If you sell a service or product online you may not want to ignore the potential customers right in your own backyard. There are a number of potential local businesses who may be interested in what you have to offer, and as more and more people are using the internet for local searches you'll want to make sure your website is optimized to attract these local clients.

One way to attract more search engine visitors locally is to use local keywords when optimizing your site. For example, if you offer web design services in Arizona, research keywords and include keywords with your location when optimizing your pages.

You should also submit your site for free local search engine listings. There are several local ones to choose from but Google and Yahoo are the two big ones. When you submit you can add details about your business including your address, office hours and so on. You can also grab a link to a map of your location which you can place on your website.

When targeting local clients, placing your local address, phone number and a link to a Google map of your business at the very bottom of the page footer may help in your local search engine results.

Local city business directories can also be a good source of leads and traffic, but make sure you research the directory to see if it will actually produce results for you. There are many business directories popping up and you'll want to choose one with a good reputation and which can produce results.

But don't stop there; remember to include your website address on your business cards and local mailings so that local customers can view your website at their convenience. With many local business owners yet to get into the online marketing game, by starting early you'll stand out from your local competitors.