Building a Local Directory

[incrediblehelp]

I have been thinking about local search a lot lately. As we all are starting to realize local search is going to be incorporated into most overall ranking algorithms sometime in the next couple of years.

Of course this post is not so much about this subject above, rather how to acquire some of these local queries through building a local directory.

I was considering investing some time building a local directory for my home town, near by town or state.

I know their are already many directories like yellowpages.com, citysearch.com out there already and even some nicely built local ones. I not worried about competition so much as the process by which they create their phone numbers and address listings within the website.

Is their some place that this info is downloaded or purchased to be in uploaded into their website database? I cant realistically imagine this info is gathered by submission and hand.

Does anyone know?

[ctabuk]

Firstly it's a great idea, it is an ideal opportunity for you to not only create a no doubt great Directory but to also find some good and relevant BL's. I doubt if there is that amount of info to download, BUT, what I would do would be to contact the webmaster of another Local Directory and tell him or her what you have in mind and ask if they would mind working together. Their Directory may not include some subjects that you would like to aim for, and vice versa. They may hopefully see it as an extension of their empire and you too would have the added advantage of showing potential advertisers the strength of depth available. Good luck

[wrmineo]

Awesome idea. I had the same thought last March that I honestly haven't done much with the site, but it's still on the burner so to speak. Some of the benefits that I had considered:

Great community effort.
Great LRL - lead refinement lists.
Great for attracking business.

If you search for Elizabethtown Information or Elizabethtown Ky Directory in the Big 3, you should see etowninfo.com on the front page - thanks in large part to ctabuk!

I personally never purchased a directory to fill mine, but when researching the possibility, I ran across http://tx.infousamail.net/trak.asp?168883.1723859.32511 which might suit your needs if you're looking to be able to dump a bunch of data in at once. The list can come with csv file which you could dump into a Db for SQL or the likes.

Also, you might consider some sort of PhP backend that would allow "customers" to input their own data and you merely set an approval mod so that it doesn't become a free for all.

Great idea - let me know if you go for it and how it goes please!

[incrediblehelp]

Thanks for the ideas thus far. I think I am going to go the route of contacting some local ones already built and see what kind of feedback I can get from them.

[KeithO]

check script hosting sites such as sourceforge or hotscripts and see whats available for free.

[SteveWorld]

I've been doing this for some time now. Check out http://www.bakersfieldweb.net Try the local chamber of commerce site. If not downloadable you can easily import their html pages. Also your local court reporting newspaper may have downloadable new and renewal business licenses and ficticious name applications. Good Luck!

[neosite]

Greetings!

I built a local directory as a way to learn how to use my computer.

I went through the yellow pages in the phone book to determine my categories and took the businesses and basic info from there. (i would expect that you could download lists similar to this pretty easily)

Then i checked other local resources and loaded up on local links.

Its a lot of work and since i built it with static pages instead of a data base its a hassle to update efficiently.

I'll be working a bit more intensely on it this winter when the local biz owners aren't so busy with tourists.

That is also when i will try to add more relevant content for the visitors to actually learn about the Door County area. As well as get some more advertisers and backlinks.

Once you start to represent your area with good SERPS, you need to represent the area with useful info (more than just a list of links under a header[some points in my site are weak in that area, but then i try and toss in an area specific photo]). Make sure that if you find a ton of free info, you can add some local/individual flair to it. When a person are searching for local info (say to go on vacation), it should feel like a local is talking to you (in my opinion). That is the hardest part for me. Its very easy to become redundant and lacluster if you put to much work together to quickly.

One point of advice:

"Make sure you organize your information and contact info in a way that matches your goals!"

Originally i had my phone # on www.DoorCountyTraditions.com and i had people calling me for advice as if i was the chamber of commerce. That is not what i am or intend to be.

For right now i play with the tips i find in this forum and other newsletters as i learn SEO. Meanwhile Adsense pays for the hosting and my other operating expenses.

