Localized search engine optimization (SEO) is somewhat of a new kid on the block, and small businesses are hungering after maximizing it. What you might not realize is that census data, which is completely free, can be a game changer with localized SEO. Why not take advantage of this data to make the most of SEO for your small business? Here’s how to get started:
Census information is the mother of all big data, and it’s readily available for all businesses. Whether bought or found for free, try combining census information with big data for the best results. Let’s say you own an Amish outlet store in Pennsylvania. Census data can tell you a bevy of information about your local clients.
Get Business Intelligence
Business intelligence, or BI, is comprised of processes, methods and theories that transform raw data into actually useful information. You can get BI from software systems or hire a contract BI professional to comb through census data for you. One of the biggest problems with big data is that people aren’t sure how to parse and use it. However, it can be used to create SEO campaigns that improve your bottom line.
At the same time, census data lets you know a lot more about individual neighborhoods. You might think you know the town where you do business, but the reality is that you only know a portion of it. Look at what your business is targeting, and utilize census data to narrow down target markets by age, gender or other caveats. The data can tell you exactly where your ideal or new markets are located.
Whittle It Down Some More
Micro-local SEO is an even newer breakthrough in the world of SEO. However, with census data, you can narrow down your target market to a zip code, block or even one specific street. This is great for businesses that have extremely specific niches and need to know exactly where to focus their efforts. A door hanger campaign can be very effective when you know who’s picking up the flyers.
You can also compare the IP addresses checking out your website to broader information about that zip code. Do you want to know why a certain IP address is constantly on your website? You can find out more by cross referencing it with census data. It might be a good idea to market your products or services to the neighborhood where the IP address originates from.
Stay Informed
A new census poll is conducted regularly, so it’s relatively easy to have updated information. Unlike some big data collections, you can almost always rely on census information. It’s the biggest free data source in the US, so take advantage of it.
Whether you’re looking for improved localized SEO or to just know more about your potential market, start with what’s free. As long as you use BI to understand it, you’ll have a solid foundation to work from.
It was just like in a fairytale. I went to an exotic land, rich with culture and heritage, and it was there that I fell in love. I traveled the beautiful Irish countryside with them, working my way to Dublin, where I would aim to propose to my girlfriend. But I never made it to Dublin. Instead, an unlikely series of events occurred, causing complications, many of which my traveling companion and I experienced together. Those trials and tribulations during our travels lead us to fall madly and deeply in love with one another.
Uhmmm…Wait….Wait a minute! Isn’t that the summary to that flop movie Leap Year? You’re right. What about it. That movie was way more romantic than my experience, and I feel like I was misled! I thought I was going to Ireland to meet some beautiful Irish girls and magically fall in love. Instead what did I do? I kissed a rock.And it was beautiful.
Your’e probably wondering why I rambled so much to introduce that to you. I think it comes with the territory. Whenever you kiss the Blarney Stone, you’re given the gift of gab. Well that doesn’t seem very new. I think I’ve always possessed that trait.
Let me get an AMEN if you think that’s always been true.
What I’m really hoping for is the gift of eloquence that also comes promised with kissing the Blarney stone. For all you non-literary folk (it’s ok sometimes I fall in this group too), eloquence is defined as having the quality of persuasive expressiveness. So basically I was hoping it would make me more charming. So I don’t have to keep kissing rocks and can take these luscious lips elsewhere.
Just kidding. But if I don’t come out of this with an elegant swagger to my speech (definitely not. I just used the word swagger) then at least I shared a beautiful moment with Winston Churchill. Sort of. Here’s a fact, Winston Churchill actually kissed the stone in 1912 and is today recognized as the greatest orator of the 20th century!
The Blarney Castle: You Gotta Work For It but You Don’t Have to Pay For It.
