This is the fourth in our series of step-by-step how-to add your business to free Local Search Directories. See the links at the end of this post to locate the first three in the series. If you use our Local Search form to gather your business information you will have everything you need for each directory.
Local Promote is more commonly called Local.com and like many other Local Search Directories they are experiencing strong growth as you can see in this Site Profile from Compete.com showing over 10 million unique visitors in both May and June of 2009. [Click on the image to see additional data on Local Promote at Compete.com]
Compete Site Profile for Local.com
There are only a couple of special tips necessary to complete the simple process of adding your business to Local.com:
- Phone numbers will auto-format as you type. Use numbers only (their system adds parentheses around area codes).
- You can only choose TWO categories so be sure to select carefully.
If you need assistance they offer Live Chat from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST or you can phone them at (888) 857-6722. Most likely they are available the same hours for phone assistance as they are for chat. The screen captures below show the information requested. Some images including the one that offers the paid upgrades can be clicked on to open the actual Local Promote page.
Add Your Business Page at Local.com
We are currently working on several spreadsheets for tracking Local Search engine submissions. Watch for them in upcoming posts. We highly recommend you add your business to all of the free Local Search directories available. Investing the time once provides you with free advertising indefinitely. See the Local Search and Special Offer tabs at the top of every page for additional information. Also see these other step-by-step posts:
STEP-BY-STEP LOCAL SEARCH PROCESSES:
- How to Add Your Business to Merchant Circle
- How to Add Your Free Business Listing to infoUSA
- How to Add Your Free Business Listing in Yelp
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{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: @marketseeker
I did what you suggested and created a form in excel with all my information but I will probably do it again in roboform so I can fill in these forms automatically. I’m enjoying these posts though, thanks
.-= Al + Las Vegas SEO Company´s last blog ..las-vegas-advertising-solution =-.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi Al,
Thanks for being the first to comment on this new post. Did you look at the form I linked to the post? I stopped using Roboform but back when I don’t think it could store all that information but it does make filling in routine fields like names and addresses faster.
I know that you provide Local Search services so do feel free to add any tips you may have and add relevant links to any information you have on your own site. You can link to them in the Website field comment body or in the body of the comments. Akismet will probably catch them but I will manually approve them.
Wait until you see the tracking spreadsheets with embedded clickable links I’m working on. Once I have the process completed and tested I will share it so others may benefit from it.
For any other Search Engine Marketing (SEM) or Search Engine Optimization (SEO) companies reading this you are also welcome to participate here. The more we collaborate the more all benefit. All links from comments are dofollow. I do delete spammers and links to adult content.
There are so many businesses in need of local search listings there is more than enough work for anyone interested in that field. Although I do sometimes provide this service it is not my main focus and I am not concerned about competition.
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..DMOZ Now Largely a Waste of Time =-.
Yet another installment in a great series of articles…..thanks for the update!
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi Matt,
My intention is to create a post for each Local Directory and then pull them all together in a process. I’m building a spreadsheet w/ hyperlinks any business can use for tracking their listings.
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How Much Is A Memorable Logo Worth? =-.
that was unique info, but are those promotions for free, are those Local search directories same effective as that of Google PR, i think this for Home users and not for professional, whose only earning source is Affiliate marketing.
.-= Mark Slater@healthy life tips´s last blog ..Healthy Living: Gaining Maximum Benefits =-.
Twitter: @marketseeker
Now this is a perfect example of a worthless post. If you’re going to mooch links from blog posting at least be coherent.
Of course the links gained form these sources will not for the most part help affiliate marketers with link love but what about traffic. If you are a “professional” affiliate marketer surely you can see some value in the traffic that comes to these sites.
.-= Al + Las Vegas SEO Company´s last blog ..las-vegas-advertising-solution =-.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi Mark,
The Local Search Directories I recommend all have free options and many also offer upgrades for which there are fees. Think of them as online yellow pages (printed phone directories). Any business with a physical address can benefit from getting listed in them.