I would suppose that you would be setting up your site with customer acces to update their adds.

It seems that that is the only way to go without working yourself to the bone (another thing for me to learn this winter!)

Good Luck Incredible

[wrmineo]

Originally i had my phone # on www.DoorCountyTraditions.com and i had people calling me for advice as if i was the chamber of commerce. That is not what i am or intend to be.

LOL - I know it's not truly funny from your end; I'm laughing because it happens to me all the time because of my Elizabethtown KY information and directory site. I never published my phone number on the site, but that doesn't stop people from tracking it down. Also, I get emails all the time looking for "government" information regarding BBB, CoC et al.

I had a scout master call me a few weeks ago from Michigan wanting to complain about a local merchant not giving them a good discount. He got a chuckle out of hearing my chickens in the background (I was outside when the phone rang so he definitely knew he was calling KY) while I got a chuckle that he was contacting me to complain.

I also get a lot of emails to the box I set up for merchants to request listings from people wanting additional information - to include geneology :) I help where I can, but also have some canned answer cut/paste emails set up to let people down easy so to speak that I'm not AskEtown ... :)

[SteveWorld]

True, there is always an amature sleuth that will stop at nothing to get the information. Our directory is built from unverified downloads. (we don't have the time to check them all) My personal favorite was a guy who was run off the road by a truck from a delivery company in the directory.

[cspelts]

I launched a local directory/community portal site less than a year ago - Fallbrook.org.

Because I built the site for the local newspaper, I was able to populate the yellow pages database with information from the Chamber of Commerce. So I started with about a thousand chamber members, but there's an add form, and many businesses have submitted themselves over the past nine months.

I would think that if you presented it as a win-win proposition to your local chamber or business groups they might be willing to give you access to their listings. After all, their purpose is to promote their members.

[cspelts]

Originally Posted by SteveWorld

Try the local chamber of commerce site. If not downloadable you can easily import their html pages.

That's actually a bit dangerous - the information could be out of date or just plain wrong, and if you copy from another site, someone will figure it out and not like it. With a local directory, you are local, so if you make someone mad - it'll get back to you!

Going in to talk to the chamber and working with them, you'll get their latest, most accurate info - and make friends!

[wrmineo]

Originally Posted by cspelts

Going in to talk to the chamber and working with them, you'll get their latest, most accurate info - and make friends!

Good point and great advise! Also remembering it's not What your ask for, but How you ask for it, will go a long way IMO.

BTW - I love that site cspelts!! That's how about the direction I want to take etowninfo. Also, feel free to add it over at heres1 since you're already registered; no link back needed obviously. Just put in a reminder to the blonde (that's me) to create a CA sub-cat in US first ;)

[cspelts]

Originally Posted by wrmineo

I love that site cspelts!!

Thank you!

It's actually a very good resource for the community and I get really nice feedback all the time on it. It feels good to build something that all your neighbors love!

[incrediblehelp]

All great advice thus far, thank you and keep it coming!

[bj]

I just set up a directory here:

http://kickasswebdesign.com/webgeekdir/

and can recommend the script as an easy one to set up, if you decide to go with one that people can populate themselves and that you approve entries to. The script can be found here:

http://phplinkdirectory.com

[neosite]

Building on CSPelts comments:

Politics is politics!

The Chamber of commerce is politics.

People have jobs paid by the chamber.

? How are you going to benefit the chamber/How will your site benefit and protect the jobs of the people who work for them ?

We know that you will benefit the biz owners (cheaper more effective advertising).

What is the vested interest of the chamber to work with you? (your effective SEM & SEO will probably outperform $100,000 governmental marketing and/or salary dollars once you get the good SERPS)

What are your potential obligations to working with them, providing that a partnership is reached?

These are very important strategic questions everyone should consider.

Are you trying to fill the gaps that they missed?

Are you trying to do everything better than them?

Is it a combination of both?

Are you trying to fly under the radar?

The answers to these questions and (many more) can help you in determining the way and the type of information you compile.

