If you're looking to get your business on the 1st page of Google then read on! In this article we tell you how you can get your business to rank more highly in the search engines and give some tips on what you need to do.

Marketing your company's products or services effectively can be a challenge. It's particularly difficult for small businesses with limited resources and small budgets. So you want to be sure that you are getting the best value for your Marketing spend.

In these days of the Internet and Social Media, if you're not in the marketplace that your potential customers are looking in for their next purchase, then you're missing out on business big time.

And that Marketplace is Google and the other major search engines.

In times gone by, businesses set out their stall in the market square and pitched to potential customers as they passed by.

In recent times Local Press and Yellow Pages were the places where your potential customers searched for products and services in their area. But the days of advertising in the local papers, magazines and directories are a thing of the past, because nowadays that's not where your prospects are searching any longer.

Have you noticed how thin Yellow Pages has become in recent years? That's because fewer people are using this type of advertising.

Why? Because it doesn't work like it used to!

More consumers everyday are moving away from traditional resources like Yellow Pages and newspaper advertising, and turning to the Internet to find local businesses. With the advent of Smartphones, Tablets and Netbooks, more and more people carry the internet around with them in their pockets and bags.

There's a quiet marketing revolution in progress and many small and local businesses aren't even aware that the ground they've built their businesses on is shifting right under their feet. If you want to get the edge on your competitors, you have to have a presence online and in the social media arena.

Sadly too many web designers work on the "if you build it, they will come" principle. Unfortunately, like an oasis in the desert, there may be thousands of thirsty prospects, eager to "taste" what's on offer, but if they don't know that it exists or can't find it, you won't have many people drinking from your well.

You therefore need to make your offer both visible and easy to find by the search engines and your potential prospects.

We're talking about Local Search Marketing

In recent surveys it was found that Google provides 58% of visits to optimised local business websites. (33% from Google Places - 25% Google Organic). Whilst only 22% of visits (less than ¼) were from direct traffic (known site name/url).

In the UK, the 1st page of Google gets over 90% of the clicks, so if you are not on Page 1 you're nowhere. Crucially, Position 1 on Page 1 of Google gets 42% of the clicks. The top 5 get 74% of the clicks. So the higher you rank the more clicks you will get.

And more clicks mean more customers. Plain and Simple.

Local Search Marketing Works for All Types of Local Business, it helps local business owners to be found on Google Places and in the organic searches. By having a "local" website with good "on page" optimisation, your website will be found more easily by both the search engines and potential customers, who are looking for your local business. But "on page" optimisation is only part of the story. In addition, you need to pay attention to "off page" optimisation.

So what is "off page" optimisation? Well it comes in a variety of forms. It can be through original articles submitted to article directories, similar to EzineArticles where you found this article. It's having a presence in a range of other arenas such as Twitter, Facebook, You Tube and a whole raft of other relevant channels where your potential customers may be looking for goods and services that you provide, and submitting posts and links back to your site.

So what will this do for you?

Well, it will result in more sales, more customers and more profit for your local business. It will put you ahead of your competitors in the race to be 1st in the mind of your prospects.

Right now there are thousands of "hungry" customers eagerly searching online for products and services just like yours. They have money to spend, but if they can't find you, they will spend their cash with your competitors.

For your business to be successful in the modern era of online and social media marketing, you need to have an effective presence on the internet and in the social media arena. And that presence needs to be easily found by the search engines and your customers. SEO Lancashire works with businesses in a wide range of sectors to get the competitive advantage they deserve. If you want to find out more about how to get your business on the 1st Page of Google. Click on the link NOW and set your business on the path to success.