Once you have designed and launched your Web site, your next task is to get it noticed. One of the top ways to do this is to make sure you show up in relevant Web searches.

If you are selling your charming and thriving business district, you will want to be sure that your Web site pops up when someone Googles the obvious things like “historic Virginia towns,” or “antiques + Virginia.” There are several ways to do this, some paid and some not.

When trying to make your Web site relevant to searches, free methods are called Organic Search Engine Optimization (OSEO). This article from Entrepreneur magazine gives a brief overview of some do’s and don’ts. Although the article is geared toward startup and small businesses, you can pretty much substitute “downtown” wherever it reads “business.”

The key to getting a high ranking is being relevant to the search keywords and having a high hit/response rate. To increase your pull from nearby travellers, make sure you show up when searches for nearby attractions are made. Examples might be “Blue Ridge Parkway,” “Floydfest,” or “Lake Gaston.”