The directories are often high Google PR sites so incoming links from them carry more weight with Google and can improve search engine position. Some provide databases to other directories; others have high online usage. Either way it doesn’t make sense to ignore a free way to get more potential customers.
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Add Your Free Business Listing to infoUSA =-.
Twitter: @ram002
Thanks for the info. I’ll use the local.com.
.-= Hangelbel´s last blog ..How Does An Affiliate Marketer Earn Money Online? =-.
Twitter: @DDayLanding
I’ve been using on-line directories for quite some time and found them a good way of promoting my site, as in my opinion they produce good back links. One of the SEO blogs I read yesterday claimed that links from directories don’t help your ranking or search engine placing. This flies in the face of my experience. What do you think?
Also, what happens if I put my twitter ID in the comment box? How does that work?
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi David,
There are many businesses and SEO/SEM companies that report adding businesses to Local Search directories improves their organic listings sometimes almost overnight. I suspect those who believe they don’t help are assuming that because some of these links seem to be nofollow they should not help. My experience is that they do.
(For information on dofollow versus nofollow see the post about DoFollow Tools and Lists.)
Any owner who searches on their business name will see listings from these directories so nofollow or dofollow they DO get indexed and they do count as incoming links.
What happens when you put your Twitter ID in that field (just the UserID without the @ symbol) is that the plugin creates a hyperlink directly to your Twitter account so that I and anyone else who chooses can easily come find and follow you there. It also “automagically” adds that information to any previous comments you have made in the blog using it.
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Write a Review at Merchant Circle =-.
Twitter: @DDayLanding
Many thanks. You’ve cleared up 2 questions for me and I’ve learnt 2 new things. AND it’s only just gone 9am, so that’s a pretty good start to the day
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi David,
Glad you’re learning new strategies. The best thing about reading here now is you can still get direct answers and I can work with individual businesses directly. Where else can you get free answers to specific usability and marketing questions almost right away?
How’s the wedding business in the UK? You’re in a great niche. No matter how the economy is people will still want to get married and who wouldn’t have photos taken?
Be sure to check out the other Local Search Directories starting with the one featured in the Comment Luv link in this reply. The infoUSA database feeds other major directories.
I would love to know which Local Search Directories are useful to businesses in the UK. Would you mind sharing what you’ve learned about them so far?
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Add Your Free Business Listing to infoUSA =-.
Informative, i have sure learned a few things from it.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Welcome David aka Robert,
Tell us about Friendster. Why do you use it? What has it done for you either personally or for business?
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Write a Review at Merchant Circle =-.
Thanks for the info on listing at Local. That site gets a lot of traffic! Thanks
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi Bill,
Most of the Local Search Directories I’ve covered so far do get tons of traffic. That is why I don’t understand why so few businesses are taking advantage of the free advertising they provide. Do check out the others and if you subscribe here you’ll benefit from the process I’m working on for tracking your listings and also a short-cut I just found to get you listed in many directories much faster.
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How Much Is A Memorable Logo Worth? =-.
Twitter: @saurabhsnv
this is great to read this. wonderfully described.its gonna help me a out.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hello Saurabh,
I wanted to check out the Webinar software you linked to but the site isn’t available.
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Add Your Business to Merchant Circle =-.
Twitter: @DDayLanding
Many thanks. I think I like it here and will be visiting again.
Well it’s been quite a roller coaster ride here in the UK wedding business but I’m seeing plenty of light as well. Budgets are down but enthusiasm is still sky high.
I’m photographing 2 weddings this weekend. The camera bags are packed and ready to go.
There are absolutely stacks of free directories here. The cumulative effect is really worth the effort. I also notice a strange effect. Some of the ones I signed up to several years ago give me quite a tidy back link, even though they are quite small sites, so I guess Google likes old links? Maybe? I didn’t really think about my long-term strategy back then in 2001 but I do now. Back then Google was no more important than any directory and if people wanted to know my website address, I wrote it down for them on a bit of paper ? I was on a lot of directories and when Google came to dominate I was at top spot on my key words. It all seemed so easy. Then I got caught napping, whilst the World changed.
