In our last post, we mentioned that one way to improve your website’s search engine ranking is by actively promoting  it. We’ve decided to create a basic checklist to help you spread the word:

Direct clients to your website with the marketing materials you already use (posters, brochures, radio ads), and give them a good reason to go there (industry tips, insider info, contests).

Being active in social media will often drive a lot of traffic to your site. Create a Facebook business page and Facebook ads, a quality business blog, interesting YouTube videos, or a business twitter account.

You may want to participate in a social bookmarking community to promote viral marketing. Some of the most popular communities include Google Bookmarks,  Digg, StumbleUpon, and Delicious. Search engines spider these sites looking for links to new and relevant info. Be sure to make a genuine contribution though: No spam.

Create incentive for people to visit – Have you considered a twitter contest or exclusive online specials? How about offering a free service or tool?

Use a call to action. Ask visitors to bookmark your site, sign up for a newsletter, or send a link to their friends.

Consider purchasing Google adwords that match keywords people use to search for your services. You would create simple text ads, and when web users google your keywords your ad may appear next to the search results. In this way, you’re targeting an already interested audience.

Make sure you claim your business on Google and add it to Yahoo! Local. Your business will show up on a map when people do a local search.

Post your contact info including  your site’s URL to your e-mail “signature” at the end of each message you send. This will help recipients reach your site and contact you easily.