(See below for details of how to get a login)

Before requesting your free entry, check that you are not already listed in the general Kent Business Directory - opens in a new window by searching using your company name. 'By company name' is one of the powerful search facilities provided to enable potential customers to find local suppliers. If you are listed in the Directory, proceed as explained in the next paragraph. If you are not listed, email your directory entry request to kbd@businesslinkkent.co.uk. The KBD Team will ask you for your company details and add them to their offline database. Then matters will proceed as explained in the second paragraph below.

Taking ownership of your free entry - if you are already listed in the Directory
If you are already listed in the general directory, have you taken ownership of your free entry? If you have not, or have done so but have forgotten your login details, please email kbd@businesslinkkent.co.uk - quoting the company name and directory reference (just above contact details) from your detailed entry page. You will be sent details of how to take ownership of your entry, and maintain it in the longer term with an update login. When you have created or re-established your update login, you can enhance your entry and promote your business so that potential customers will find it online.

The companies added to the offline database are uploaded regularly to the online directory. After this upload is complete, you will be sent an email or letter giving details of how to take ownership of your free directory entry, and maintain it in the longer term with an update login. When you have created your update login, you can enhance your entry and promote your business so that potential customers will find it online.

Keeping your entry up to date
Entries in the directory are entirely free - but it is your responsibility to keep your entry up to date. Only up-to-date entries are submitted to search engine spiders. Up-to-date entries also receive priority in the initial display of search results, according to the categories explained in the section immediately below. When your entry becomes nine months or more out of date, we will send you a reminder to update it. We will do this at least twice before flagging your entry data as 'less current'. We use the email address in your login to communicate with you, so keep this address up to date (see also the Data Cleansing section at the end of this page).

What the Green Ticks Mean
The small graphic symbols before each entry in the search results have the following meanings.

• You have enhanced your entry and the data is completely up to date (entry appears in top section of search results)
• You have enhanced your entry, but the data is less current (entry appears in second section of search results)
• You have not enhanced your entry (no symbol - entry appears in final section of search results)

To update your free entry, once you have got it and taken ownership of it, login using the links at the top and bottom right of this page, and click on the second ‘Update your entry’ link displayed on the 'Welcome' page. If the ‘Update your entry’ link does not appear, email kbd@businesslinkkent.co.uk with your details - including the company name and directory reference (just above contact details), which you will find on your detailed entry page.

When your detailed company page displays, it should have a light green band immediately above it. The detailed usage figures for your entry will also be displayed, so that you can judge the effectiveness of your entry. Click the ‘edit’ tab on the top green band, to the right of the highlighted ‘view’ tab, and proceed to make your changes. When you have finished editing your entry, click on the 'save' button at the bottom of the page and check your amended entry. When you have completely finished, close your browser window down.

Take some care when entering Town/City and County/State/Region. These items are used for searching, so enter standard information: specify the Post Office post town (e.g. Tonbridge, not Horsmonden); and the recognised county (e.g East Sussex, not just Sussex). Your Google Maps location reference is automatically updated when the postcode is changed - but you can put in your own reference if you have a location PDF or page published on the web. If you want to specify a generic contact such as 'Customer Enquiries', leave the Contact Title, First Name, and Last Name blank, and put the information in Contact Job Title - this gives best results.

Your company profile should be a good description of your company – stressing concisely its unique selling points. It is also advisable to work in your more important keywords and phrases for search engine spiders. Please do not apply any formatting to the text except paragraphing - so do not paste from a Word document or from your website. Detailed formatting (bold text, bullet points, etc.) will not come out on your entry, and may cause it to be rejected. Please keep your entry to less than 160 words (1000 characters precisely, including blanks and punctuation). The data entry box on the update screen keeps count of the number of characters you have entered. Your company profile is searched when a site visitor uses the simple search boxes at the top and bottom of each page (and on the home page), but is not searched when they use the more precise advanced search facility.

Your search keywords or phrases should identify your products and services generically, highlighting what you have said in your company profile. They are vital to the advanced search function, and your first three keyword lines are presented to search engine spiders when they visit the directory - using the 'Please visit' link at the bottom of your detailed entry. This link also appears as the description of your entry in Google, so order your keywords with this consideration in mind. If you do not have a website link the slightly different text presented to Google is: 'Visit the <company name> entry for information on <first keyword line>, <second keyword line>, <third keyword line>'.

When selecting keywords, think of likely words and phrases that people will use to search: ‘car alarms’ not ‘automobile security’, for example. Include likely spelling variants; e.g. accountant as well as accounting. Avoid capitals and enter only one keyword or phrase per line - unless they are spelling variants. Please keep your entry to less than 15 keyphrases. The data entry box on the update screen keeps count of the number of lines you have entered.

An example profile and keyword set, from the Business Support Kent entry, is shown below for your convenience. Note that paragraphing has been used in the profile - and you can do the same for your entry. Be aware that your company profile is abbreviated in search results (but not in your detailed entry). It is truncated at around 30 words (180 characters precisely) or the first new line character, whichever occurs first. After you have updated your company profile, always do a search for your entry and see how the abbreviated profile reads - it is a user's first encounter with your company.

Business Support Kent is publicly funded to provide the information, advice, and support needed to start, maintain, and grow a business. It provides the local Business Link service that is quality assured Regionally - to clear national standards.

Business Support Kent exists to help anyone who is thinking of starting business; to help small and medium-sized businesses to grow; and to help businesses deal with problems, challenges, and opportunities. Rather than providing all the advice and help itself, Business Support Kent fast tracks customers to the help they need. We will help you make the most of your business opportunities and link you to expertise from across the private, public, and voluntary sectors.

Example Search Keyphrases (Business Support Kent)
starting a business
business advice
marketing
finance
business planning
information technology
international trade
managing people
networking
innovation
export
internet
business link
starting up
start-up start up

Contact Details - The preferred medium of contact for someone searching on the web is email. So make sure that you have a reliable and permanent email address entered, and keep it up to date. You may enter your email address with confidence - it is cloaked on the directory, as is your website address, so that spammers cannot get at it. Telephone numbers are desirable but not essential.

Data Cleansing - Directory data is cleansed from time to time. You may lose your 'green tick' status if any of the following situations occur.

• Your company name is preceded by blanks or other special characters.
• There are no search keywords for your company, or they are defective - please follow the data entry guidance notes on the edit page.
• There are no contact details for your company - Job Title is the minimum.
• The contact email address for your company is failing.
• The email address given in your update login is failing - this address is our primary communication link to you and must be kept up to date.
  

(See above for details of how to get a login)