Part 5 of 6 - Using Local Resources to Define Yourself as an Expert

As the Internet grows with more content, finding things in your local sphere of influence can be more challenging. A growing market of local search and information sites are becoming more popular and to use as a place to define yourself as an expert.

When search engines started to become popular, Yahoo created indexes categorized data by localities. Yahoo Local and tools on Google, in addition to many other search engines help users find things related to their location. You can use these indexes to get your content listed with local information. Looking like an expert online involves being found online where other experts are found. RachLocal is a service that helps you get on local searches and buy advertising with the search engines for local search.

There are index services that help find people in your area. For example, there is ColoradoBizBuzz.com. Merchant Circle is another site provides access to local companies. You can also find pay for sites like Angie’s List . However, I caution you to question the value in paying for the service with other free options.

Another aspect of Local Internet is local bloging sites. There are sites from the major players like Your Hub, The Denver Post, and others. Sites like Hello Denver, TDC Guide and Lone Tree Guide are other examples.

Getting involved in local search and local blogs is an important part of defining yourself as an expert.