@deniserubright  To make a long story short, business’s used to want to get listed in local directories, ie. in Canada everyone wants to be listed in the online Yellow Pages or we have other local Canadian directories specific to local communities or cities.  Their reasoning for this was that those directories had their company name, descriptionn of business, contact details including their website.  All those links to their website were counted for SEO for their website, not because people were checking those directories for local businesses.  I rarely if ever check directories – most people don’t even know about most of them.

If your client has this in mind, getting the listings linked to his website, search engines don’t rate sites like that anymore, especially Google.  I did a 4 part blog series on Content Marketing which included one post on how search engines have changed:  http://www.alternativeofficeassistance.com/marketing/content/content-marketing-why-it-is-most-important-in-2012-part-3/

And more important, how many people search for businesses in the Yellow Pages anyway?  They are looking for referrals and testimonials from people who know and trust local businesses.

That is why local networking in groups and networking through Social Media works far better than a local listing site OR sending out mailouts like advertising on flyers and newspapers and handouts.  Referral Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing is far more effective these days.

And, most people have smartphones.  They search that way for local businesses with the help of “Yelp” or “Foursquare”.  Very iimportant for all businesses to have a Google Places/Local account for searches for local businesses.

Just my thoughts….

i get in all i  can find…..  usually  by  googling from  different  angles   to find  ones i  think would  be  relative……..when   you  google our  company   some of the directories  turn up.., so i  sure dont think its a wasted effort….. im in the  obvious ones like  yelp and 4 square….but also in the  ones  that  are about our  business and  region…antiques and tourism and our  state….. .. 

  @rich-brooks thanks  for those  links….it  says we are in  94!!!  and  they all need  help…lol

start by adding your business listing to the following sites:http://www.google.com/placesforbusiness - http://listings.local.yahoo.com/ -http://tinyurl.com/3bpd6ch - http://tinyurl.com/3usmm59 -http://tinyurl.com/yadxe8k - https://biz.yelp.com/support -http://tinyurl.com/3ku555j - after you submit to those here’s a few more - http://www.locallytype.com/pages/submit.htm#localsearchenginesus - get a FB place page - http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=175712612483949&ref_query=pla 

@deniserubright Google Plus Local Business Pages are the single most important place for a business to be listed that’s free. The SEO advantage from it is invauleable! That being said, Google your clients most success direct competitor and look at what directories they are in. Then go add your client.

Thank you all for your response. I plan on using all of the information for my clients online strategies. Truly appreciate the help!

Denise

@dcoville001 @rich-brooks @annfurnivall @supereb @mitch-rezman @amyhallbiz

@deniserubright @supereb  Eileen is sooo right. The specialty directories are where the gold is.