Make sure that the search engines can recognize your contact details

Writing your telephone number down seems like a simple task but HOW you write it may warrant some consideration.  If you are trying to make your website as optimized as possible, then one of the many small little elements to optimize will be your business telephone number. 

I have seen it written many different ways.  Some people like to be cool and separate the numbers with dots or slashes.  Maybe  that is a new European style but if you want to maximize your web and telephone traffic, then you will want to begin writing your telephone number in the format that GOOGLE likes to see it.

You business telephone does much more than give people a way to contact you.  It also links your business to a geographic location.  Google refers to this as "geo-targeting".  The search engine will offer up different results to users based upon where they are located.  If your telephone number is in an unrecognizable format, then you and your site will be less recognizable by the search engine.

Mobile web browsers on cell phones can recognize a properly formatted telephone number and allow the user to click and
call.  This is a very useful feature that I find myself using quite often lately.  No matter where I am, the Blackberry can find the number I need and connect me from the browser.  Don't ignore your mobile web optimization.  Blackberrys and iPhones are becoming very poplular.  I always have my cell phone in my pocket, but almost never carry a telephone book.

Just out of curiosity, I did a little study of my own habits.  In the past seven days, I have looked up 22 business telephone numbers on my cell phone web browser and clicked the number to initiate the telephone call.  Make sure that you make it easy for your customers to contact you.

Format your number for the web

• Do a Google search for "web solutions 63701"
• Look at the first local listing
• Notice how Google formats the number