ThinkLocal Blog – Local search, business, and trends

Local search submission is pretty simple. Once you find an online business directory that receives a promising stream of traffic, search for your listing. Some of these sites purchase business listings from data management companies who may have your business information. If you find your listing, create an account on the site so that you can take ownership of the listing. Once you have ownership, you will be able to edit the listing and add new information.

You may not find your listing. This simply means that you must create your own. Register for an account, just as you would when taking ownership of a listing. Then choose the option to create a new listing. You be asked to provide such information as your business name, location, phone number, description and so on. In addition, some online business directories give you the power to choose a category and subcategory for your listing and/or add store descriptions and links to your business Web site. The more information you provide, the more likely you will be able to sway an undecided consumer.

Local search Web sites like ThinkLocal® and Google Maps typically do not charge for standard business listings although some sites offer enhanced listings for a fee. Enhanced listings prices usually vary depending on market size. Therefore, a business listing targeting New York City, the largest city in the U.S., will cost more than a listing targeting a small town like Vega, Texas, which the 2000 census reports has fewer than 1000 residents.

Enhanced listings usually come with a few extra perks. Every time an enhanced listing matches a search criterion, it will regain a visible placement on every relevant results page. So, if the results end up spanning over 4 pages, the enhanced listing will appear on all four pages. Some enhanced listings packages also include tracking tools to help businesses keep up with the performance of their listings.