P.S. (nice job on the sites cspelts---i hope to be that good soon---------With the work that you are doing, i see why you can say that "you" can work with the chamber, thier site sucks!)

P.P.S. In retrospect, perhaps there is incredibly great potential out there, i (incorrectly) assumed that all chambers of commerce were adequately funded and handled in a highly effective manner....Way to Raise the Bar in style and function (to both MODS). Like finding niche markets in the PPC, i now see the increased value in local search! Thank you for opening my eyes IncredibleHelp. I built my site on the auspices of "Write what you know", now i know it would be right to create an application to attack this incredibly underdeveloped opportunity ...... Understanding that there is no way around a lot of work...........any ideas on what type of programming system would work best? .Asp, mysql, ???? other stuff?, .php??? (i don't know many other acronyms).

IncredibleHelp started this forum with how to find info easily, now i pose the question: how do you think it is that we can make info the most easily found? What dynamic system is the best?

[virtualcontractor]

I have personally found that most of the local indexes do not have enough information. I have particularly been looking at possible relocations, when I look at a city or town directory I'd like to see a lot more relevant information about the area and I just don't find it on a lot of local directories.

[incrediblehelp]

Originally Posted by virtualcontractor

I have personally found that most of the local indexes do not have enough information. I have particularly been looking at possible relocations, when I look at a city or town directory I'd like to see a lot more relevant information about the area and I just don't find it on a lot of local directories.

This is a good point virtualcontractor. I was wondering if we could ideally pick exactly what we would want to see on these types of websites, what would they be. I was thinking something like:

1. Directory of businesses, contact information and their profiles
-restaurants/bars/clubs
-hotels
-real estate/homes/apartments
-shopping
-sports
-movie times
-jobs
-law/attorneys
-health
-travel/airports
-education/schools/universities
-lottery
-wedding/flowers
2. Links to maps of those business and area
3. Weather
4. Tourism
5. Community events or calendar
6. Community news
7. Submit your own business page
8. Toledo statistics page

Just for starters. What else?

[wrmineo]

There's nothing like the old school of cracking open the books - in this case it would be the phone book and see what categories have a large presence.
Churches love to be found and listed too - I didn't see that on the list.

Also, you'll find that a lot of "mom&pop" companies and seasonal contractors aren't in the Yellow Pages but would jump at the opportunity to get listed. This is where developing symbiotic relationships with other media and government entities will pay off too IMO.

See if your area has a Home Builders Association where you'll find a plethora of different categories: roofing, stone work, cement contractors, landscaping, property maintenance and the list goes on.

Also - youth organizations; scouts, sports, dance, band, etc. love to get noticed on the web! I started a few info pages on a local directory that has evolved into an entirely separate site. Better stated, my wife has volunteered me ... but it's all good, just more time at the computer for me, but the kids love being able to tell friends and family around the world to check 'em out on the web.

More will surface no doubt, but enough for now I guess. Your list is on target - just bounce it against your phone book for category ideas. Maybe get an initial site up for the community members themselves to dictate/suggest what they want would be a good start and great PR - make it user/community generated from the starting gate - "What Do You Want Here"; you might even get some free press in a local paper, radio or tv ...

[BillBSET]

I was browsing and noticed this thread about what I have been saying for some time..
Niche Search Sites..

I evolved a local project of mine to include
this very topic..
Being a Resort Community it has been real easy
to get a great PR.. I let the visitors post there
own links, phone, etc.. I found the links
have gone really well, but, the Phone Book has
been disappointing.. this winter I might
dump in the phone book..

having designed much of the site myself i included
counting tools to tell me what really is working
and attracting visitors and keeping their attention..

The Blogs and Offices I recently designed and
are just starting to take off..

It has mostly been a learning tool as I only
have 5 years experience with the Internet.. ... ....
uh.. i have many years with MASM and higher languages.. ..

http://www.grandlakelinks.com

Check it out..

Bill