You want the proof? You can't handle the proof!

Less than 2 weeks ago I wrote a restaurant review post about Romano's Italian Restaurant in Essington, PA. I did it for several reasons. First, because the original stromboli they serve there is truly a taste bud treat. Saliva is filling my mouth as I type. Second, I wanted to illustrate to Julie Ferenzi how to use RealEstateShows.com to add value in local content. And third, I wanted to illustrate how this can help build solid relationships. I didn't do it to prove the SEO benefit of a blog post.

I sent the link to Pete Romano, the owner, and he loved it. He loved the post. He loved the Show. He said that he was practically brought to tears reading and watching. If I had been a real estate agent in his community doing this, I think the relationship part would be solidified! As complete strangers, we now had a bond. And it is a real bond. And I'm thankful for it.

As fate would have it, I was asked to fly back to Philadelphia just a few days after posting that review. I knew I was going to have 90 minutes free, so I told Pete I was going to stop by again and get another Stromboli. He was as excited as I was, it turned out. He wanted me to meet his father, his son, his aunts, his girlfriend. I was floored by it. And honored. My post was printed out on the wall by the cash register when I walked in.

Why I Carry A Camera With Me Everywhere 

When I arrived, he took me into the back office and introduced me to his family and then we sat down to talk and eat. What transpired surprised me. He said something to his son, Danny, about his Google page rank that caught me off guard. I asked him to repeat himself and I quickly turned on my video camera. This is not award winning footage, but it's in the moment.

He had been hounding his webmasters for three months to improve his page rank. One ActiveRain post moved his site to number one for the search terms he had been checking every day. It was the first time that this had happened for him. The ActiveRain post was number two. He was shocked. In a good way.

He won't get those same results today. One post won't create lasting Google juice. But it clearly illustrates the power of blogging, both to position yourself on the internet and to establish relationships. The SEO benefit, in my opinion, is secondary. I don't even think about SEO. I don't blog for SEO. The primary benefit is building connections with real people. It's about helping others grow their businesses. Again, if I were a real estate agent in his community, I know I'd be the one getting referrals if he overheard someone thinking about buying or selling a home. There is no question in my mind! That one post may not create lasting Google juice, but it will create some lasting relationship juice.

The real juice is the relationship juice, not the Google juice. It's all about relationships. 

If you're not connecting with local businesses in this way... start. The benefits for both of you are huge.