This post is the first in a series on non-U.S. sources for Local search engine citations. It is written by Martijn Beijk, a Dutch Local SEO / Mobile enthusiast, currently living in Barcelona. He focuses on research and optimization at Onetomarket, a leading online marketing agency covering most of European markets.

Over the past nine months, the importance of citations for Local SEO has become more and more apparent to me. And although I’m very focused on sourcing and acquiring citations for my own clients, all of whom are based in the United States, I realize there’s a whole wide world out there that I and other Local Search bloggers rarely pay attention to. So on that note, I decided to draw on the expertise of readers and colleagues around the world to develop what I think is the first “Guide to International Citations.”

Just got an email in my inbox from iBegin, the baby of Ahmed Farooq. Like BOTW Local, iBegin is a very well-structured directory that is just a no-brainer for small businesses to get themselves a local citation.

Hopefully Ahmed won’t mind me copying-and-pasting from the release :)

It’s been a few months, but the time has finally arrived! You can submit your business here: http://www.ibegin.com/business-center/submit/

I am proud to call Greg Hartnett, President of Best of the Web, a personal friend.  So this post will not be as objective as the others you’ll find here on Mihmorandum.
But as a practicing SEO, I can truly say that BOTW Local is up there with Marchex’s OpenList network and Localeze as my favorite [...]

The second half of this month’s “Links of Local Interest” series follows below: Yet More on Small Business Reputation Management, A Bunch of Stuff by Matt McGee, Mike Blumenthal, Yellowpages Payola, and my latest Search Engine Land article.

Kind of like the “S” in your old Encyclopaedia Brittanica set, the third installment in my “Links of Local Interest” series is SO big that it requires two sub-volumes. (Look for part B tomorrow.) In this edition: SEMpdx Hot Seat Next Week!, Google Local Guidelines Announced, Questions and Answers from Google Local, Web Reference (aka Citation) Tips, How Many Small Businesses “Get It” When It Comes to Online Advertising?, More About Small Business Reputation Management, and
More Self-Promotional Drivel from the Yellow Pages.

Last week I published a guest post written by Ed Reese on the Value of Internet Yellow Pages websites for Small Businesses. Other than a few notes for readers, and re-wording a few phrases for clarity, that post was essentially un-edited by yours truly.

I promised a reaction to it today, so here it is! I offer my thoughts on such topics as Categorization, Citation Diversity, and the Effect of Paid Citations.

This is a first here at Mihmorandum — a guest post! It’s written by Ed Reese, a budding Local marketer from Spokane, WA. Ed described his situation to me at the recent SEOmoz Seminar, and I thought his story held some important insights for the Local Search community. It’s a two-part series–the first being the case as described by Ed, and the second being my reaction to his data (coming on Monday, September 22). So without further ado, here is Ed’s story…

I wish people would stop thinking that I somehow ‘have it in’ for the Yellow Pages. Certain Sphinn commenters and a few responses to previous posts I’ve written on this blog seem to imply that I am starting from a “gut reaction” when I criticize their value. This is just not the case. I’m going on hard data from my own clients, and analysis of their business models in comparison to their online competitors’. This article dispels some recent arguments from a YP Association rep, and offers my opinion on the true value of Yellow Pages for small businesses.

Continuing the COMPLETELY original series I started last month, here is a quick blitz of articles I’ve been reading with interest in the last couple of weeks: my SEMpdx presentation, interviews with Yahoo Local honchos, the launch of YipIt, attributes in Google Maps, how to get into Acxiom, and my first SEL column!