You need local citations for your business to help your SEO.
So, I put together this FREE massive list of places online where you can get free local business citations.
You can give this list to an employee to do or hire someone such as myself to knock this out for you fast!
With a strong backlink profile and your NAP (name address phone number) consistent across the internet.
Copy and paste your information into a notepad and make sure you’re using consistent references such as “St.” instead of Street.
Include as much information as possible – if the directories allow you to upload your logo, specify your social media accounts, a description of your business, etc. Do IT!
PRO Tip: Create a “junk email” in outlook and save the login information. Keep a consistent log of logins for each citation site below in a spreadsheet. This is in case you need to change your phone number (which you should never change) The reason I recommend a junk email is because these directories will blow up your inbox with advertisements and promotions. Thank me later. 🙂
BIG List of 375 Local Citation Sites for Your Business:
Welcome to our ultimate guide to Digital PR and Link Building for SEO. This comprehensive guide will help you understand the importance of Digital PR and Link Building in SEO and how to create a successful strategy to boost your website rankings in search engines.
At its core, Digital PR is about creating valuable content that resonates with your target audience and earning backlinks from authoritative websites.
By earning backlinks from reputable sources, you not only drive more traffic to your website, but you also signal to search engines that your website is a trusted source of information in your niche.
Link Building is the process of acquiring high-quality backlinks from other websites to your own website. This is one of the most important factors in ranking higher in search engines. However, not all links are created equal. It’s essential to focus on building high-quality links from authoritative websites in your niche.
Now, let’s dive into the details of Digital PR and Link Building for SEO.
Digital PR: What is it?
Digital PR is a strategy that focuses on building relationships with online journalists, bloggers, and other influencers in your industry to gain media coverage and earn backlinks to your website.
It is an essential component of any SEO strategy because it not only helps to increase the visibility of your brand but also drives more traffic to your website.
Here are a few key benefits of Digital PR:
Increases your brand visibility: By creating valuable content and earning media coverage, you can increase your brand’s visibility online and reach a wider audience.
Drives traffic to your website: When you earn backlinks from authoritative sources, you drive more traffic to your website, which can help to increase your website’s search engine rankings.
Establishes your authority in your niche: By creating content that resonates with your target audience, you can establish your authority in your niche and build trust with potential customers.
Link Building: Why is it important?
Link Building is one of the most important factors in SEO. Search engines use links to determine the relevance and authority of a website. The more high-quality links you have pointing to your website, the more likely you are to rank higher in search engines.
However, not all links are created equal. Search engines use complex algorithms to determine the quality of a link. A link from an authoritative website in your niche is worth much more than a link from a low-quality website.
Here are a few key benefits of Link Building:
Increases your website’s authority: By earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites in your niche, you can increase your website’s authority and signal to search engines that your website is a trusted source of information.
Improves your search engine rankings: When you have more high-quality backlinks pointing to your website, you are more likely to rank higher in search engines.
Drives more traffic to your website: Backlinks from other websites drive more traffic to your website, which can help to increase your website’s search engine rankings.
How to Set Up a Winning Digital PR and Link Building Strategy
Digital PR and link building are two of the most important aspects of SEO, yet they’re often overlooked. Digital PR involves promoting content to the right people, while link building involves creating high-quality links that will improve your website’s authority. Done correctly, these strategies can help you get more traffic and boost your rankings in search engines. In this post, we’ll look at how you can create a successful digital PR and link building strategy.
Research Your Audience
The first step in any digital PR or link building strategy is to research your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What interests them? Where do they hang out online? Answering these questions will help you determine which channels to use for promotion and where potential link partners might be found. It will also give you an idea of what type of content resonates with your audience so that you can craft effective pitches and messages. Once you know who you’re targeting, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Create Quality Content
Content is key when it comes to digital PR and link building. You need to create content that is interesting, informative, and relevant in order for people to want to share it and link back to it. The content should be optimized for search engine rankings too – make sure it includes relevant keywords, has a good title tag, contains images or videos where appropriate, etc. A well-crafted piece of content will go a long way towards helping your website get noticed by the right people and attract more links.
Build Relationships With Influencers
Relationship-building is another important part of a successful digital PR strategy. You need to identify influencers who have influence over your target audience or industry as a whole, then reach out and start building relationships with them by sharing their content or engaging with them on social media. This will give them visibility into what kind of content you produce so that they may consider linking back to it if it meets their standards. It also helps establish credibility for both parties since influencers are seen as authorities in their respective fields by those who follow them closely.
