Have you overlooked some great “trusted” links you already paid for? I am talking about your local Chamber of Commerce and other local business organizations. Yes, I know many use “redirected linked” or their brilliant webmasters thought “frames” were the coolest thing. Solution: Ask the Chamber for a Link/Advertisement from another section. The worst they will tell you is “no” which opens up a whole new discussion with them.

If the answer they give is “no” arrange a meeting with the Chamber President. Explain to the “decision maker” how Search Engine rankings directly impact your sales. Tell them the importance of trusted backlinks to your website for higher rankings. Be very honest with them. Educate them.

They will appreciate your education since it will help them to better serve their “members” and that is their primary goal. After the meeting I bet you can convince them to give you a real link (probably without having to ask). You might even get them to change their whole directory to something search engine friendly. If your company is in the Internet Marketing or Web Design field I expect you will get many referrals from the Chamber. (They promote active members the most. Attend their weekly and monthly events.)

TIPS:
- You normally do not have to have a business in the city to join the Chamber. Top sales reps from large corporation have used this to their advantage for many years by becoming members of nearby Chambers. Most times you just have to pay the membership fee.

- Some Chambers sells advertising space off their main website. Often their printed rates for newsletters are a great deal.

-If you are targeting Local Search examine the backlinks to your local chamber website. I bet you will be surprised how natural and great those links are. Approach these sites for a link. After all, you are now a member of the same organization.