In an age of new technology we don’t have as many business lunches, golf outings, and other traditional networking events like we used to, but that shouldn’t stop your clients from talking you up to their friends, coworkers and beyond, should it?

We’ve all heard from SEO experts (like myself) that getting listed in online directories such as Yahoo!, DMOZ, and others will help to improve your search engine rankings; but there are some other places to be listed that can work twice as hard for you, if you put in a little time. A few of my favorite places are listed at the bottom of this post. Take the time to ensure your listings are correct then take it one step further….ask for some help.

The three sites I list all have the option to let people review your products/services. Every review or recommendation can set you apart from your competition. So go back to your best client and ask them for a few minutes of their time to rate, recommend, and/or praise you. I’m sure that if you have forged a good relationship with this client they won’t mind helping you out, even better, offer to help them to by writing a review in return.

These personal recommendations get added to your listing and the next person who comes across you will take what is said into consideration. This concept works just like social events where people can interact and talk about you only now you supporters can touch every interested person in the room instead of just one or two. With praise coming from current clients you’ll be guaranteed to capture more awesome clients without ever leaving your office. So in this competitive market, remember to get by with a little help from your friends!

What are you waiting for? Get listed!

Google Local Business Listing – http://www.maps.google.com
To have clients write a review on Google Local Business map listing pass them the exact link where they can review you.

To do this: Search your company name on Google maps, click the send link towards the top right of the page, follow the instructions and send the link to yourself. Now keep it in a safe place and pass it along the next time you get a compliment from a client. Instruct them to click on the link “Write a Review” below your companies name. They will need a Google User name but if they use Gmail or Adwords, or are just an avid google user they will already have one. If not the setup process is quick and painless.

Yelp – http://www.yelp.com

YellowPages.com – http://www.yellowpages.com

Both Yelp and Yellowpages.com often have standard listings on companies but to enhance your presence on the web and give your potential clients more info on you, create a username/password then add to your listing. To have clients write a review on either just pass along the link from your direct page.

What tactics do you currently employ to get new clients interested in you? Share with us!

WHAT IS SEO?

SEO is simply the process that is used to get more visitors to your website via search engines. The design, functionality, content, and links are all carefully considered when making high rankings a priority.

WRITING MAIN CONTENT – SHOULD I HIRE A SEO SPECIALIST OR HIRE MYSELF?

If your budget allows, it is best to hire someone who knows the ins and outs of writing SEO techniques. If your tackling the writing yourself you should take the time to research how you wish to market your company and how you want to be found through search engines.

WHERE DO I START?

You should first work with your website programmer to incorporate information into the back-end programming of every webpage. This information is hidden but holds some of the most important information for SEO.

Title Tag – This should contain the major keywords of the page.

Description Tag – Simply describes what the page is about.

Keyword Tag – Includes words that are relevant and a priority to your business.

Main Content - From here you can work with the above tag findings to write the main content on every page. You should find a way to integrate your keywords into your writing while keeping quality content. Don’t get carried away by fitting in keywords or phrases. Above all your writing should be flow and read naturally.

Other Goodies - Having links and fresh content are also important aspects of SEO.

FINAL STEPS

Once a website is submitted to search engines your rankings should be monitored and your progress tracked so you see what makes your ranking successful.