Creating a successful digital PR and link building strategy requires time, effort, and dedication – but if done properly it can pay off tenfold in terms of increased visibility online as well as improved search engine rankings. Start by researching your audience so that you know who you’re targeting; then create quality content that appeals specifically to that group; finally build relationships with influencers who have influence over your target audience or industry as a whole so that they may consider linking back to your content if it meets their standards. All these steps combined will set up a winning digital PR and link building strategy for your website!
Struggling to get the attention your business deserves?
Jen Ruhman SEO provides professional assistance providing SEO services to small businesses in San Diego. I optimize and make sure that your website is seen by potential customers. As experts in SEO, we understand how difficult it can be to get noticed online – which is why we’re here to help! If you’re feeling lost on where to start or just need a bit of advice, our team has all the right tools and know-how for guaranteed success.
You don’t have to worry about whether or not your website will show up when people search – because at Jen Ruhman SEO, you’re in safe hands. Our expert team offers professional guidance every step of the way, so you can rest assured knowing that getting visibility online won’t be an issue anymore.
Contact us today to get started on making sure that your business gets the recognition it deserves!
Quality backlinks are important for any site looking to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). But how do you get other sites to link to yours? Here are a few methods:
How to Get Other Sites to Link to Yours: A Comprehensive Guide
Building quality backlinks is one of the most effective ways to improve your website’s search engine rankings. Backlinks, also known as inbound links, signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and valuable. But how do you convince other websites to link to yours? While it may seem challenging, there are several proven strategies to help you earn those all-important links. Here’s an in-depth look at how to get other sites to link to yours.
1. Create Exceptional Content
High-quality content is the cornerstone of any successful backlink strategy. When your content provides value—whether through informative articles, engaging videos, or visually appealing infographics—other site owners will naturally want to link to it. Here’s how to make your content stand out:
Solve Problems: Address common questions or challenges within your niche to position your content as a go-to resource.
Offer Unique Insights: Conduct original research, share case studies, or provide expert opinions that others in your industry may find compelling.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity: A single well-crafted, in-depth article can outperform multiple mediocre ones.
Pro Tip: Evergreen content, such as how-to guides and comprehensive resource lists, is more likely to attract backlinks over time.
2. Build Relationships with Other Site Owners
Networking with other site owners in your industry can open doors to valuable backlink opportunities. Here’s how to do it effectively:
Personalized Outreach: Send polite, personalized emails introducing yourself and your content. Highlight why it would be beneficial to their audience.
Offer Value in Return: Propose mutually beneficial collaborations, such as guest blogging or content swaps.
Engage with Their Content: Comment on their blog posts, share their content on social media, or link to their site from your own. Building goodwill can increase the likelihood of earning a backlink.
Pro Tip: Use tools like Hunter.io or NinjaOutreach to find contact information for site owners and streamline your outreach process.
3. Leverage Social Media
Social media platforms are invaluable for promoting your content and attracting attention from potential linkers. Here’s how to make the most of your social media efforts:
Use Relevant Hashtags: Incorporate niche-specific hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts.
Tag Influencers and Brands: If your content references other creators or companies, tag them in your posts. They may share or link to your content in return.
Join Online Communities: Participate in relevant forums, Facebook groups, or LinkedIn groups where your target audience and industry peers congregate.
Pro Tip: Create visually engaging content, such as infographics or video snippets, to increase shares and drive more traffic to your site.
4. Optimize for Search Engines with Google’s Search Console
Google’s Search Console is a powerful tool for identifying opportunities to improve your site’s SEO and gain backlinks. Here’s how to use it effectively:
Monitor Search Performance: Check which keywords and pages are driving traffic to your site.
Identify Linking Opportunities: Look at the “Links” report in Search Console to see which external sites are already linking to you. This can help you identify patterns and potential partners.
Fix Broken Links: Use tools like Ahrefs or Broken Link Checker to identify and replace broken links on other websites with your own content.
Pro Tip: Create a sitemap and submit it through Search Console to ensure Google indexes all your pages, increasing the likelihood of being discovered by potential linkers.
5. Capitalize on Guest Blogging Opportunities
Guest blogging is a tried-and-true method for building backlinks while showcasing your expertise. Many websites are open to publishing high-quality guest posts from industry professionals. Here’s how to get started:
Research Opportunities: Search for blogs in your niche that accept guest posts. Use search queries like “write for us [your industry].”
Pitch Strong Ideas: Submit unique, well-thought-out content ideas tailored to the blog’s audience.
