Well, I’m sitting on a plane heading back to Chicago from San Jose, where I attended Search Engine Strategies and Local Search Summit.  Cramped in the center seat in an exit isle, I’m pleasantly excited about the last few days.

While a lot of our trade secrets in the world of Local Internet Marketing are kept quiet, behind closed doors and rarely discussed during such conferences, this was no different.  The teachings of the mainstream events are, just that, mainstream.  There is a reason why 95% of Local Internet Marketers never break the fold, where one can make a decent living from Internet activity.  They say the same things year after year, conference after conference.  Sure, the information is solid and a great foundation, but these events typically teach high level overviews and little execution.  You know, the ‘what this does’ rather than ‘this is what you need to do’.  That’s fine, we need that foundation.  The execution and those new ‘trade secrets’ happen at the bar.

Local Internet Marketing was the hottest topic

Search Twitter for the hashtag #sessj and you’ll find the hottest topic discussed was local.  Awesome!  Finally!  Local Marketing is about to boom!  Besides the site reviews of adult toys and vaporizers, I found the entertainment and energy at the Local Search Summit.

I did learn a few new things

I bet the biggest ‘wow’ moment I had was during Steve Stukenborg, Google TV Product Manager’s presentation on Google TV Ads.  You know, I knew about this tool from Google and I learned about it about a year ago, but I never thought it was positioned for the local business as well.  How could a small, local business produce a Television commercial effectively, despite all the new concepts of permission based marketing rules being developed.  Well, I learned a business can get a commercial made by a firm in the range of $500-$10,000 and having it airing within 24 hours.  I also learned the value and power of the segmentation features of this tool for a local business.  The real question is, and I did stump Steve on stage with my question, how Google is going to be successful with this tool by going to old skool, non permission based marketing.  Well Steve, nice sugar coated answer, typical of Google.  He either couldn’t answer or wouldn’t answer how Google intends on handling this as television and the Internet converge in the coming years.  I can’t skip YouTube ads, here comes the death of the DVR if I can’t skip commercials.  Regardless of this, Google will not be successful with this venture if the user’s don’t profit.  Remember Google Radio Ads, that failed.  Television is close.  Needless to say, I will be watching for this and I will be deploying my own commercials in the coming my own ventures, then perhaps take a couple of clients to test in different markets.  I should have a strategy for you within six months.

And the Winning Presentation is …..

David Mihm.  Hands Down.  David didn’t have much time but he delivered a powerful, presentation on Local Search Rankings Factors, prioritized from the most relevant and to the least relevant, including those that harm you.  While there wasn’t a single piece of new information for me and it was still at a low level, I was pleased to see that those teaching at Local Search Summit are on the same line of marketing philosophies as I do along with Local Marketing Source, LLC.

As I’ve been discussing for some time now, Local SEO is very different than Traditional, because of these reasons.

• Citations
• Reviews
• Clean, aligned information web-wide.

Now this information isn’t new, David did lead me on and taught me that the bulk upload feature of Google LBC isn’t that trusted.  In later presentations, Google openly admitted that today this is true, and in the near future will be trusted much more.

What I’d love to see at these presentations isn’t the outline of a plan, but execution strategy.  Why is that execution is rarely taught? As you know, I focus a lot of efforts on execution and will be posting several execution strategies for local.

For example, we know reviews are important to Google, local or third-party.  We know quantity of reviews outweighs quality.  What about ideas on how to encourage your customers (or customers’ customers) provide reviews.  How and when to offer incentives.  What works, what doesn’t.  You know, that internal process that I push so hard.  You bet, very soon I’ll be offering execution strategies to David’s presentation.

The one problem I set out to solve – was not solved and is a bigger problem than ever

I’m in the room with hundreds of Local SEOers, Google, Yahoo and Bing product managers on the panel.