I’ve been blabbing on about that romantic kiss, so I’ll get to the point of the blog post. The Blarney Castle is located right outside of the city of Cork. It’s towards the bottom of Ireland, so after spending a day in Dublin, my best buds, John, Joel and I all left Dublin to explore the country, making a point to see one of the most prominent tourist locations of Ireland. So after about a 4 hours trip from Ireland’s capital, we made it down to the small town of Blarney. Apparently we got there at the perfect time. A large tour group was coming in through the gates at the same time, full of kids about the same age as us. We walked up to the gate mixed in the crowd, and their guide rushed them through the gate. Their tickets were already paid for. We stopped to go through the booth, until he hurried us through and insisted we don’t fall behind! Obviously we didn’t argue, I kissed the Blarney Stone for FREE!
John, Joel and I Pucker Up
Kissing the Blarney Stone was actually a little bit of adrenaline rush. You’d be surprised given that people old and young all do it, and so going into it , its just a rock you can easily kiss. But truthfully, reaching far enough back, risking life and limb to lean over the battlements to kiss a freaking stone really mean you’ve fallen in love. I wouldn’t do it for any other rock.
But they have you lay down, reach back with two arms onto the iron bars, and go back head first over a chute in the wall. You can see in my first picture that the view is just straight down! At least they made the effort to clean off everyones kisses to make sure I didn’t get sloppy seconds.
Don’t Miss The Rest of the Blarney Castle
Anyways, it was a hell of a walk up to the top of the castle, and the grounds were HUGE. I’d definitely recommend taking the time to walk around at everything. The gardens were beautiful, and there was a gorgeous mansion within the grounds. And the castle is also steeped in history.
But see it for yourselves! Here are only a couple of my MILLION pictures (Go here to see more Ireland Pictures!). Taken so you could all experience it with me! 🙂
Joel didn’t like having to walk so far.
I was plenty happy with everything.
So to pass the time. John and I danced. Pretty common.
We got just a little bit closer. It really puts things in perspective from this distance. Everything is much more epic in Ireland.
Here’s a better view of what the castle looks like as you get closer. It’s a gorgeous site. Interesting thing is you can see a line go down the middle. Apparently the second owner of the Blarney Castle felt the size was not suitable for his needs and doubled it by adding directly onto the side. That was after he killed a family member to get control of the castle. Family meant so little back in those days…
Next we headed over to the dungeons (probably where we belonged) to have another photoshoot. Why not.
Check it out! Side view!
Each level of the castle used to have a very large room at it’s central point. But the floors of each level haven’t stood the test of time. We’re seen standing here in the kitchen, which sat right underneath the Great Hall, which stood underneath the main bedroom chamber!
Once we got to the very top. After a hundred steps up a spiral staircase we got to take in the quant town of Blarney flowing along the curves of the countryside.
The mansion from the top of the Blarney Castle. You’ll see more of this epic architecture in a couple more pictures!
The Blarney Castle Gardens
You definitely don’t want to just take in the Castle. There is so much more to see at the grounds then just kissing the Blarney stone. Here’s what you’re missing if you don’t feel like taking a hike and exploring around the grounds. The gatehouse was picturesque.
The Blarney Mansion
The Extras
The following picture is probably what everyone thinks of when they imagine Ireland. Beautiful stone walls and mossy plants and small gateways. That’s a lot of what we saw, and we found this gem of a shot at the very ends of the grounds. It was definitely worth the trip.
Ben and Chris:
And with an amazing stroke of luck we met up with these two bozos in Blarney. Literally by pure chance! We didn’t plan on meeting them until later that night to get our party on in Cork. But more on them later. Just look at them. LOOK.
[button link=”http://photography.shanepatrickjones.com/?portfolio=cliffs-of-moher-ireland-st-patricks-week-2013″ color=”lightblue” newwindow=”yes”] For More Ireland Pictures, Click Here.[/button]
[button link=”http://shanepatrickjones.com/bucket-list/” color=”orange”] Click Here to See My Bucket List.[/button]