Include Contextual Links: While most guest blogging opportunities allow a link in the author bio, try to include a contextual link within the article itself for maximum SEO value.
Pro Tip: Avoid spammy guest blogging practices. Focus on sites with strong domain authority and relevance to your niche.
6. Create Linkable Assets
Some types of content are naturally more likely to earn backlinks. These “linkable assets” provide exceptional value and can attract links organically. Examples include:
Infographics: Visual content is highly shareable and often cited by other websites.
Tools and Templates: Offer free calculators, checklists, or templates that solve a specific problem for your audience.
Comprehensive Guides: In-depth guides and long-form content are often seen as authoritative resources.
Pro Tip: Promote your linkable assets through outreach campaigns and social media to maximize their reach.
7. Tap into Broken Link Building
Broken link building is an advanced strategy that involves finding broken links on other websites and suggesting your content as a replacement. Here’s how to do it:
Identify Broken Links: Use tools like Check My Links or Screaming Frog to find broken links on high-authority websites.
Reach Out: Contact the site owner, notify them of the broken link, and propose your content as a replacement.
Be Helpful: Frame your outreach as a way to improve their user experience rather than simply promoting your site.
Pro Tip: This method works best if your content closely matches the topic of the broken link.
8. Participate in Industry Directories and Roundups
Many industries have directories, resource pages, or link roundups that showcase valuable content. Getting featured in these can be a quick way to earn backlinks:
Submit Your Site: Look for reputable directories relevant to your industry and submit your site for inclusion.
Pitch to Roundups: Search for weekly or monthly link roundups in your niche and pitch your best content.
Pro Tip: Use search queries like “best [industry] resources” or “[niche] link roundup” to find these opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Earning quality backlinks is a marathon, not a sprint. By focusing on creating outstanding content, building relationships with other site owners, and leveraging tools like social media and Google’s Search Console, you can steadily grow your website’s authority and search engine rankings. Experiment with multiple strategies, track your progress, and refine your approach over time.
Remember, every link is a vote of confidence in your website. By consistently delivering value, you’ll make it easy for others to link to you, boosting your visibility and success online.
Are you looking for more website traffic?
Jen Ruhman SEO can help! We are a local San Diego SEO company and experts in search engine optimization and can get your website ranking higher on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. That means more website visitors for you – and more business opportunities.
Higher search engine rankings not only mean more website visitors but also increased credibility and authority with your customers. When they see that your site is at the top of the search results, they know you’re a leader in your industry. Let Jen Ruhman SEO help you reach the top today.
Request a free consultation with us to find out how we can improve your website traffic!
I have the ULTIMATE 2021 blog post promotion checklist for you right here!
Here’s a bunch of unique ways to promote your new blog post that nobody talks about.
Alright, you just hit that “Publish” button on your blog post, now what?!
Hey, you need to promote your blog post whether it’s free promotion or paid promotion! That’s what!
Blog Post Promotion Checklist
Pre-Publication Tasks
Optimize title for SEO and engagement
Write compelling meta description (150-160 characters)
Include relevant internal and external links
Add alt text to all images
Check content readability and formatting
Insert relevant calls-to-action (CTAs)
Prepare social media versions of featured images
Create 3-5 engaging social media snippets from the content
Set up UTM tracking parameters
Day of Publication
Social Media
Share on primary social platforms
LinkedIn (best for B2B)
Twitter/X (include relevant hashtags)
Facebook (consider groups)
Instagram (if visual content available)
Pin to profile if flagship content
Schedule follow-up posts for different time zones
Email Marketing
Send to email subscribers
Segment audience if necessary
Create snippet for email newsletter
Prepare email subject line variants for A/B testing
Content Distribution
Submit to relevant content aggregators
Share in industry-specific forums
Post on Medium (if part of content strategy)
Share on relevant subreddits
Add to content curation platforms
First Week After Publication
Respond to comments and engagement
Monitor social shares and engagement
Reach out to influencers mentioned
Share in relevant online communities
Create and share quote graphics
Repurpose content into different formats
Infographic
Short video
Slideshow
Podcast episode
Long-term Promotion
Schedule periodic reshares
Update content as needed
Monitor backlinks
Track performance metrics
Page views
Time on page
Bounce rate
Social shares
Conversions
Consider paid promotion if performing well
Include in roundup posts
Reference in future related content
Optional Advanced Tactics
Create Twitter thread summarizing key points
Design Pinterest-optimized images
Record audio version
Create YouTube video
Translate into other languages
Develop case study from results
Create downloadable resource
Host webinar expanding on topic
Measurement & Analysis
Set up tracking dashboard
Document promotion results
Note which channels performed best
Analyze audience feedback
Plan improvements for next post
Why Do I need to promote my blog post?
