[ianharper]

watch out for the webmaster protocol " sitemaps.org" all the top three search engines are going to be using this to index your sites so you'll need to read up and make sure you have it on your site.

[Mark Roberts]

That protocol was brought out by google some time ago
https://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/docs/en/protocol.html

There are a lot of options about that say its both good and bad, one being that if you put that code on your site google knows your after rankings so may flag your because of it.

Easy around it it is to make a simple site map yourself 

Mark

[Dusty]

These sites will tell you all you need to know on how to get to the top rankings....sign up for their email letters and stay in front

http://www.webpronews.com/

http://www.site-reference.com/

also find as many local directories like touch local ect that do free listings and put a demographic bent on you sh-peel.

e.g We have many satisfied customers from Slough Windsor Maidnhead Iver Cippenham Burnham Langley ect ect all with in say a 10 mile radius.

...even create a new page on your site with the same thing encluding as many turms like stain remover, stain removal, stain treatment ect and name the page "local Carpet Cleaning expert" It could get higher ranking than you home page so put a visable link to your hp.


here are a few submission sites

http://www.askalix.com/uk/

http://www.findtheneedle.co.uk/

http://www.thelocalweb.net/Upload1.asp

http://www.abilogic.com/how-to-suggest-a-site.php

this is a good article on Directory listing pro' and con's...this link is from the last paragraph "final words"
 
http://www.strongestlinks.com/articles/dirSubmitGuide.php

another useful submission page ... I wouldn't use the multi submission tool myself, I would use the links and submit myself as google can penalise you for using multi submission tools.

http://www.freewebsubmission.com/

Put you competitors names/URL's in google and other engines and see where you find them listed, also check companies on the other side of the the country to see where they are listed too. 

This is a nifty little tool for all budding SEO's

http://www.marketleap.com/verify/default.htm