Ok… admit it. You’ve done it. We all do it. You’ve probably done it lately.

C’mon… tell me…

“How often do you Google yourself?”

Well it’s fun to see where you rank. But if you own a business, it’s critical today to rank #1 on your own name. If you serve a local market, you should at least rank #1 on your own name in your city.

However, as I’ve pointed out again and again to audiences all over the globe when speaking… ranking on your own name isn’t really marketing. It’s customer service. (Ok… it’s also brand protection, which is a marketing function, but let’s not get nit-picky here.)

What Are Your Customers Searching For?

A far more useful idea, however, is to rank #1 (or at least near the top) in Google and those other search engines on phrases that likely buyers will use when they’re searching for the stuff you sell.

For example, if you happened to be looking for a place to eat out in my city (I live and work in the paradise known as Sarasota, Florida), you might run a search like:

“fondue Sarasota”

or

“buffalo wings Sarasota”

Admittedly, you probably aren’t real likely to run both of those searches on the same day… For a nice evening out, my wife and I really enjoy fondue together. And I personally can’t seem to drag her kicking and screaming to a wings joint (happens maybe once every 2-3 years), so I go there for lunch when possible with friends that enjoy hot wings… since one of the local places is my favorite restaurant in the entire world!

But I digress…let me get to the point.

“Why Haven’t They Contacted Me Yet?”

If you happen to be the owner (or manager) of, say…

• Dylan’s Fondue Fusion
• The Melting Pot
• Wings N Things
• Wings N Weenies

…don’t you think you would contact the marketing firm that owns the website that ranks #1 in Google on the above searches?

For the record, I never really set out to rank #1 on those terms. I just happen to have decided randomly one day to write about those topics. And I happen to know what tools to use to market a local business! And I happen to use those tools myself… so… rankings happen.

You know they’re running those Google searches from time to time, right? I mean seriously… you need to know where your business ranks on those kinds of terms. And you would want (I would think) to do everything in your power to make sure that you had good positioning… so…

In case you’re wondering… yes, we help businesses with search engine rankings. But as I recently pointed out on our small business marketing blog, rankings are only a piece of the puzzle. More importantly, we train small businesses how to be their own best marketers so that they can consistently attract customers in cost-effective ways — both online and offline.

Now… if you’re in a critical situation and need rapid help with the results you’re getting from your website, our website performance assessment is a great place to start.

Otherwise, you can contact us to learn more about how we can help you grow your business!

In a previous post, we reviewed what were some really great hot wings in Sarasota at a restaurant called Wing Junction. Sadly, the last time I was by their location on Beneva Road, the store had closed. Perhaps the location wasn’t great — there was previously a Beef O’Brady’s in the same center that didn’t ultimately make it.

In any event, given the number of people who frequent this site looking for tips on buffalo wings in Sarasota, here are my top recommendations:

Wings N’ Things

This is the original classic restaurant. Their first location was out on Cortez Road West in Bradenton — just a little stretch west of 75th Street West. It was originally called “Sandy’s Wings N’ Things.”  They ultimately built a location — probably nearly 20 years ago now (although I can’t be certain) at Lockwood Ridge and Tallevast Road. It’s technically in Manatee County, but it has a Sarasota postal address.

The Wings

Really great flavor. The sauces here are — to me — the quintessential great wings flavor. If you like your wings hot, order the “napalm” setting. It tastes great and it’s nice and hot — but not too crazy. Their “TNT” setting is one step below the Napalm and also tastes great. I’ve heard that their “hot” and even their “mild” are also pretty good, but since I prefer mine hot I really couldn’t say from personal experience.  Pair up the wings with a “curly Q” (a piping hot stacked-high order of fresh-cut curly fries) and top the fries off with some vinegar and salt. Pure heaven. One of the other sides that they offer are some fried cheese cubes with some kind of a cherry mustard sauce. Wow. Makes my mouth water just thinkin’ about it.

A big surprise for me was that they actually have a menu.  Who knew?  I’d certainly never used it… until one day I convinced my wife to go along (she hates wings because they’re too much work).  She ordered a tuna salad sandwich.  Really… from a wings joint? In any event, she said it tasted like wings. Goes to show you… stick with the good stuff.

So… while a bit of a drive from Sarasota proper, it’s well worth it. Call ahead to order:  (941) 351-8005.

Wow… news flash: while visiting their website, I discovered they have a new 2nd location near Clark Road and Tamiami Trail on Gateway Avenue. I think this merits a personal visit from me so that I can confirm for you — my faithful readers — that the wings there are just as good as the other location. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed — even though the restaurant has changed hands over the years, the newer owners have done a great job! *February, 2010 Update* The new location didn’t make it. But I did grab wings at the store at Lockwood Ridge & Tallevast a couple of months ago. Great as ever!