Your blog post needs to be promoted to rank well in search results. PERIOD. If you don’t promote your blog post, it may lay dormant and undiscovered for a long period of time. Promoting your blog post helps create buzz that there’s something new and exciting people should be reading!
It’s the fastest way to get traffic to your new blog post
It may take time before you see your blog post indexed by Google’s search results
The fastest way to start earning backlinks on your new blog post (you need backlinks)
Not promoting your new blog post is the number one mistake I see rookie bloggers make.
The days of “post and pray” are long gone. With so much competition out there, you HAVE to promote your blog posts. Don’t worry, you can promote your blog posts for free, I’ll show you the free options and the paid methods you can spend $5 on OK?! If you follow this easy blog post promotion checklist. This is what I use for clients after I publish a blog post and it works.
Do you have a Shopify store? You can use this checklist for new store products + add these Shopify SEO Tips
Follow along with my 2021 Blog Post Promotion Checklist:
Post On Social Media Multiple times!
I know you’re tired of hearing you should post your new blog post on social media, but it’s true. Here’s some extras nobody talks about. You can use a service like meetedgar or buffer to automate your social media. Side note on meetedgar, I like that you can add a post with different titles and automatically reshare at random. The beauty of adding this automation is first, you’ll look like you’re constantly updating with fresh content. Second, you’re giving your content a second chance to be discovered. Third, you’re giving your content a Google social ranking signal that it’s being shared on social media. Hopefully, your post will gain likes and shares. If it does, Google will help increase your rankings.
Pick 5 items on this Blog Promo Checklist:
Pinterest: Make sure you create a custom image to share on Pinterest that has a text headline that solves a problem. Use Canva to create it!
Twitter: Post your link with a photo and some relevant hashtags.
Facebook Fan Page: Post your link with a photo and great headline.
Personal Facebook Account: Share the post from your fan page onto your personal FB account.
Facebook PAID: Boost your post on your FB fan page for $5 and retarget people that liked/interacted with your post.
LinkedIn: Post your link with a photo and great headline.
Reddit: Find a subreddit where you can post. You may need karma points before you can do this.
Instagram: Share this blog post link in your story if you’re able. (have large enough following)
Instagram bio link: Share your latest post in your bio with a https://linktr.ee/ link. (you can have multiple links this way!)
YouTube: That’s right Use a free program like Lumen5 to generate a video from your blog post. Publish on YouTube with a link to your post!
Ask your friends on social media to share your post.
Podcast: Create a new podcast on your blog post since you will already know what to say! Embed the podcast into your web page so people can listen to your new blog post instead of read. This will also increase the dwell time on your page! A Google ranking signal.
I know this an overwhelming ULTIMATE list of FREE ways to promote your blog post. So feel free to pick a few to start with. You don’t have to do every item on this checklist. In fact, it’s good to just concentrate on a few instead of stress yourself out over promoting your new blog post. This post is sole intended to show you a huge checklist of ways to promote your blog post that you’ve never seen anyone talk about.
Email
If you have an email list set up or just want to send out to your friends/family, do it!
Use your free Mailchimp account to automate a new blog post to your subscribers each time you publish a new post! Grab your RSS feed. Piece of cake.
Add your blog post to your email signature. It’s super cute and adds a personal touch of charm. The example below: (why am I so adorable?) LOL
Internal Links
Got popular blog posts already? Add an internal link on the popular blog posts back to your new blog post. This gives a little “link juice” to you new post.
Add internal links on your new blog post to other related posts. This will help your CTR (clickthrough rate)
Part of off-page SEO, you need links pointing to your blog post. You need backlinks from high domain authority websites to pass link juice to your blog post. The bad news, nobody is going to want to link to your blog post if it’s not helpful. The good news, you can hire me to get links for you! If you know a lot of blog owners yourself, go ahead and shoot them an email asking for a link.
Add your new blog post to web 2.0 sites. You can simply copy and paste your blog post into Medium.com as long as you use a canonical link. This will help you gain backlinks to the post as well as gain traffic to your blog post from these high traffic websites. For example on LinkedIn, leave out a last tip and make the user have to click on a link to your blog post for the final details.
