WHAT YOU WOULD LEARN

Local U is an informative four-hour crash course in the basics of internet marketing–and especially Local Search. It’s largely a beginners’ event that is definitely intended specifically for business owners and is aimed at helping them to thrive online.

Seminar attendees learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Local Search Optimization and Social Media  tips and techniques that will lead to sustained, long-term search engine rankings–and, hopefully, new customers. We are particularly concerned with debunking common myths and fallacies about internet marketing, while coaching you on strategies and tactics that really work.

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WHO WE ARE

Local U brings together some of the top minds in the local search space–David Mihm, Mike Blumenthal, Matt McGee, Mary Bowling, and Ed Reese, Aaron Weiche, Mike Ramsey and Will Scott. Representatives from Google Places and Bing Local frequently attend our events and walk business owners through the features of their business listing programs and answer questions from attendees.

Part of our plan with this series is to focus on cities that “don’t get the attention they deserve” – communities that have been at least partly left behind by the tech explosion, but are hungry to catch up with the San Franciscos, New Yorks, and Seattles.

Attendees at our inaugural event in Spokane, Washington fit that bill, and responded very positively–95% said they felt the event was worth the price, and over 85% said they’d recommend Local University to other small business owners.

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TYPICAL LOCAL U AGENDA

Each Local University features two identical half-day sessions, covering a wide range of Internet Marketing topics, but with a focus on Local Search Engine Optimization. Occasionally, we present advanced events aimed at marketing agencies and in house marketers. If you’d like to be notified of these, please fill out a contact form so that we can keep you informed.

Although we customize the agenda for each venue based on attendee feedback, a sample follows below:

  • Conference Welcome & Introduction (10 minutes)
  • Introduction to the Search Engines (25 minutes)
  • The ABCs of Local Search (30 minutes)
  • Ranking in Local Search Results (25 minutes)
  • Q & A (20 minutes)
  • Break (10 minutes)
  • Website Optimization Basics (25 minutes)
  • Understanding Your Website Traffic (15 minutes)
  • Getting Social Online (25 minutes)
  • Internet Marketing for Do-It-Yourselfers (15 minutes)
  • Case Studies (10 minutes)
  • Q & A (25 minutes)
  • Conclusion & Takeaways (5 minutes)

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HELPING OUT

10% of all ticket sales for Local University are typically donated to charities in the areas we visit. Some of the groups we have provided support for include Tin Can, the Twin Cities Media Alliance, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Downtown Colorado, Inc., Junior Achievement of Greater Birmingham, and the Zimmerman Community Center.