Wings N Weenies

I’ll admit… the name was a turnoff for me for a long time. Why the heck would a restaurant that specializes in wings also advertise “weenies?” Oh well… I’m a marketer, so I’m extra picky about stuff like that.

In any case, the wings aren’t bad. Their location on Fruitville Road (in the “Sarasota Crossings” shopping center just a little ways down from Publix) is actually fairly close to my house. I’ll stop in for lunch once in a while because it’s close by.

The Wings

Not bad. The flavors are pretty good… a not-so-close 2nd to Wings N Things. Their “TNT” setting is my usual choice. It’s not the hottest, but the “Nuclear” setting — which is the hottest — just doesn’t have a great flavor in my opinion. The size is really great — they don’t skimp on the chicken here. If you come hungry, expect to eat well.  Their fries are also on the slightly-above-mediocre level.  All in all, a worthwhile stop.

A couple of other advantages — they deliver (with a relatively low minimum order), and they also have some really great personalities that work there. Expect to have a good time with whomever is waiting on you.

Others

I’ll write again a future post on some of the other joints in town. If you have a favorite, leave a comment below and let me know.  One thing I can say is that I’ve heard great stuff about the “Wing Factory” at 17th Street and Lockwood Ridge Road. A good friend and fellow wings addict had raved about it so we met there a couple of months ago for lunch. The wings were — quite frankly — terrible. The hot sauce had some kind of BBQ flavor mixed in with it. We chalked it up to the fact that the waitress/cook was on her first day. I went back a few weeks ago and had the same bad-tasting wings with a different new girl. So… I’m not sure what to say about it.  The owner is an awfully nice guy and they clearly work hard, so I’ll probably try them again and see if we can get to the bottom of the mystery BBQ flavor.

Now I’m Hungry

And since I have some errands to run today… who knows? Maybe a stop for wings is on the agenda!

**Update (January, 2009): Wing Junction has, unfortunately, closed. A victim of the 2008 high food prices? Perhaps we’ll never know. In any case, we wish the former owner the very best. He’s a heckuva nice guy.

In the meantime, check out our more recent post on buffalo wings in Sarasota.

For all of you Wings addicts in Sarasota, you’ve got to check out the newest gig in town…

Wing Junction is in the Publix shopping center at 935 N. Beneva Road — home of the U.S. Postal Service and former home of the much-missed Beef O’Brady’s. (I guess the center is called “Sarasota Commons,” but who notices these things?)

The store has only been open for a few weeks, but I’ve already had the opportunity to sample the goods twice now. Both of my visits have been during lunch – mainly because the location is near my new office and I seem to be running errands in the vicinity.

The vibe is “Mom & Pop” with a nice, clean & fresh look. A TV or two adorn the walls of the dining room with plenty of seating. Both times I’ve been by, George has taken great care of me. He’s a friendly guy who is obviously putting his heart in his new business.

Now for the wings. I gotta say… this is a new favorite of mine. The size is nice and big – plenty of meat to sink your teeth into. He’s got 14 different flavors, including a few unusual ones like “Thai Peanut” and “Cheese & Garlic.” As to traditional buffalo wing sauce, you’ve got 4 choices: Extra Mild, Mild, Original Hot, and Atomic.

OK, I’m a “hot wings” kind-of-a guy, so I ordered the Atomic the first time around. I don’t recommend them unless you’re just into torture. The only thing I can compare them to is “Regrets” from the good old days when “Bob’s Buffalo Wings” was still around (you old-timers will know what I’m talking about). Wing Junction’s Atomic setting is every bit as hot, but not as pasty and sans the cayenne pepper chunks that were embedded in the goo of the “Regrets” wings. As to the after-effects… well, “Regrets” still applies! I will say this: it’s been a long time since any wings made my lips swell up and drew sweat!

The Original Hot setting is excellent, however, and has plenty of heat. I’d compare these to “Napalm” or “TNT” from Wings and Things. Great flavor!

The only complaint I’d have is that your celery and/or carrots are a separate item, so you have to remember to order them. Pricing is a smidge above average, but nothing to complain about. Get there on Wednesdays for 39-cent wings and you’ll make it out the door for under $10 with your Mountain Dew and your side item. Now that I snagged a menu for my office, I’m calling ahead at (941) 364-WING (9464) to have the order ready in 10 minutes or so for pickup.

By the way, there’s other stuff on the menu for the “non-wingers” in your group (if you have any).

Overall, I’d give Wing Junction two big thumbs up!