As a new business you are looking for ways to get the word out and get a critical mass of customers. Some things you definitely want to do will also increase the amount of links to your new website and get you better rankings in Google organic search results. Unfortunately some of the opportunities cost money but are worth the money.
1) Chamber of Commerce - Utilize your local Chamber of Commerce to increase the amount of very value links. You will get a profile page with link to your website. The Concord Chamber of Commerce, which I am a member of, allows press releases to be uploaded to local new outlets. This can cost you and depends on your cities annual dues.
2) Crunchbase - Not only is this a great free directory to get links to your business website and personal blogs, you even get a link. Plus, it will rank on your business name so you will capture more organic real estate alongside Facebook & Linkedin for your business name on Google organic search results.
3) Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter - You can create all of them if they make sense for your business. Facebook and Twitter for sure, Linkedin for your business professionals, Instagram for pictures of products or food from your restaurant, and YouTube for videos that promote your business, the products you sell or the services you offer. Don't forget to add a link back to your new business website in these profiles.
4) A Blog - I have been blogging since 2008 and SEM has changed dramatically since that time. What hasn't changed is the link value I get from my blog interactions. The more posts, comments, followers and back links I get to my blog the more value it gives my website. You can also add all your social media profiles to your blog to give them some value too.
5) Yelp - This is a no-brainer. Billions of people search Yelp for new places to eat, shop at or do business with. Yelp also dominates many local search queries. Try this test, type "plumber in concord" in Google and see the two to three listings Yelp has on the top of organic search results. Just under those Google My Business listings.
6) Foursquare - Find the best places to eat, drink, or shop. Your customers can access over 75 million short reviews from local experts. Many of the impressions foursquare gets is from users that download the app and walk around the city and see pins for locations near them. Great place to get a link.
7) Google+ - Go to Google My Business and get seen on Search results, Maps & in Google+. Share posts, updates or images with your Google+ followers. The more interaction the more value Google's algorithm gives it for your links.
8) Local Newspapers, Blogs & Reviews - Ask the journalists and bloggers in your area to do a story on your grand opening. I am sure you can think of something unique about your business. Try starting a conversation with them about something they have written in the past, then when the time is right tell them about your grand opening and unique value proposition.
9) Friends, Family & Industry Colleagues - Do you know the association president of your industry? Do they have a resources page on their website? Great link opportunity. Does a friend or family member blog? Have them interview you about your grand opening.
10) Press Releases - You are probably wondering how a press release relates to SEO and getting links? If you pay to have your press release sent to reputable web newspapers and press release aggregates you will get 1,000s of links from 1,000s of different domains. When I started my business, I didn't rank for my own name because it is somewhat generic. After my press release I shot up to Position 3 for my name on Google organic search results (with more link building I am now in Position 1).
Remember to include a text link in your press release. It is worth the extra money to use your business name as the link text for your homepage. A great place to start is PR Web, they charge about $249 to send out your press release to 4 different geographies.
Conclusion
There are a lot of ways to get your name out into the world and get valuable link value back for your website's search results. Some of these may cost a few dollars but it is well worth the value you get back.
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