A recent SEOChat discussion brought up an interesting question; in what cities is SEO more popular/and or known? Since search engine optimization (SEO) is a more specific sub-set of a larger industry, I thought I would take a broader term, Internet Marketing. Let's see where Dallas falls on the list. From using keyword research tools over the years, I have seen Dallas as a high level stem on multiple terms by just by typing in Internet Marketing in the tool's keyword suggestion box we can learn the highest search terms using those two keywords together. Incredibly, the city name Dallas, falls after five of the top ten.

Top Ten Searches Using the Term Internet Marketing

1. Internet marketing 2,548 daily searches
2. Internet marketing services 252 daily searches
3. Dallas Internet marketing 236 daily searches
4. Internet viral marketing 217 daily searches
5. Dallas Internet marketing services 190 daily searches
6. Internet marketing optimization 190 daily searches
7. Dallas Internet Marketing Consultant 187 daily searches
8. Dallas Internet Marketing firm 175 daily searches
9. Internet marketing strategy 157 daily searches
10. Dallas Internet marketing consulting 123 daily searches

Is there just an inordinate number of businesses looking for Internet Marketing services in the Dallas area, or is something else going on? Some may argue, a lot of these searches come from Internet Marketing and SEO firms in Dallas searching for themselves. If that were the whole case, we'd see higher searches for bigger cities on the top ten list such as LA and New York. Colorado seems not far away at for the keyword search.

13. Internet Marketing specialists Colorado 102 daily searches
14. Internet Marketing specialists Colorado 101 daily searches
15. Internet Marketing specialists Denver 101 daily searches

I've noticed in smaller states, searchers will using the state name over the major cities, since he/she may
be open to doing business (and/or drive) with companies in any major city in the state.

From this research it's needless to say Internet Marketing is quite popular Dallas. Whatever the reason, Dallas is the home of AdAge's Power 150 blogger Brian Clark, aka Copyblogger, and SEO by the Sea Google patent researcher Bill Slawski, aka SEO by the Sea and several other known Dallas Internet Marketing Consultants. Here are ten, most of whom I've met.

10 Dallas Internet Marketing Consultants & Companies

1. Tom McCracken - LevelTen Interactive
2. Rob Garner - iCrossing.com
3. Shama Hyder - Click to Client
4. Tony Wright - Wright, IMC
5. Mark Barrera - Vizion Interactive
6. Christine Churchill - KeyRelevance
7. Kat Rice - Veribatim
8. Lori Barber - Net Success
9. Gary T. Hooker - Imaginity Interactive
10. Steve Plunkett (Paisley)- MCC

Dallas is the home to many fortune 500 companies which are catching on to the enormous ROI potential from Internet Marketing. Most are using outside firms, interactive divisions of large ad agencies, or smaller boutiques, and some are starting their own in-house division. Most people I meet still don't "get" what I do in small talk, but it's getting better since the Wallstreet Journal and New York Times have been publishing articles about Internet Marketing, SEO, Social media with ever increasing frequency. To show you the growing interest, many Dallas Internet Marketing groups have popped up over the years and their memberships are increasing every year.

Three Dallas Internet Marketing Associations & MeetUp Groups
Dallas/Fort Worth Search Engine Marketing Association
Dallas Interactive Marketing & Internet SEO/SEM Meetup
DFW Interactive Marketing Association

Neil Lemons is an Internet Marketing Specialist for LevelTen Interactive. He has been learning traditional SEO and SEM tactics since 2004 and managing pay-per-click marketing campaigns, and organic SEO programs with clients in many different verticals including financial, B2B, non-profit, medical, and educational professionally since 2006. To learn more about Internet Marketing, check out LevelTen's Internet Marketing podcasts, articles, blog, & forums.

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