If you’re using Google at all, you’ll notice that when you search for something in a particular town, you get a map and listings that fit your search criteria in that area at the top of your search WITHOUT using the local tab.

So how do you get into the local search index?  Well, sometimes it happens naturally, putting your address in the footer or sidebar of every page of your site is a great way to make sure that happens.  Or you can get a free gmail account, login to google and go to the Local Business Center and add your business!  Simple as that.

 Yahoo has the same thing, can’t hurt to get listed there as well! 

WebProNews reported that SMEX - West covered Search Marketing from a “holistic” standpoint.  Here’s an exerpt.

Universal and/or blended search incorporates data from local maps and results, images, videos, blogs, forums, whatever’s out there. Personalized search whittles all that down based on user behavior. Soon, each person may have a different set of search results from the next person’s.

To succeed in that online environment, businesses are going to have to learn to be everywhere, managing an online presence from a number of angles. That also means businesses will have to know how to manage their online reputation by effectively combating negative information about them, too. Holistic.

What does that mean to your Sustainable Search Marketing Strategy?  It means, take an inventory of your digital assets; image, video, audio files; and find the appropriate channels of distribution for them.  Sit down and discuss which products or services you’d like to promote right now and develop some great footage or podcasts and go for it.  

 It’s not just about your digital content, though.  It’s time to start working on your social media presence.  Get a Facebook account and list your site(s) there.  Get involved in appropriate forums and on-line communities.  Start a blog. A half hour a day could do you a world of good.

I saw this video today…  The concept is intriguing!  A computer with all free, open-source software that only uses 20 watts of electricity.  I love that it has it’s own OS and a bunch of people writing software for it and sharing it in an on-line community.  The same community also reviews the software.  I find this VERY exciting conceptually but I’m reserving judgement until I know more.  If any of you have one of these, I’d love to know your experience.  I might just buy one, at $199 I can’t go wrong.  If I don’t like it, I can give it to my in-laws or use it as a door stop…

I just watched Google’s own Adam Lasnik give an interview at the London SES.  It is gratifying to report that Google, who really founded this notion of sustainable search marketing, is continuing the trend. 

Adam Lasnik is the brains behind Google Webmaster Central and is the liaison between Google and webmasters of all shapes and sizes, keeping us all in the know about what Google would like to see us doing.  Thankfully, it all really makes sense and is sustainable.

1. With regard to use of new Flash and Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) technologies, Adam was asked what Googles guidelines are.   The answer is go ahead and use it - it adds to the usability of the site.  Just make sure that you use <noembed> to indicates what text should be used when an embedded object can’t be viewed, and <noscript> to define an alternate content (text) if a script is NOT executed so that no matter who lands on your page, they can get the appropriate content from your flash and ajax objects.  The other important thing here is that you use the same text in those tags that you use in the object’s content and don’t use the tags to stuff keywords. 
2. Duplicate content is another hot topic covered, and one about which I have given some good advice and a little bit of wrong information as well…  Duplicate content is fine if it is inadvertant or useful to the user and is appropriately attributed to the originator.  So don’t worry about putting no follow on your printer friendly pages etc. 
3. Along with the duplicate content question, the idea of page rank sculpting came up.  Page Rank Sculpting is the act of aranging content so that pages you deem important get the best page rank, and isn’t diluted by content on other “less important” pages.  It is a fundamentally unsustainable idea, in that it will have to be rescultped as often as page priorities and algorithms change.  Achieve rank and position for important pages by linking to them from the home page and by obtaining other quality links to them.  The natural way!

What ties all of these ideas together is sustainability.  Don’t worry about the algorithms, or contriving meta information for specific keywords.  Focus on the needs and experience of the user/customer.  Provide them good and useful information in a natural and intuitive manner and you will do well.