Here is an example of a typical service area business trying to market themselves on the Search Engines

You run a delivery business.  Your warehouse is located in the burbs of Chicago.  You service Chicago.  Someone searches for ‘courier service in Chicago’ and Google Maps displays companies located only downtown Chicago.  With 300 companies fighting for that marketshare in the Google 10-pack, why does Google place the physical address as a top priority to rank relevancy?  Fact is, Google completely sucks at this (not to mention the other search engine and that, uhm, decision engine).  I mean, they totally blow.  Google can not display relevant results in the authoritve listing, 3-pack or the 10-pack for service area businesses.  Location is NOT relevant for these businesses and there are 1000’s of types of businesses affected by this.  Google, come on, 20,000 employees, #1 employer in the U.S., one of the largest corporations worldwide and the company poised to monopolize our communications, can’t figure this out?

It was hands down the most discussed topic of LSS

What really upset me was the responses of *some of the panel members.  Again, I asked all three companies “with 100’s of SEOers in the room here facing this problem DAILY, we represent 10’000’s of service area businesses nationally.  Are any of you (the big three search engines) willing to listen to any of us to help solve this problem.  You guys hold the key and power to manipulate billions in the economy, let us help you help the most relevant businesses around the country”  Here are the responses.

My favorite company pissed me off the most

Google. Man, what a strange, unsympathetic organization.  Seriously, odd.  I just don’t get it.  Don’t get me wrong, Google is still my most admired company on the planet.

Ari Bezman – Google Local Product Manager
We already know of all the problems (arrogance?) and are working on them.  You can use your webmaster account to submit information to us.  I felt let down, hurt.  Here I eat and breath SEO.  I want to help.  I want to be a part of largest small business marketing transition in history.  I want be the best and make the biggest impact.  And the company poised to improve the world helped me feel belittled and unheard.  I felt brushed off like everyone in that room was beneath Google’s capabilities.  You know what, maybe that is true, considering their growth and me, well I still fly in commercial airlines and don’t have those private jets.  Although we all have the same objectives (SEOers – white hat of course, and Google).  We face the challenges hourly, I’m sure collectively that we SEOers have seen every challenge out there, I believe we in fact know more of the challenges collectively than the Google Local Business team does collectively.  Just listen to us dang it!  Provide a place where we could show some challenges, pretend we’re being heard and occasional feedback on corrections.  That’s it, but I got the Google brush off.  Maybe that should be a new phrase, The Google Brush Off!

That’s OK, Bing Local Product Manager gave his personal email address

Kevin Hagwell, – Bing Local Product Manager
I was pleased to know this so-called decision engine is being proactive.  Which ever search engine solves this problem first may potentially take a STRONG foothold in the 40% of total searches, which are local.

If Google or Bing is reading this, I kid you not that I will bet you that I personally could ad value to your board room discussions on this.  I’m not the smartest guy around and I’m probally not smarter than most Googlers, but I assure you that based on the numerous discussion about the challenges, you’re still not thinking outside the box.  There are solutions to defining service areas that are credible and have a lot of authority, which I’m sure you corporate guys haven’t considered, since hey, we are talking small business eh?  Listen to us once and if we can’t provide a single ounce of value, please, be my guest and shut me down.  Seriously, I’m willing to risk the rankings of this blog on the fact I can provide value…and I won’t charge!

So, Bing is focused on four main areas, Local being one.  Want to talk and beat Google at the local race?!  OK, perhaps some arrogance on my part, however I’m sure it’s my frustrations coming out since this problem should be solved in 2009 with billions at stake.  I’m just an SEOer, right?  What an icky feeling, anti-Microsoft, Pro-Google Scott Gallagher is commending Microsoft over Google?  Maybe it had nothing to do with the companies and simply their employees.  Maybe Ari, like most things Google, are just vague on their answers and secretly have focus groups with Local SEOers.  Perhaps this is just a typical Google philosophy.

All in all, it was a excellent conference and I give a HUGE round of applause to Steve Espinosa …….. who organized the Local Search Summit and finally provided a conference for those interested in Local search the future.

Here is a list of the following topics I have written about regarding Local Search Summit

1. Top 10 Citation Websites for Local Businesses with execution strategy
2. Top 10 Review Websites for Local Businesses with execution strategy
3. Top 3 tips to implement immediately for your Daily Local Social Media Strategy

• Tweet daily
• Participate in vertical & geographical social sites (the ones your clients are involved or might be involved in)
• Participate in your industry’s social sites, adding value and pointing references NOT to your company site, to your own social profiles and content sites

To learn strategy, go to www.scott-gallagher.net, register and download the free report.