Localization is one of the most important aspects of corporate blogging, and not for just one reason; there are many advantages to getting local with your content.
The first, and not always the most obvious, is to appeal to the search engines for localized search results. With the advent of mobile devices and their proliferation into the hands of consumers everywhere, search engines have been quick to respond with search results based on location.
When you search for a ‘haircut’, Google is literally taking your specific location into consideration with the assumption that you are looking for a haircut somewhere close to where you happen to be. Some mobile devices offer GPS location to search engines to give an exact position, but most are simply identifying your general location from the receivers, routers and other hardware through which your device is communicating.
Companies that blog with specific content about geo-location will gain a better chance of showing up in localized search results. Geo-targeted content is critical in today’s search engine marketing.
Another important reason to get local with your content is to generate a connection with your local customers. While it’s always important to talk about the value your products and services can provide, it’s also a great idea to take some time out to talk about the local sports team, culture, landmarks and current events.
This brings an element of personalization to your posts, and helps your local audience connect with you in a more personal way; everyone loves where they live and has a connection to other people in their community; emphasize this in your posts and let your audience know that you are one of them. As a corporate blogger, your challenge will be to make your discussion relevant to your business objectives; when you talk about the local sports team or a current event, be sure to establish a connection between your business and the topic, lest your customers see you as rambling or wandering.
Finally, another important reason to get local with your content is for differentiation. Remember that you are competing with others online to market your type of product or service, and talking about them specifically will not differentiate you enough to stand out. Adding localization helps you target your product to a smaller marketable niche, and gives your content a uniquely searchable profile.
For instance, If I perform a generic search for ‘weight loss‘ I get over 92 million search results that match this term. When I localize for ‘weight loss Topeka‘, I reduce my competition down to 230,000; a mere fraction of the overall competition. You’ll find this same dramatic effect for almost any search term.
The easiest way to add localization to your blog post is to modify your keywords with the name of your city, your nearest large city, and even the names of some surrounding cities, communities or even developments. Search engines also look for street addresses, zip codes and state names, so make sure to include your full contact information in the occasional post.
Adding user-friendly content about your local community happenings is a great way create unique content that will differentiate you from your competition while helping you connect with your local community.
Just remember to keep it relevant to your business objectives.
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Google knows where you are searching from by matching your IP address to a local router registry. If you are using an iPhone or Blackberry, the nearest cellular tower or your GPS will deliver the information Google needs to give you localized results.
A few weeks ago, Google confirmed this in an article titled 
