Want a closer look at that pug screen cleaner?  Click here.

Want your own copy?  Click.

We’ve been woofing for a year or more about ‘tricking out’ your business listings in Google Local Business Center (aka Google maps).  It’s easy, only takes a few minutes and gives your business a significant advantage in Google.  Watch this video for a super-fast overview:

Why?  According to Web Strategy Workshop:

• 84% of searches in the USA are local, which is why Google gives them a lot of space ‘above the fold’ in their search results.  This is now the only place on a Google search results page you can usually come up with an organic (unpaid) result.
• 86% of those that search for a local business follow up after finding your information. 
• 61% then follow through to make a purchase.  61% of local searches convert to sales.  Where else can you BUY advertising with that kind of conversion rate?  And Google’s Local Business Center is FREE but for your time to fill out the information.

Tips:

• Use the key phrases your customers are likely to type into a Google search when you write descriptive text in your page of Google Local Business Center.
• Take advantage of the insight tools in the Google Local Business Center to measure results.  You’ll have access to all kinds of information about where your customers are coming from and what they searched to find you.  You can then use that information to improve your key phrases and optimize your Google Local Business page.
• If you want to amp up your Google presence, try AdWords.  But don’t over-spend.  Use AdWords built-in geographic targeting system to ensure your ads are being seen by those the most likely to convert to sales.  Don’t pay for “Tuna” when you can pay for “Fresh Caught Tuna Ilwaco WA”.  The latter will get fewer clicks, but each click you pay for is likely to convert to business.

A California company has found that computer users consistently choose weak passwords, with the most common one being 123456.

The second-most common password is 12345, followed by 123456789. And the fourth most common password is “password.”

You can see where this is going.

Read the whole article.

No time?  Remember this:  Passwords should contain a minimum of eight characters. They should include a mix upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and special characters such as !@#$%^&*.

Which brings us to Keleigh’s favorite joke of the minute:

During a recent password audit at City Hall, it was found that a Councilman was using the following password: “HappySleepyDopeyDocGrumpySneezyBashfulRudolfOlympia”

When asked why she had such a long password, the City leader said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital.

Seattle-based bag manufacturer Tom Bihn has a Seattle factory showroom/retail store that is open to the public one day per month. Otherwise, the bags are available exclusively through its Web site.   What makes Tom Bihn’s social media efforts successful?

• Engagement Began With Forums
• Blog Is Central Hub
• A-Ha Moments On Flickr
• Two-Way Enagement On Facebook
• Demo Videos On YouTube
• Tweets Are Content Mix

They’re doing exactly what we’ve been telling you to do.  Their marketing approach hasn’t changed; they’ve adapted it to media that is changing.  They still do all the things they used to do; they’ve simply figured out how to do them online using the latest technology.  They have a nice mix of using each social site for a unique purpose while also reinforcing their brand with the same message on each.  Take a look at Tom Bihn – they’re doing a great job.  How do we know?  Results speak.

Read the Tom Bihn Social Media Success Story on openforum.com

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit this morning with Donna Quinn on her KMUN 91.9 FM Coast Community Radio program, Talk of Our Towns.  It was my first time on radio and Donna, along with Chief Engineer Terry Wilson, did a fabulous job of making me feel comfortable.  In fact, it was a lot of fun!

I got to talk about some of my favorite things:  beachdog.com, of course, small business marketing, social networking and the 3/50 Project.  You can grab a copy of the program over at www.coastradio.org/toots.html, or listen here:

Click the photo to launch the show in your media player.

–Keleigh Schwartz, Alpha Dog