Sometimes, a super long blog post can be better as a visual. Get an infographic created for your new blog post and share it to an infographic directory. This will gain you backlinks, as well as traffic.
Big thanks for checking out my blog post promotion checklist.There’s so many benefits to promoting your blog post that I’ve covered here. If you’re not promoting your blog posts, you’re missing out on a HUGE element called online marketing and off-page SEO.
Many small business owners think that if you post fresh blog posts regularly, that’s all you need to succeed with Google. While it’s beneficial to post regularly and on a schedule, it’s not enough.
Thank you so much for reading my latest blog post. If this helped you, I’d greatly appreciate it if you share it! (as mentioned above LOL)
Finally, a list of SEO friendly directory websites for instant backlinks!
Got ZERO Backlinks? This List of Backlink Opportunities is for You!
This directory list is ideal for new websites aiming to establish trust with Google, particularly if you operate a small local business. Rest assured, this approach is a safe and ethical white hat link-building strategy for your website. It can contribute significantly to enhancing your website’s credibility and visibility in search engine rankings.
If you have a new website that’s still in the “Google sandbox” (not indexed yet) you don’t want to be aggressive with building anchor rich backlinks.
That could flag your website as spammy! I recommend you wait a few months before slowly getting “money keywords” as anchor text. Be patient when adding new links, quality backlinks pointing towards your “money site” is far better than low quality / spammy links.
You want natural, high authoritative (high DA), quality backlinks for your website’s SEO foundation as all SEO experts want for their back-link building strategies.
More High DA business citations = more quality backlinks pointing to your website
More QUALITY backlinks pointing to your website means a higher domain authority
You need Domain Authority
Yes, you do need great backlinks from a diverse and high number of domains. Don’t believe me? Go to google search and check out the top-ranking websites’ backlink profile. The top search results usually have the highest amount of quality backlinks and domain authority.
That being said, if you’re trying to rank for keywords while you have low domain authority, chances are simply put – you most likely have a low probability for ranking on the first page of Google search results.
When you add your “NAP” to the directories, you want to make sure you select the right city and business category. Some directories may not have your specific industry available but that’s OK. Just select as close as you can. As long as you have your “NAP”, you’re OK.
Ideally, you want to make sure you’re getting directories for your niche business AND the City your business is located. (BIG thanks to https://chrispalmermarketing.com I learned this tip from this SEO guru)
Here’s how you can search for specific directories in Google: “allintext: directory plumbing San Diego”
Yes, they will give you a small and very specific list of directories.
Are you ready for the BIG list of SEO friendly directory websites?
Have this list of things ready in a text document and folder labeled “Directory Backlink Campaign” It just helps because you won’t be making all these backlinks in a day. You’ll most likely want to spread out gaining these new backlinks dripped to your website through a few months.
Make sure you keep a record of the username and password you use to set up these directories because if your business moves or changes the website, etc, you need to update it everywhere! Below is a list of items you need in order for your directory submissions. Some directories don’t need all these items, but it’ good to be prepared because some give you these opportunities.
Most of all, you want to keep your information consistent!
Here’s what you’ll need for your directory citations:
A high-quality image of your logo
A few images of your business or service images/products/menu items
Short business description
Make sure you have a consistent URL such as “https://www.yoursite.com or yoursite.com”
Phone number
Email address
Consistent address
Consistent wording for your business “Buckboards BBQ & Brew or Buckboards Barbecue and Brew”
Any social media account usernames/addresses
Access to your business phone/email if some listings need verification
Be on the lookout for these directory listing opportunitiesHere’s an example screenshot what the fields look like for entering your business information
I hope this massive list of backlink directories does not intimidate you.
Take your time and grow your citations slowly aka drip them. If you have SEO clients. These links may take a while for Google to crawl and discover. It’s best to let Google naturally discover them. And if you’ve got links still on your mind, don’t forget to give your internal links an SEO boost.
ATTN: Shopify store owners – Don’t forget to add these directory backlinks to your eCommerce store. + add these Shopify SEO tips.
PS: Guess what? Your Youtube videos need backlinks too! Follow my Youtube SEO tips here.
If you’re looking for an SEO expert that can submit your “NAP” across the web, contact me!
Thanks for reading my SEO friendly directory websites list. You know what would make my day? If you shared this blog post.
About Me
I LOVE Ranking Small Businesses Higher in Google Search Results! My favorite moment is when my clients call me saying… “Jen, whatever you did to our website, we’re finally getting more calls and emails…THANK YOU!!!”
