If you are selling goods or services locally, one of the places you need to be is in Google and Yahoo's Local Listings. Google calls this Google Maps.

These are Google and Yahoo's version of online Yellow Pages. When you do a search that includes a geographical location, such as "Dentists Largo" you will usually see a little map and some brief listings for up to 10 local businesses in that category and location.

This is in addition and completely independent to the "organic search results" just based on Google's indexing of your website.

To show up - and show up CORRECTLY in these local listings, you need to set up an account for that purpose.

For Google that is their "Local Business Center" accessible through "Google Business Solutions" from Google's home page or via www.google.com/services.

For Yahoo go to http://listings.local.yahoo.com to set up an account. You can ignore their efforts to get you to pay for a listing. Just use the free option.

In both cases one of the most important steps is to choose the best categories to list your business under. So spend some time figuring this out.