By now most small business owners have at least heard that having an online presence is good for business. It is understandable why many people may scoff at the idea, however. If you don’t sell products online, the reasoning goes, there’s no point in having a website.
This might sound reasonable, but the premise is false. Today, more people find out about new businesses through the internet than they do through the phone book or the radio. The internet isn’t just for big, global businesses either. It is structured in such a way that is beneficial for small businesses. Google and the other search engines have also been making many changes recently which are especially helpful for local businesses.
There are two ways to promote a business online that should not be conflated with one another. One is through online local directories, and the other is through organic search rankings. Online local directories are much like online phone books. They are different in that they can be searched in a non-alphabetical format, they provide driving directions and maps, and they can occasionally provide more information. Nevertheless, they consist primarily as a list of businesses.
Organic search rankings, on the other hand, are the results that somebody sees when they perform a search through Google or a similar service. Most people find out about businesses online by performing these types of searches. The listings that appear closest to the top of the results are organized not by the alphabet or by advertising fees, but by the popularity of the site and the relevance of the site to the keyword.
There is a tremendous difference between merely placing a business in a local directory, and placing a business in the top search results. Most people simply don’t bother visiting a directory. They would prefer to perform a Google search for businesses in their area. A business that successfully takes advantage of the capabilities of the internet will take advantage of this by getting in touch with a local internet marketing company to set up and promote a site for their business.
This does not mean that the two strategies should be mutually exclusive, however. In fact, they are closely connected with one another. A successful internet marketing campaign could even take advantage of using both strategies in order to get their business listed twice or more in the search engine results, once for a web page, and a second time for a listing in a local directory.
Tags: online business directories, online directories, Online YellowPages, organic search listings, organic SEO
