Joining your local Chamber of Commerce has many benefits. You can advertise your business, join local events, offer exclusive deals to other members and help create a sense of community with your business.Â
One of the big benefits most clients overlook is the ability to have your business listed in an online directory. When you join a Chamber of Commerce, you will usually have a profile created in their online business directory under your business category. This profile can include contact information for your business along with a short description and a link to your website into your chamber profile.
Backlinks are very important
Links from your local Chamber of Commerce can be a huge boost to your Search Engine Optimization of your website. Chamber’s typically have websites that have been around for several years, are well indexed by Google and have large volumes of traffic. Google values these trusted links to your website when calculating search rankings.
Even if you have an existing SEO strategy or you are a brand new business one of the key elements to google search is having strong, relevant backlinks pointing back to your website.Â
These can come in many forms. Maybe you have contributed great content to a blog in your niche. It could come from any relationship, partnerships or sponsorships you have with other groups and organizations. It can also come from local directories like that present on your local Chamber of Commerce website.
The cost for a small business to join a Chamber of Commerce is generally between $100 to $500 a year depending on the Chamber and the type of benefits they provide each business and the area they cover.Â
If you have an online listing in your Chamber of Commerce business directory, contact your chamber to see what features you can use in your listing. Here are some common features you may find in a Chamber website:
- Business Contact Information
- Website Link
- Secure Email Contact Form
- Links to social network profiles on sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn
- Short and Long Business Descriptions
- Bullet points describing products and services
- Logo and photos
- YouTube video link
- Up to 20 keyword search phrases to help your business’ chamber web page be found
- Hours of operation
- Map and directions to your business
