared to an online environment. However, with the growth of the web and online purchasing by consumers there’s an increasing need to speak to the senses. Seeing, smelling, touching a product are all important but don’t lend themselves, obviously, to an online shopping environment.
So, what do you […]

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Green Marketing Tip #10 - Throw Away Stereotypes and Be Real

Yeah, I know, you’ve been waiting on that last tip for green marketing. Just sitting on the edge of your seat in silent mouth-watering anticipation. And, believe me, I recognize the fact you probably feel like you’ve been waiting…
and waiting…and waiting…
And then, maybe wondering if I dropped off the face of the planet.
Luckily, no, […]

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 - Pierre Corneille 

But we have someone so cool, so fabulous that we felt it was necessary to extend their skill set as a virtual resource for our readers, clients, lurkers and  anyone else who might be in need of administrative and organizational help. We like to share ideas and resources that actually work! 

So, here you go! If you need a few tasks handled or you need help for the next 5 years of your life, this person can work one-on-one in your place of business if you are local or in an online virtual environment. 

Just follow this link to contact her and check out her services

Oh and, you don't have to thank us. Just sharin' the love! 

I'm always inspired by what occurs in life, relationships, choices and interactions with other individuals and how it directly relates to business. I am forever asking "why" and "how come" and weighing the "if this is so, then that must be so." You know, thinking all up in my head.

We all do it. We all try to logically set up scenarios, make predictions and calculate outcomes. It's called return on investment or ROI. In marketing you are always calculating your ROI.

In life you, we, I, they…are always calculating the return on investment. How much have we invested and how much do we expect to get out of it?

I've decided to throw that idea out the window. Yep, I'm officially tossing out the whole concept of ROI. There's no time like the present, right?

Now, let's me and you meander on down the lane to see what it would look like…

Here's the scenario. 

What if our lives and our businesses were run from the heart rather than the head? What if, we were in the flow of what doing what we love? Would ROI really matter? If we love what we do and extend that to others and everyone involved in whatever transactions were taking place wouldn't all parties involved be warm, well-fed and happy?

What if honesty was mandatory in your company set up? Well, first off you'd have to be honest with yourself about what, exactly you wanted, not only in business but in life then you'd have to extend that grace to others, give them that space to be honest. At first, it would shake things up a bit - truth is very often hard to hear and say especially when, as is the case in our society, little white lies are the norm. But if honesty were a valued trait, it would clear up a lot of misunderstandings and expectations. I believe it would, in the end lead to happier employees, happier customers, happier work/life in general

The problem is the risk part. What is it that you have to give up to be able to run your business in that manner. Really, down deep, what is it you have to give up? The risk is that your relationships will change throughout your life, not only in business but with the prominent people in your life. 

Stick with me, here, for just a sec…

But what if that change, taking that risk, led to more open communication? What if the fall out from being honest and leading with your heart rather than your head resulted in a clearer vision of the future and what you could accomplish? What if it actually moved people out who no longer served that same vision and brought in people who actually were on the same page?

It's a bit of a radical approach - some would even say idealistic. I agree to both. But even more than that, I agree that it can absolutely positively be done. It does, however, take courage and strength and the faith that when you step out, you won't fall.

That's my scenario. That's how I choose to run things in our little shop. I'll let you know how it all turns out. After all this is one big internet science experiment and the whole point is to share what works and what doesn't.

On a personal note, I had a bit of truth telling yesterday and it gave me a jolt. It was a stark reminder about how people operate, how we get our signals crossed and where the little white lies creep in - lies we tell ourselves and to one another. I want to say thanks to my inspiration. It wasn't fun but it will all be for the better, or at least at some point we will both look back and recognize that yeah, it really was about something bigger than we'd imagined and it's all for the best. And yes, it's Friday so I can write what I want AND it's my blog so I can throw a bunch of stuff out there if I am moved to do so - LOL

As always, if you have thoughts, feel free to share! 

The gist of the event is to spread the word, globally, about a very worthwhile cause and raise awareness about an important issue - Poverty.

Here are some stats that I bet you didn't know…

1. Almost half the world — over 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.
2. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest people combined.
3. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
4. Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
5. 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).

Wow. That's staggering.

My first question, is how, how do we as human beings allow this in a world where there is enough for everyone. Is it simply greed? Is it total lack of care or concern for our fellow human beings?

I, quite honestly, don't know. But what I do know is that if we don't speak about it, tell the story, relate it heart to heart, take some kind of action…nothing will change.

Take a look at these. It's amazing what people are doing, how they are contributing to make a difference, no matter how large or small. 

