Getting Local Customers Using Local Directories

Listing your small business in local directories is one of the best ways to attract customers. Many people look online when they want to find a product or service, especially those under forty years of age. There are numerous spots to locate local businesses on the web, knowing the better directories for searching locally means knowing the best directories to list your business in for effective results.

To begin listing your small business in the local directories requires listing them first in the main general directories and afterward list it in the specific industry or niche directories that fit your business. List your small business in DMOZ. The main search engines and some of the minor search engines crawl DMOZ for information. Another major directory to list in is the Universal Business Listing. This directory provides listings for the major search engines, minor ones, and some local search. It is a good idea to list with the most popular local search directories that the Universal Business Listing doesn't cover.

Listing with UBL also gets your small business listed in GPS and 411 directories. The charge for listing with UBL is $30.00, which also causes your business to be listed with Dex, Yellow Pages, and Super Pages for free.

Realize that more than seventy-five percent of the hunting for local businesses happens online and usually starts with a generalized search; the search brings up a map and local directories when the searcher hunts for pizza using a zip code. When the searcher wants reviews of the pizza joints he'll look at the local search results or if he wants the route to the pizza joint he'll look at the map. People are finding local businesses while driving using their GPS and with cell phone Internet searches. Listing in local search puts your business exactly in the spots that people search to find florist, restaurants, dry cleaners, bars, printers, and many other kinds of businesses.

Search engine ranking is important to get your business known. When your business is listed with the major directories and local directories there are numerous references naming your site. Having your site associated with and linked to popular search sites improves your ranking and popularity.

Before you list your site in these directories find the best keywords related to your business and keyword optimize your site. Just search keyword optimization to find help in optimizing your site. The Google Keyword Tool is very useful. Also, write some good copy that compels people to click on your link. Search freelance copywriters to get help writing compelling copy. Use this copy when you submit your site to the major, minor, and local directories.

To find the directories do a search for "directory of directories" and you'll get the listings for 707 Directory, Directorygain and other listings to help you find directories. With all of this information and some effort you are on your way to getting your small business listed in local directories that will be a boon to your business.