Do It Yourself SEO – More Traffic With Local, Universal and Training — Part 4 of 4

Local and Niche Search Engine Listings

Local search queries are increasing at a rapid rate. Your site can gain additional traffic and conversions by getting listed in Google Local, Yahoo! Local, CitySearch, and appropriate industry-specific directories.

Google Local: Get listed in Google Maps via Google’s Local Business Center, where you can create a free listing with a Google account. First, check to see if you are listed, and if so, ensure your listing is accurate. If not, list your company name, address, phone/FAX, toll-free number, contact personnel, email address, Web site address, and hours of operation. Follow Google’s Business Listing Quality Guidelines and use Google’s Reinclusion Request form if your listing gets pulled.

Yahoo! Local: Get a free local listing in Yahoo! Local Basic, which consists of a profile listing with your address, phone/FAX number, Web site and email addresses, business category, hours of operation, accepted payment methods, and a description of your products and services. Add or update information any time. Adding your address and phone information in a footer on all your pages can get your inner pages listed.

Citysearch:  This online city guide provides local information on restaurants, entertainment, retail, travel, and professional services in major U.S. cities, including contact information, maps, driving directions, editorial and user reviews. You can get a free listing on Citysearch by going to the “Enter Missing Listing Information” page and enter the business information requested on the form. You can use this same form to make changes to existing listings. Search for your business first, check your profile page for accuracy, and then either make changes or start from scratch by filling out the form.

Niche Search Engines: It’s important to get a free listing in all the directories relevant to your business. Some directories are free and others are worth the listing fee. Look for appropriate directories for your business in DMOZ and the Yahoo! Directory. Google has an industry-specific directory, and you can find a list of industry-specific directories at NYPL.org. Read each submission guide carefully and provide requested information accurately. Directories are a good source of traffic and help increase link popularity.

Optimize for Universal Search

It’s important to create content in all relevant media. Know what type of content your customers prefer and create content in relevant media. Optimize your multimedia content, which should be tagged and cataloged correctly.

Images: Use images on your site for illustrating your products and services. Optimize your images with descriptive, keyword-rich file names and ALT tags. Use accurate descriptions of image files.

Videos: Create videos using descriptive file names that are keyword-rich. Also use keywords in your title tag, description tag, and video site map. Create a Web page to launch your video, optimizing the content for SEO and using anchor text wherever possible. Submit to Google Video, Blinkx and YouTube.

News Releases: Submit your press releases for display as “news,” but make sure your story is truly newsworthy. It could be information about new products or upcoming events your site is involved with.

Blogs: Smart companies communicate with their customers and stakeholders via blogs. Tag it (digg, del.icio.us, reddit, stumbleupon, etc.), submit to Google Blog search, and expand your visibility in the SERPs.

Resources and SEO Training

You will need a depth of knowledge to do your own SEO. Below are some resources for learning the basics, keeping abreast of the constant changes in search, and finding answers to your questions. This list is not exhaustive but includes many top assets.

1. Search industry conferences: SMX Search Marketing Expo, Search Engine Strategies Conference and Expo, Webmaster World Pubcon, and Search Insider Summit.
2. Search marketing news and information sites: Search Engine Land, SearchEngineWatch, iMedia Connection, MediaPost Publications, ClickZ, Search Marketing Standard, and Website Magazine.
3. The Top SEO Blogs are listed on the Online Marketing Blog. Subscribe by RSS or email for the latest information on optimization tactics and search engine rules.
4. SEO training courses: SEMPO Institute’s online basic and advanced SEO courses, DMA Search Engine Optimization Certification Program, SEOToolSet Training, Search Engine Workshops, SEOClass, Search Engine College, and SEO Book.
5. SEMPO Learning Center provides access to articles, research, editorials, case studies and webinars on search engine marketing.

Conclusion
Any way you look at it, saving money is a good idea. However, it’s also important for SMBs to save time. A comprehensive SEO strategy requires an investment of time, personnel, and money, especially since SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time event.