Online Directories Boost Search Rankings for Small Firms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) August 24, 2009 -- Bristol, UK, 24 August 2009 -- Small businesses can improve their search engines rankings and drive more traffic to their website by getting listed in online business directories, often for free.

Listings in online directories can have a significant impact for small businesses that are looking to improve their performance online, according to marketing experts.

“Online directories enable you to reach audiences who are browsing in that particular index or directory, as well as enhancing your search engine rankings,” says Mark White, owner of Better Business Blogging. “They can be a low-cost method of increasing sales.”

Online directories are a great way of getting links to your site, agrees Karen Purves of Have More Clients and expert contributor to Marketing Donut, the new online resource for small firms. “The links from those sites to my website helps with the page rankings and reputation of the page and website and, as a consequence, it will appear higher up the search results.”

Some online directories offer free listings, while others charge a small amount for listings or for more prominent advertising. While directories can be useful, Purves cautions against spending too much on advertising. “Any paid advertising has to be done carefully — you need to know who is using the site, what they are there for and where else they do. With the Internet there are lots of ways to build presence without having to resort to advertising.”

Mark White agrees. “Using these sorts of directories can be worthwhile for search engine optimisation (SEO) purposes, but advertising in this way will not necessarily attract new customers. Business names can be one amongst hundreds on a page, so it’s highly competitive and it can be very difficult to stand out,” he says.

“If it’s free you’ve got nothing to lose, but you may feel that optimising your own website or spending the money on targeted advertising, via Google Adwords for instance, may be more productive,” he adds.

Some of the most effective online directories are those that feature ratings or allow customer to post reviews, says White. “Internet users are moving towards social-based websites that combine business listings with reviews, which enable people to share their experiences,” he explains. FreeIndex is one example and others include WeCanDo.biz and local network, TheBestOf.co.uk.

It’s clear that getting listed in online directories can help improve rankings and potentially boost business for small firms. Like any promotion, however, firms should ensure that they measure results and target their activity appropriately to maximise their chances of success.

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