Writen by Aaron Wittersheim
Thanks to advances in local Internet search technology, you can get the kids ready for school, support the local economy and save gas — all at the same time. Local search sites and geo-targeted advertising make it simple to find the best deals on back-to-school supplies at stores near you.
Top Sites
For local store search, Google™ Maps is as useful as it is fun. Search results are displayed at right as lettered flags on a map, cross-referenced to descriptive store links at left. Clicking on a link produces a pop-up window over the map with more information about the store — a great tool for planning a day of shopping. Of all sites tested, Google's search results for "school supplies" were the most accurate, and the split-screen design provides maximum information with minimum clicks.
For local product search, ShopLocal.com™ leads the way. Inputting your desired location and a product (e.g., pencils) yields hundreds of results with all the information you could want: pricing, product description, nearest store location (all stores are big chains), a photo image of the product, online offers, local offers, and store ratings. Easy to use, the site is potentially addictive for the comparison shopper.
Other Sites Worth a Look
Searching for "school supplies" plus a zip code, YellowPages.Com™ delivered plenty of local results, but information about the stores and their location is scattered across several pages.
Yahoo!® Local, Yahoo!®'s new local search engine, delivered few results for "school supplies", but Yahoo!® has an enormous database and resources to improve search performance. Their user rating system for stores might grow into a useful feature, but so far there is little data.
Windows Live™ Local, in Beta testing, works similarly to Google™ Maps. It offers more complex mapping options than Google™, but navigation and page layout are equally complex. Searching for "school supplies" plus zip yielded several results, but many were not relevant. Still, a robust mapping program and Microsoft® know-how make this a site with a future.
Stores Are Looking for You
Stores that sell school supplies already have a strong advertising presence on local search engines. That is no surprise: geo-targeted advertising is inexpensive, effective, and reaches highly qualified prospects. A simple business listing on Yahoo!® Local and Google™ Maps is free. For $25 a month, Yahoo!® Local provides a featured listing and a free (!) five-page basic Web site. Geo-targeted advertisements through Google™ AdWords, Yahoo!® Search Marketing or Microsoft® adCenter can be obtained at a very low cost.
Two factors ensure that on-line local shopping is here to stay. First, rapidly growing local search engine traffic indicates shoppers enjoy doing preliminary research from home. Second, new technologies allow advertisers to more accurately identify shoppers based on zip code, area code, and/or IP address. Before long, you will be able to use your cell phone to find the best deals on notebooks and rulers, and get directions to the store.
Stay Tuned
Whether you want the closest one-stop shop or the one perfect backpack your child cannot live without, local on-line search points you in the right direction.
Aaron Wittersheim is president of Whoast Inc., a suburban Chicago search marketing firm. For more information, visit http://www.whoast.com.
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