Internet Marketing - Matt Bailey [191]
If you have a website that has been around for many years, chances are you may already be listed in these two directories. (In the early days of the directories, some editors would simply add sites that they found in order to populate a category.) If not and you have a new website, then it may be worth the cost and the wait to list your website. If you choose to do so, then I suggest reading through the website submission guidelines of both directories extremely well and making the correct submission the first time, rather than wasting time and money in submitting a site description that will be rejected.
In addition to these and other generalized directories, there are many specialized vertical directories. (A vertical in this sense is a business or niche-specific directory. Examples of these can be found in the travel, automotive, electronics, publishing, and many more niche markets.) Finding these directories is as simple as a web search for a business directory in your market (see Figure 16-5). Many directories exist as part of a network or a resource for a market. It is a good idea to become familiar with the networks and directories in your market, because they may also be involved in other ventures related to your business (such as blogging).
Figure 16-5: Simply searching for a directory will help you find relevant sites for including a link to your website.
As with submitting your site to the other directories, be sure you follow any instructions listed for inclusion into other directories. Also, be ready to pay a fee, because many sites require a fee as a method of monetizing their content.
Local Directories and Associations
As you use the search engines themselves to find linking opportunities, you have probably noticed a heavy emphasis on local results. The top three search engines have put noticeable resources in developing the local results and making local businesses more findable. If you have a local business and have not taken advantage of these free listings, you need to visit the local listing center at each search engine:
Google Local Business Listings (http://maps.google.com).
Yahoo! Local (http://local.yahoo.com) and Yahoo! travel (http://travel.yahoo.com).
Bing Local Listing Center (https://ssl.bing.com/listings/BusinessSearch.aspx).
Business/social websites and directories like Yelp (yelp.com) and FourSquare (foursquare.com) have found ways to reach beyond the typical directory structure. They provide business information based on distance and reviews. They allow visitors to rate and review businesses, and you can make a very good decision on using a business based on the feedback of others.
These localized resources provide great links to a business, but they are also very high visibility links, because the search engines are all attempting to push local listings for local searches. Again, the search engines are attempting to provide the most relevant results, so when local businesses are searched, the searcher had better see local businesses first. Even beyond the local search, the ability to find a local supplier rather than ordering online with a business you’ve never met can be a significant resource.
Getting your local business into the results is a way to push the national players further down in the results and provide your local business with more prominence. The search engines provide a lot of space on the results page for local business results, and it is a great way to help people find you (see Figure 16-6). Not only can they see your search listing, but business results provide phone numbers, hours of business, reviews, directions, subway lines, and other relevant information to help people locate the establishment as well.
Figure 16-6: A local search result for my favorite restaurant in Midtown Manhattan
If you have a “brick-and-mortar” business, then chances are you may also be a member of a few local organizations. Chambers of Commerce usually list their members’ websites along with the business information