The web is an amazing tool for connecting people and ideas all over the world. With the web we truly have a global economy, a limitless think tank and abundant idea sharing. But don’t forget about local. From a search standpoint, it is becoming harder and harder to get page 1 placement. If you participate in local search you’re narrowing your range for reaching out to your potential customer with local search.

The best way to start participating in local search is with the search engine’s own tools, Google Local and Yahoo Local Search. Sign up for an account today, complete your company information, Google and Yahoo (and other engines) will verify that you’re the business owner and your local search reach will go live. But don’t stop there. Go local with your business relationships when possible. Only a small percentage of my business is local, but it’s a great way to raise awareness about your business, potentially do some bartering for products and services and network with local businesses in a more powerful way.

I’ve had a local (award-winning) winery as a customer for 4 years (Award Winning Winery, Cathedral Ridge Winery). They are great people with such love and passion for their jobs it’s hard not to get excited about the product and how we promote it. I take a percentage of my fees in wine, this allows me to understand all of the wine, how we promote it and to truly be an evangelist for the product.

We’re creating a site for a local Icelandic Horse Ranch and the owners also own a mercantile called Red Feather. They carry beautiful furniture, clothing, lamps, etc. We do a percentage of our project in trade (yes I have a gorgeous slate lamp and a lovely new pair of boots) but more importantly I spend time learning about their philosophies and how their business objectives for the mercantile and the ranch merge to create a powerful brand.

We’re doing some search marketing and optimization for a neighbor who is a Czechoslovakian photographer. Hood River Wedding and Portrait photographer, Vlado Skelnar, creates amazing, artistic photography. We’re swapping senior and family portraits for search and direct mail advice and this has allowed me to learn about his style and product so I can promote the business on and offline.

Recently I was looking for a new hosting company, someone local with time in the industry and a great reputation. I queried my friends at SEMPDX (our local search engine marketing organization) and one of my colleagues, Search Commander Scott Hendison, owns a hosting company, PDXTC Hosting. We’re very happily using their services now.

Invest in local business, even if it’s only a small part of your business. Don’t miss an opportunity to create understanding and awareness of your business by sharing who you are with other business owners, either through networking or bartering. Sure it’s a global economy, but it’s a lot of fun to foster business relationships locally, you don’t just grow your business, you share a handshake and a smile (and maybe a bottle of Reserve Pinot Noir;)