• Business Fights Poverty
• Millennium Promise
• Economic Policy Institute
• Miniature Earth

I believe we are all connected in this world we live in. What happens to a child in Africa or Haiti does affect us and our children and their children in some way. Join us as we take a stand to make a difference.

"Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

But only if you don't give up.

And like fishing, with SEO you are never 100% sure what that SOMETHING you catch is going to be.

There simply are no guarantees.

I mean, you might be fishing for trout in a lake or river but wind up catching a catfish.  And if you've ever tasted either one of these you know…they just aren't quite the same. You caught a fish (which is good) but it's not the EXACT fish you set out to catch.

Here's the good part. You caught SOMETHING. Because, let's face it, it could have been a slow day or the fish just weren't biting and you could've gone home with NOTHING. SOMETHING is always better than NOTHING in the fishy and often murky waters of SEO.

Why? Because you can build on the SOMETHING that you caught. You can take a rank for a search phrase that you rank well for and parlay it into ranking for the search phrase you want. To use my fishing example…you HAVE your catfish now let's change the bait a little and see if we can get that trout.  

Here's an example of a real work in progress.

The truly fabulous site BestEcoStuff ranks for the search phrase "best eco products" at number 3 which isn't bad. Click here to see it ranking in Google and look at number 3 spot. This phrase is not a phrase I planned on. In fact, I'd rather it rank for  "eco products" whch from a search and search competition perspective is a whole different fish…a much bigger fish. And, I'd a like a rank at number 1, not number 3. However, I'm not knocking that phrase…oh no, I'll keep it and raise it up to that number one spot (if the universe is on my side and the fish are biting) and then take that lesson and look at how I can garner the same spot but for the very sought after "eco products."

Sounds simple, right? It is.

BUT and it's a big but…you have to remember are no guarantees in the "fishy and often murky waters of SEO." So, in your SEO mix you do need to include some targeted ppc (pay per click) or ad placement for the places where you are lacking a good organic search. It's a patch for the "no guarantees" problem that will keep you running until you get what you want out of your organic search marketing campaign.

Ok so if any of this didn't make sense, call us, email us, or comment below. We are always happy to hear from you and to help out!

In the meantime, here are a couple of good SEO resources.

My fave…Jim Boykin's SEO Blog 

Another fave…Greywolf's SEO Blog 

Yet another fave…Stuntduble's SEO Blog 

Enjoy! 

Don't 'cha just love it?! 

It's true though.

With technology and the way the web works and the amount of change that occurs on a daily basis the possibilities of what can actually be accomplished are astounding. 

Take blogging for example. Originally created as a means to publish personal thoughts and ideas on the web, it's now considered very old school not to have a blog as a part of a marketing plan.

Then think about social networking online (social marketing). Who knew? I mean, really, who knew?!?! I've talked about StumbleUpon, Digg, del.icio.us, technorati and many of the lesser known social bookmarking sites and how they can bring massive (yes, MASSIVE) amounts of traffic to your site.

It's truly astounding.

As always, there's more. More new tips and tricks, new technologies and new ways of thinking to get your business roaring in the web environment.

The thing I'm finding out is that most people still don't know. They don't know HOW to use the technology. I'm happy to say we do, here in the land of TrulyTwistedMarketing.

It's our job to be on the edge of that technology and to uncover how to use it not only to have fun (because it truly is FUN) but as an advantage to strategically bring your online presence up a notch which (as we all know) ultimately leads to an increase in the bottom line.

So, today is a day of shameless self promotion. This is what we can do (just in case you're still wondering…

• We do an excellent job both with design and marketing. Check out our new baby still in the works - BestEcoStuff and BestEcoStuff/Blog
• We know how to use the web to grow a business. Take a look at our portfolio and click on one of the images - we list the techniques we used to grow those sites. Each one is different.
• We know how to get that big rank in google. Go to google and type in picnic basket as a search phrase and look at #1 (picnicfun.com) or go to google and type in eco stuff for home and look at #2 (bestecostuff.com) - these are sites that have been touched by our magical SEO wand.
• We know how to use ppc to increase sales and get a good return on your investment. Go to google (again) and type in the search phrase tabletop fountains then look at the Sponsored Listings for kineticfountains.com - it's usually the #1 or #2 sponsored spot.
• We know how to use social marketing to grow your business and bring in traffic. This site is actually an excellent example. TrulyTwistedMarketing's biggest traffic sources from social marketing are StumbleUpon and Buzzfeed. 

And, that is just the start.

So, if you find yourself in need of any of the above or simply want to chat, head on over to the I want to grow my biz! Now what? page and fill out the form.

Or heck, just leave a comment below.