05 JUL LINK BUILDING: 5 BEST WEB SOURCES

05 JUL LINK BUILDING: 5 BEST WEB SOURCES

1. RELEVANT ONLINE DIRECTORIES

There are SO MANY online directories online today! It is a must for local businesses to claim their listings on the major search engines: Google, Yahoo, and Bing. But which other listing sites should you have your business info plugged into? Depending on your industry, links such as Angie’s List or Yelp may be helpful. Angie’s list is great for contractors for home improvement services. Yelp is great for viewing reviews for retail stores and restaurants. There are industry specific directory sites such as Trip Advisor for Hotels, Cabins and Inns. There are also directories for physicians like Health Grades and Doctor Directory.

To find the most relevant directory websites for your industry, it is best to do some research. Put your industry category in google and see what pops up on the first page. See where your competitors are listed and claim your free business listings in the directory sites that you see pop up on the first page in search.

NOTE: There is a down side to listing on some of these national directory sites. You’ll most likely get a lot of push from their customer service to subscribe to “enhanced” listings.

2. CHARITIES AND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS

Does your business donate to a local or global charity or cause? You should let your viewers know! Including a logo of the charity and brief information about what they do with their donations is a great way to build PR and grow your ranking. It is even better if you donate to a local charity or one that fits into your industry. For example: a local lumber store contributing to Habitat for Humanity, a local restaurant donating food to the homeless shelter, a eye doctor contributing time to the Lions Club Eyeglasses Recycling Program, any type of local business contributing to local churches or any other local community organization.  Mentioning these organizations on your website not only brings more attention to the causes you support, but also creates great SEO for your website.

Also check into the website your linking to. Do they have a listing page for supporters or sponsors? Ask and see if you can have your website link available where your business info is listed if the have space for it.

3. CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Your local Chamber of Commerce is one of the best local business and community networks to link to. Their websites usually generate a high amount of traffic for community members seeking event and area information. The Chamber of Commerce websites are rich with local keywords and most have business directories for area visitors and local dwellers to search.

At PDS we practice what we preach. Be a part of your local Chambers of Commerce! We are a member to the Chambers in all the areas we serve. From Traverse City to Rockford, Michigan and everywhere in between (Newaygo’s River Country,  Clare County Chamber, Panhandle Area Chamber, White Lake Area Chamber and more).

4. INDUSTRY AFFILIATIONS

Do you carry an exclusive brand or are you a reseller of many brands? It is good to include links to manufacturers websites . You can also list and link brands of products you sell. There are many corporations that offer co-op advertising programs to their distributors. These programs give you a kick back for using their logo and product info in digital marketing campaigns.

5. LOCAL MEDIA NETWORKS

Google likens links in local Newspapers, TV Stations, Radio Stations to celebrity endorsements for local businesses. Having your website link on a local media network will help to boost your ranking for local searches. PDS offers a Rank Building Page to help our customers with local Link Building. This service links business websites to the Pioneer Group network of news sites. In turn they grow in the search rankings for keywords that are included on the link page.

Would you like help with your website rank building? PDS is Big Rapids offers Website Design & Development as well as all the tools you need to promote your website to grow your business online. Contact PDS today to schedule a face to face consultation with our Digital Marketing Strategist. We come to you!