As you know, I think that all searches, like politics, are local. Knowledge should be as well.
There is a huge disconect between what is happening in “local” and many of the businesses on the street that really need to leverage the possibilities for marketing that come from that knowledge. We hope that Getlisted.org Local University can start to fill that gap.
Our first event is scheduled in Spokane, Wa. for February 4th. The event, with a choice of morning or afternoon session, is targeted to businesses that are beginning to explore the possibilities of online marketing. It will be jammed full of information with presentations from David Mihm, Matt McGee, Mary Bowling, Ed Reese of Spokane, Ari Bezman & Ryan Howard of Google and myself.
The seminar costs $129, but you can use the coupon code “mb2010″ to register for only $79. (I am hoping to gather more sign ups than either David or Matt 
) There are only 100 seats in each session.
A little background on the Local University…
Last fall at SMXEast, David Mihm, Mary Bowling and I talked about what a “local conference” might look like. I had been thinking about the idea for a while and obviously David and his partner Patrick had as well. The time seemed right to move on creating a local series that brought knowledge to the folks that needed it day in and day out. We wanted a truly local event that included:
-Top notch National and Local speakers
-Partnering with local business development groups & national entities involved with Local
-Reasonable pricing to encourage SMB attendance
-Presentations in the many mid major cities beyond the NY/SF circuit
-Involvement with local charities
With the help of Ed Reese in Spokane who is doing a bang up job coordinating local sponsorship and marketing and an encouraging grant from Google we have been able to create this first event. We are hoping that from this experience we can develop a model to allow us to present in similar sized cities across the US.
If you are interested in helping us organize a similar event in your city or you wish to consider national sponsorship for future events, drop either David or myself a line.
February 4th is rapidly approaching and I am hoping to meet some of you in Spokane at the first stop of what will hopefully be many Local Universities.
You have been doing a bang-up job on helping us put the event together as well, Mike. Looking forward to pulling this one off & expanding to future destinations!
The next one should definitely be easier for you to get to. I am somewhat surprised that someone as voluble as Earlpearl has not yet commented about the possibility of an event on the east coast…
Comment by David Mihm (153 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 11:00 am
@David
Thanks…on the Earlpearl front..trust me, he has been voluble just not in regards to this…he is actively engaged in some very relevant (to his business) sleuthing that I have been helping him with..
Comment by Mike (2421 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 11:03 am
@Mike I see, so he has been more focused on using the astute side of his personality of late.
Comment by David Mihm (153 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 11:06 am
Hey there Mike….
))) then I’d be there in an hour….
can not get to Spokane this time…BUT as I’ve said elsewhere, if you ever want to run one in NY (personally I like Ellicotville as a spot to think about
or anywhere really in our area is fine….and hope that someone thinks of us “non-attendees” and gets the pp deck or a blog populated with the conference notes…
Jim
Comment by Jim Rudnick (153 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 12:00 pm
Might see you there Mike. It would be great to meet in person. I do think that there should be a Boise event some time down the road. I will do the footwork when that time comes!
And I think Olean should be the next big stop
Comment by Mike R. (1 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 12:37 pm
I see that Larry and Curley are at it again. Good thing Jim and Mike R broke up the comedy routine.
Stoogingly yours,
Moe
Comment by Earlpearl (676 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 1:19 pm
@earlpearl..while I guess I’m “outta” the loop on your comment, nice to see that my fav 3 guys STILL get some press…and that this post will climb the google serps too for them!
nuck, nuck, nuck!!!
Jim
Comment by Jim Rudnick (153 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 1:21 pm
@earlpearl
You better be careful or I will go comment on your “Mike B. made me promise to write back on everybody’s comment’s” post!
Comment by Mike Ramsey (91 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 1:23 pm
[...] wonder what the usual suspects, the Local SEO experts, will have to say on the subject. Mike Blumenthal just posted about the major local seo [...]
Pingback by Tenacious Frog - “post to your place page” - Google Local Business Center turning into a small business blog dashboard — January 14, 2010 @ 2:03 pm
@Jim
Eville is probably out of the question…but you never know what kind of information a beer will buy..:)
@Mike Ramsey
Look forward to meeting you…just be sure to use code “mb2010? to register!
Comment by Mike (2421 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 2:07 pm
At least at Eville I KNOW the beers would be RollingRocks…my own all-time fav!
Have a great time out there, Mike and I’d order Oly’s out there….
Jim
Comment by Jim Rudnick (153 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 2:25 pm
@Jim:
There is always Shemp
I nuck to your nuck, nuck, nuck
Comment by Earlpearl (676 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 3:56 pm
LOL….wow a stoogesFan…then I’d suppose the only missing one was Joe…only saw him in a few shorts…but then again he was okay but NOT Curly for sure….my own personal fav!
whoop-whoop-whoop!!!
Jim
PS Mike, this could become a new facebook contender, eh?
Comment by Jim Rudnick (153 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 4:04 pm
@Jim, Earl et al
Now I know what I have to do to run a popular blog…write about the 3 stooges instead of local …this is more comments than I have had in the last week!
Comment by Mike (2421 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 4:13 pm
I’m cranking away at .edu link request rationales, and LOVE the interruption….
but yeah, one day maybe I gotta look at putting up a 3 Stooges site….but till then, your site will do, Mike!
Jim
Comment by Jim Rudnick (153 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 4:20 pm
Jim, Mike, et al:
I believe there is a lot of relevance between Local and the stooges. For instance in this shot it looks to me that the Stooges are lost……probably depended on directions from G Maps
http://www.threestooges.com/news/Resolve/index.asp?page=9
Comment by Earlpearl (676 comments) — January 14, 2010 @ 5:01 pm
great post, earl….and I’ve got a new 3 Stooges site link too!
Jim
Comment by Jim Rudnick (153 comments) — January 15, 2010 @ 10:51 am
Jim, Mike, fans of Mike’s blog, stooges fans:
There is far more relevance between Local and the stooges. The real relevance is between the mistake prone nature of Google Maps and the pure danger/lunacy of the stooges.
The following pic is extremely relevant. The poor sick consumer under the sheet in the following picture…unfortunately found his surgeons by using Google Maps and turned up a spammy Onebox for surgeons.
Actually somebody contacted Google, telling them the results weren’t appropriate letting them know there were other and better qualified surgeons in the metro region. Google ignored the request, shoved it under the covers, didn’t act…..left the spammy Map,…and ….well…here are the results….
http://www.threestooges.com/news/Resolve/index.asp?page=8
Comment by Earlpearl (676 comments) — January 15, 2010 @ 1:08 pm
Mike: I see you have 999 comments. Your next one, #1,000 is going to be pretty big.
I’d suggest that for such an auspicious moment you place the comment in a thread that is covering a very deep and important issue.
How about this one? There are lots of opportunities to comment on the 3 Stooges
nyuck, nyuck, nyuck
Comment by Earlpearl (676 comments) — January 19, 2010 @ 3:26 pm
well…lets see…I got like 35 and Mike will have 1000…
yeah that’s about it, eh…
vertical-hand-move-in-front-of-nose-to-prevent-an-dbl-eye-stab
Jm
Comment by Jim Rudnick (153 comments) — January 19, 2010 @ 3:35 pm
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