Google Local: By creating and account and adding your information to Google Local you help Google understand that where you are and what communities you serve. If you verify your address with the system you can often get a highly visible map listing when people search for your service in your area. You can also take advantage of other free offers like Google Coupons to drive traffic to your business.

Yahoo Local: Create a free listing in the Yahoo Local Directory. When people search for your business name or industry in your region your listing will come up. Try to ask your customers to fill out reviews for your business; listings with better reviews come first.

YellowPages.com: Take advantage of the trust and branding that the Yellow Pages have. The most basic listing the offer is free, so be sure to sign up.

SuperPages.com: This is another online directory that is popular with many consumers, sign up and get listed for free.

Update you Data: Many local services pull from popular sources to of the most commonly used ones are InfoUSA.com and Axicom.com get your data right in these services and many other services will pick up the correct information.

Press Releases: Is your business doing something new and exciting online or offline? If you are make sure you're promoting it. Take advantage of free press releases from services like PRLeap. Get tips on how to make local press releases better with articles like Why Localizing a Press Release to a ZIP Code and City Matters and 25 Action Words for Writing a Newsworthy Headline

Free Directory Advertising: Advertising is great way to promote your business being able to try it for 60 days for free and see if it works is even better. Go to BOTW.org to find ways to take advantage of this offer.

Looking for more tips on how to promote your local business online, be sure to check out my local search interview series. For people with a little more budget also check out my article 5 Ways to Promote You Local Business for $888 a year, How to Drive traffic to Your Local Business Website and How to Get Your Local Business Online.