In a previous article about SEO techniques we mentioned one of the “Offsite” elements, that being Local Directories. “Local” Directory Services are still used extensively by people or businesses when searching, so it is prudent to take every opportunity and get relevant quality back links to your sites and listings. This is crucial for these directory services in order to appear in the Search Engine Result Pages (serps), however we must add that one should not use any old directory service! We do our homework and investigate the pagerank or page authority of these directory services, we look for a minimum PR3 or page authority of 30 (the page ranking). Google penalized many of these directory services a few years ago and stripped them of their rankings as they came to be seen as nothing more than “Link Farms”.

Local Business Directories

Local business directories can be a valuable and often overlooked source of traffic and links. As Google continues to roll out  “Universal Search” results, one can see that they are becoming very regionalized.

One of the many benefits of submitting to local business directories includes:

Local Brand Recognition: Good brands tend to be well established, which is reflected in their Page Authority or Page Rank. They are not usually targeted by optimizers, which helps to create a unique profile and increase recognition amongst a growing customer base. It is important to establish your brand in the local market and build trust with the businesses (in your targeted directory) and consumers that support you.

• Tip: Some listings are free of charge and you’ll also benefit from local human traffic. Submit to and take advantage of these free listings increasing your ROI and benefiting your budget.

Google is once again the logical starting point when we go hunting for local directories, we take our time and are thorough. It is key to start really local and then broaden the search circle to include local towns or cities and then the county. 

• Tip: Remember always make notes (a log) of the dates of your submission as well as the URL to the listing. Keep all your data on a spreadsheet for ease of use.

We hope that you have found this article useful, but remember, we can do all of this for you and give you the time to manage your business. Give us a call today to find out more.

Howzit Media Marketing is a Creative Marketing Agency based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We specialize in Marketing, Online Marketing, Branding, SEO and Social Media Consulting.

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