Promote Your Local Business Online And Offline

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Nowadays, many people search online for services instead of reaching for the phone book. To increase your online exposure your pages should include your street address, zip code, phone number, and five-digit zip code. Include place names in the title tag such as “the name of your city and your service.” When you seek links to your site contact local businesses. A noncompeting local business should be interested in exchanging links with you. Make sure that the anchor text includes the name of your city. List your business within local business directories. If you are a member of you local chamber of commerce, ask for a link from their website.

Submit To Directories

Links from directories are some of the most valuable links you can get. Note: Directories are not the same as search engines. A link from a directory will help your search engine ranking. There are thousands of online directories, but some are more significant than others. In addition to directories such as the Open Directory Project, some of the most important search engines such as Yahoo and Google have directories of their own.

Some of the greatest advantages of submitting your site to directories are you get:

· One-way links. Remember, one-way links are more valuable than reciprocal links;
· Potentially qualified clients repeatedly see your listing.

Obtaining links from directories drive an increasing amount of traffic to your site. In addition, you are improving your ranking within search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Once you submit your site information to a directory, it may take weeks or even months to get listed.

While many directories are free, don’t be surprised when you are asked to pay for submission. Certain directories promise to expedite the submission process for paying customers. Directories provide you with a constant stream of visitors and highly valuable one-way links, be sure they are part of your marketing strategy.

Submit Your Site to Industry Sites and Specialized Directories

Because a link from a relevant site is more important than one from an irrelevant site, links from industry sites and specialized directories are highly valuable. If your business is a member of professional associations, ask for a link to your site. The more links you obtain from related websites, the more likely your site will be considered an authority site.

Searching online you will find directories focused on your particular industry such as business coaching, accounting, retail, and such. You almost certainly belong to various trade associations that list member sites. Contact the Webmaster and ask for a link. You may get a link for free or you may be required to pay a fee, either way, it is worth it.