New Local Search Forum - OFFICIAL LAUNCH TODAY!

[Linda Buquet]

<center><strong><span style="color: #0e89b5; font-size: 12pt;">
Announcing the Official Launch of the
NEW Local Search Forum</span></strong>

Today I'm a Proud Mamma! This forum has been a dream of mine for over a year.
So I'm very excited to finally announce it. Hope you'll join us!</center>

<center><a href="http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6074" title="Local Search Forum" src="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/ForumLogoSmall3.jpg" alt="Local Search Forum" width="505" height="88" /></a></center>

The <strong><a href="http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/">Local Search Forum</a></strong> was developed due to popular demand by Catalyst blog readers and all of my Advanced Google Places Training and LOCAL SEO Training clients. They all want a positive and productive place to learn, discuss Google Places issues, brainstorm about local search and support each other.

The public forum includes several sections and tons of great content already. There is a forum for all the most important Google Places updates/bugs/alerts and a Google Places help/troubleshooting forum for business owners as well as consultants to post questions and problems in. There is also a <strong>Private Local Search PROs</strong> Forum that's only available to Advanced Places Training clients.

<strong><a href="http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/">Join the Local Search Forum Here!</a></strong> (Register button top right)

<strong>Check out all the important topics & great discussions so far - click recent posts at top of forum.
Set up a good signature and introduce yourself!</strong>

<strong><span style="color: #0e89b5; font-size: 11pt;">OH and this is YOUR COMMUNITY - I work for you now! ;-)
So just let me know what you need!</span></strong>

<em>We did an invitation-only pre-launch last week, but now we are ready to open to the public. My right hand man and our Forum Administrator <strong><a href="http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/member.php/1-djbaxter">David Baxter</a></strong>, a full-time practicing Psychologist and part-time Geek, was extremely instrumental in making it all happen and has been working with me tirelessly for weeks, tweaking code and templates to make everything work. <strong>Thank you David!</strong></em>

<strong>Thanks in advance for joining. Look forward to brainstorming with all of you!</strong>

 

[Chris Ratchford]

Great job Linda and David! I know I speak for everyone- thank you guys for putting this together!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks so much Chris. It truly was a labor of love and I think badly needed by the local search community.

ESPECIALLY as G+ fully rolls out, we're going to need a place to stay on top of everything and support each other. Could be a bit of a wild ride!

 

[Carleton Wilkins]

Much Congrats and Thanks, Linda!

You've been a HUGE and invaluable resource to the team here at Ingenuity Orthodontic Marketing, and we couldn't be more excited about participating in this forum. We are truly appreciative, and look forward to being a part of the "Catalyst revolution."

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Congrats!!

Congratulations Linda!! Honestly, I can't thank you enough for putting all the time and effort required to create this place and bring all these great minds together.

Looking forward to learning from all the community!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Ahhh thanks SO much Carleton! I really enjoy working with you too.

"Catalyst revolution" I LOVE it!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Colan, it was a lot of work to pull off, but will be SO worth it!

Local Search really needed it's own community and it's going to be exciting see
how we can all grow together and support each other.

 

[Luck Local]

Congrats!

Linda,

Congratulations on the launch of this most excellent forum. I am sure it will quickly become THE most valuable resource in the local search community.

woot!

Charlie

 

[Linda Buquet]

woot! woot!

Thanks a lot Charlie! Will be fun to watch this community grow!

Exciting stuff ahead. Just need time to pull it all off.

 

[Dino]

This is gonna be gooooooood.

I look forward to sharing as much as I can with this community. I've helped out quite a few people in the Google Places for Business Forum, but like the idea of a forum that covers more than Google +Local.

I think there are a lot of opportunities to market a local business beyond the maps listings - actually, I believe it to be mandatory. I'll be happy to share what has worked for my clients and will call on this forum from time to time when I need help as well.

Thanks Linda and David!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hey Dino,

Yep I love helping in the Places forum too. But it's mainly focused on the end user/business owner.

This forum will hopefully have lots of business owners join as well, but here we will cater more to the needs of the industry - Places consultants, Local SEOs, Ad Agencies. A place to share best practices and tips for avoiding all the Places minefields as they come up.

But also like you said - here we will be broader than just Googe+ Local issues.

Look forward to your participation.

 

[Don Berthiaume]

It's the End of the Rainbow!

Congratulations Linda and David.

This forum is going to simply rock as the dust from the most recent Google storm begins to settle and we try to help each other help local businesses.

I can honestly say I've been looking for something like this for a while now. To all of you stopping by for the first time, once you register you're going to feel like you've struck gold!

Linda, thanks for all your help and I'm looking forward to more of your insight and knowledge.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Oh Don, that was such a nice compliment and thank you so much for including David in your thank you!

Yes I hope this place will provide shelter from the last storm AND the bigger one that's about to hit us all!

Here's to learning and growing some more with you!

 

[Don Berthiaume]

I have a hat like his hanging around here somewhere...

I've done a forum or two so I've worn his hat! His efforts and hard work here are greatly appreciated!

 

[JoyHawkins]

Hey Everyone! I'm excited about this new forum! I hope to learn/share a lot. Great idea Linda.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks so much Joy.

Looking forward to learning/sharing with you too!

 

[Travis Van Slooten]

Linda:

Wow...that was fast...lol. Wasn't it just about a month ago you told me you were going to be launching this forum but you didn't know when? I was expecting sometime in the fall given how busy you are these days. Thanks for pushing it up and surpassing my expectations!

Congrats on the launch. I look forward to being a regular around here and sharing everything I can with everyone.

Travis Van Slooten

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Travis,

Ya you are right a month ago and I was on the verge and wanted this really bad, BUT was so swamped I couldn't see my way clear.

Then suddenly I was like OK it's TIME NOW! And with David's help got it all designed and working and even populated pretty well, although lots more to come.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Wanted to be sure you guys know I REALLY mean it when I say this is YOUR community!

There is a section down at the bottom for problems and suggestions. So please do let us know if there is anything you want added or changed on the forum and we'll try our best to make it happen.

 

[Nick.SEOSpark]

Thanks for all of your hard work. This place is very exciting for all of us in local search.