Some quick words about local

I've been hunting around directories lately for a search client who has two properties - The Peshtigo and Roosevelt Square - both with Chicago condos for sale. (Wow - it's difficult getting quality anchor text and links in our own blog! Imagine what it's like everywhere else! Anyway, because they are based in the Chicago area specifically, they're good candidates for local search options, yellow pages or other localized directories. What I keep seeing as I look through these, (and I won't give any link love to these jokers,) is that nearly all of them require some form of payment for their listing. If you have a business in Chicago, IL, and you feel your Chicago condos site fits into their listings, you should not have to pay to get into them. Understand that you are helping them to have fuller, more up to date listings when you inform a directory of your business. By buying into their listings, you are really only paying for whatever traffic you manage to get off of that site. Google knows that these sites charge for listings, so they devalue the link that comes through. Remember, if a link costs you money, and you've never heard of that site before, the link is bunk just keep looking.