Some places you should look for site traffic

While search engines are a great, no-cost website marketing tool, do not overlook other websites that may be able to send you qualified visitors.

These websites are either local or regional, or are related to a specific subject (i.e. East Coast Beaches). Most of these sites are very reasonable to advertise on and some may require only a link exchange.

You can find many of these sites by using the Open Directory. You can search the directory by subject or location. To search by location, start at Regional and drill down to your state or county category.

For example, to find local websites in Cincinnati, you would search like this from the Open Directory home page:

Regional/North_America/United_States/Ohio/Localities/C/Cincinnati/ or

Regional/North_America/United_States/Ohio/Counties/Hamilton/

Links from local, regional or subject-based websites can be beneficial in two ways: most non-commercial or informational websites usually rank higher than sites devoted to commerce. Even a paid link may increase your own page ranking. Secondly, you may receive qualified leads that you would have otherwise missed.

If you are working in a particular real estate niche market, like horse property or retirement living, links from websites that deal with your own target audience can turn into a wealth of leads. To maximize your site's potential, you cannot afford to ignore these advertising opportunities.

You can also look to local newspapers, radio or television stations. Many of them have on-line local business directories you can list in for free. Some newspapers also display their in-print classified ads on-line. If you are in a smaller market, a small graphic or text ad on a local media site will provide great exposure for a minimum marketing cost.