The one that really used to work was Yellow Pages. It’s rebranded as Yell.com but I still have printed ads in the old directories that people keep forever. Unfortunately I am still getting bombarded with calls from retirees who still use a 2004 directory and want old pictures retouched and reprinted. As I had a good ad’ back in the day, they call me, assuming that a wedding photographer can sort them out. I can, I find out where they live and direct them to their nearest professional lab but it’s a freebie of course.
I’ve had some trouble signing up to some American directories. My telephone number and my postcode are both too long, so I don’t get past the initial stages of registration. My postcode is NG8 5FG and my telephone number is UK (+44) but just starting here: (0115) 8770609. It’s a bit too long for the data fields in some places.
I’ve been finding Freeindex pretty useful . And local classifieds, such as Gumtree and certain newspaper classifieds, such as the Sun.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hello David,
Thank you for taking the time to share what you know with us. I especially appreciate it when someone shares what is working for them. Some will not take action until they are sure it will work – and hearing from businesses that are having success improves the potential that they will act.
You are absolutely right that search engines including Google weight old links heavily in their algorithms. All other things being equal they will favor the older Web sites and links over the newer ones. Longevity is a good way to improve search engine position.
I see that Yell.com is UK specific. The various incarnations of the Yellow Pages keep changing here as well. Even though I almost always use online directories today I still recommend keeping a printed one around. Some don’t seem to realize the power could go off or batteries in your PDA, blackberry, etc. might be dead.
I suspect that many directories are US centric and have not yet investigated which accept non-U.S. businesses. I know that many will not have fields that accept addresses and phone numbers as they are formatted differently in various countries.
You may want to check out the business communities like Yelp and Merchant Circle as some are reporting excellent results from using them. I am always researching and working on organizing processes for managing and tracking various strategies so I do hope you’ll become a regular here.
Check your Twitter account to see what else I do with the Twitter ID field in the comments here.
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Add Your Business to Merchant Circle =-.
Great information! You have nicely described about Local.com listing.
Twitter: @marketraise
After checking this post i just thought of adding my business to t Local.I encountered a problem as i had entered all the information required except the phone number field.I am unable to enter the 10 digit number.
.-= Martin@HR Outsourcing´s last blog ..Why Silverlight in Web 2.0 ? =-.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi Martin,
I suspect most Local Search directories are intended for U.S. businesses so they may not accept phone numbers or addresses in the formats used in other countries. If a business receives calls from the U.S. they may want to acquire a U.S. based phone number.
There are at least two ways to do that. One is to pay for a virtual office and another is to acquire a U.S. based phone number. There are many companies that provide these services and I am sure prices vary widely. Here are a few:
http://www.actsupport.com/phonesupport.htm
http://www.voipvoip.com/virtual-number/how-works-pricing.html
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/free-stuff/932082/
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Happy Birthday GrowMap – One Year Old Today =-.
im wondering how this differ from google local…
.-= Google Local Searches´s last blog ..Google Local Search as a Marketing Tool =-.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hello,
Just as there are many search engines besides Google (Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Zuula, etc.) there are many local search directories and databases besides Google Local including Local Promote.
Since a business can not control which search engine or directory their potential clients will use it makes sense for them to get listed in as many of them as possible if they wish to maximize their traffic and sales.
.-= Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Local Search Directory Taps the Power of Television =-.
Twitter: @seomack
Its sad that people still are not aware of the benefits of local directory listings and their contribution to your SERPs. This tutorial is really helpful and I always wanted to get a listing which is highly essential for my niche of business.
Thanks!
Mack McMillan
.-= Mack@Homes in Las Vegas´s last blog ..Commercial Real Estate Bubble =-.
Thanks, i’ve learn a lot with this article.Great!