Search Inventory Shortage for Small Business?

[Chicago]

Has search marketing become too cost prohibitive for small biz to purchase keywords?

Put another way, do broad match techniques, brand dollars, and national co.'s make it too difficult for small biz to compete on Google and Yahoo?

[inbound]

It's getting that way unless they localise, but that's not always an option for every business.

Local service-based companies can still get a good deal but a small business trying to sell country-wide is going to have real problems. It's the way of the world, national TV adverts are available to anyone that can pay and nationwide generic keywords are going the same way.

You only need to look at mature media such as Local/National TV and Local/National Newspapers to see that there will always be options for small buinesses (if they have money to spend then someone will let them). We are at the stage where Google & Yahoo are becoming the big 'TV broadcasters' and niche sites are gearing up to be the equivalent of 'Local TV'.

[bakedjake]

Broad Match makes it rediculously expensive to advertise.

This will continue as search marketing prices become more in line with the rest of the world.

[ortelius]

I work with some local businesses, and we have gotten some very cost effective keywords both with Google regional Adwords and Yahoo local (although Yahoo Local is only if you have a bricks and mortar location).
WiltonBiz