I created Internet Gravity Wheel (sm) as a way to visualize a concept of a local business online marketing system. A method of search engine optimization.
The term, “internet gravity” refers to the way a local business “attracts” the attention of search engines.
The web is very friendly to local business today but only a fraction of businesses are proactive in “working” this awesome tool.
Google is by far the #1 search tool on the web and its claim to fame is that it reports the best, most relevant search results of any other search tool. But it doesn’t work alone nor is it the only search engine people use. True, Google does harvest immense amounts of online data on its own but part of its unique way of determining high relevance in searches is from where it gathers the information. That’s where the Internet Gravity Wheel comes in.
A company’s website is just the tip if the iceberg when it comes to a presence online. Not to diminish its importance, but there are other significant places around the web that draws much more visitor traffic that a typical stand-alone small business website.
Having content all around the web pointing back to your business and your website is what Internet Gravity Wheel is all about. What I mean by that is a presence and optimized profile on directories and citation sites.
Online directories and citation sites are abundant. Many of them are free and your business is very likely already listed on many of them. But you can make your business stand out by “claiming” your listing on these directories as the business owner.
“Claiming” your profile on these directory listings usually permits you to upload photos of your choice, your logo, a link to your website, and to describe your business the way YOU want to. Many times, the information in these directories is inaccurate and inaccurate information can not only confuse prospective customers but can also confuse the search engine robots which pull information about your business and reduce your rankings because of the conflicting information.
You can also find relevant directories your business could or should be listed in and upload your business information. Many of these are free and have upgrades available which offer extra marketing for more exposure.
Some online directories are fee-based, like moderncoupon.com which offers a full web page to showcase your business with pictures, unlimited business descriptive detail, video and engages your prospective customer with unlimited coupon offers.
moderncoupon.com gets high search engine rankings because it combines relevance of content: local business information and coupons.
Whatever your business, it’s wise to find as many free directories to be in as possible. It’s also advisable to find one or 2 fee-based directories to test.
Businesses owners can do this work themselves. However, it IS time consuming. Turning this project over to us is a good idea because we can do it better, faster and cheaper than you can do it yourself.
(Internet Gravity Wheel is a Service Mark of Affordable Online Marketing Systems)