There are plenty of such lists that you can find on the web and many of them are updated regularly. Keep adding to the directories your business is listed on, the more the merrier. We’ve already talked about how Google fetches data from all high quality listings and uses it to rank your site. Missing out on a reputed directory for local citation is simply not an option.
(Important note: Once you are done collecting your business listing resources, arrange these sites in increasing order of importance based on their PR and DA.)
Validate Accuracy of Existing Information: Do you really have all the information about your business? Sounds like a stupid question, doesn’t it? But, bear with me for a bit.
Your business will already have the necessary information up on its website, Google Plus page and various online and offline resources. The information on your business listings must co-relate with information already available about your business. The accuracy and consistency of your Name of Business, Address, and Phone Number (NAP format) is critical for making the most of your business listings. It should be consistent and accurate everywhere that such information is available.
Start Creating an Information Doc: This document will contain all information about your business that most citation sources will ask for including:
Zip Code: This is the five-digit code that marks the geographical location of your business in the U.S. It’s also known as a postal code in other countries.
Preparing a comprehensive document means you don’t have to go looking for the information a directory wants, you have it all worked out in your document.
Now, I know what you are thinking, or at least what some of you are thinking. The process of building a citation is so complex, can it be simplified?
One of the tools you can use for simplifying the process of accurately filling information in a business listing is the popular ‘form filling’ tool – RoboForm. It’s an easy-to-use tool that enables you to create an identity for each of the different business locations you have. Spend a few minutes to fill out all the information you want to build citations and use RoboForm to ‘autofill’ this information across plenty of submission sites.
Another tool that you can use is InFormEnter, an add-on for Firefox that does the same job as RoboForm, but the former is free. Get InFormEnter add-on for Firefox here.
InFormEnter adds a small clickable icon next to every input field; you only need to insert the item you want in the field, without typing. Configure it to display business information that you will be required to regularly enter while creating a listing.
While this might not be as comprehensive as RoboForm, it serves the purpose. InFormEnter will appear every time you open a citation site, when you click the field that you need to fill.
Creation of local business listings is made quicker with the use of these tools, especially if you go about it in a well-planned manner. But, as a business owner, it’s your duty to optimize these listings. Optimizing in this case refers to making sure your listings are as accurate and as complete as it is possible to make them.
But this is only if you do what it wants you to do. And, it makes a better friend than an enemy, so make sure you’re always on the right side of this search engine. Yes, even when it comes to business listings.
To understand the need for optimizing your listing, you must understand Google’s need for quality. It wants to make the world of search a better place for users by providing the most accurate results possible. Your job is to offer potential customers (not Google) the most complete, accurate and meaningful information about your local business. When you are doing it for your customers, you are essentially doing it for Google.
You need to make your listing as compelling to searchers as possible so that Google is able to retrieve relevant data and display it to your customers, right when they’re searching for services or products that you are selling.
Make no move before you read the quality guidelines for Google Places. They are quite comprehensive and tell you everything that you need to know about creating a good listing. It makes three important points, namely:
More information on the places page means better experience for the user ergo, a pat on your back from Google; so go ahead and fill up all required text fields and go a step ahead and make sure you don’t leave the optional fields empty.
Think of it like a question you are answering in an exam. The more the data, the more marks you earn, provided the answer is packed with facts, figures and relevant information. Google and its search algorithm will compare your listing with a similar places listing; if your listing contains more information, it will be ranked higher in SERPs.
Yellow Pages Phone Number KarachiSo make sure your website URL, physical address, hours of operation, business description and every piece of information that makes your business more appealing to the shoppers is mentioned in the listing.
This is a tip that will make you go, “Duh!” Yes, it sounds so hackneyed, but the reality is businesses actually fail to choose the right category that describes their business best. This damages the relevance of their listing, which drives home the importance of picking the right category for your business. Don’t take the easy way out and pick a general category, zeroing in on specific categories will serve your needs best.
Your business description is the single most important factor that can determine CTR, so don’t give it the short shrift. Your business description is your opportunity to talk directly to your customers, convey your value proposition and convincing them your business and its products/services are best suited for their needs. So how does business description square up to choice of the right categories in terms of importance? Can’t say really, but if you want to conquer your local market, you can’t afford to ignore both of them.
Google Places is good but so is Yelp and so is Yahoo Local and so are all sites in this list. The key is to get local search citation from all relevant high quality sites out there. Google will aggregate information about your business from all over the web, so making sure your business is listed on as many listing websites as possible makes sense.
And yes all those tips about optimizing your listings, you need to follow these tips on all sites. Think of them as listing best practices.
So, that’s it then. That’s local business listings defanged, totally anatomized and hopefully, simplified for everybody who wants to leverage their immense, and quite often, hidden potential for business benefit.
They typically include details such as the business name, address, phone number, website, and sometimes reviews and ratings from customers. These online business directories can be general, such as Yelp or Yellow Pages, or specialized, such as business directories for specific industries or niches.
They typically include details such as the business name, address, phone number, website, and sometimes reviews and ratings from customers. These online business directories can be general, such as Yelp or Yellow Pages, or specialized, such as business directories for specific industries or niches.
According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal in 2021, 93% of consumers in the US use online reviews to determine whether local businesses are good or not. This shows that a vast majority of potential customers rely on reviews before making a purchase.
Understanding why local business directories matter is crucial for any business owner looking to increase their online exposure and reach potential customers.
Customers rely heavily on reviews and information found in online business directories to make informed decisions about where to spend their money.
Customers often read reviews to gauge the quality of a product or service before they buy it. They want to ensure that they are getting value for their money and that the product or service meets their needs.
Customers read reviews to evaluate the reputation of a local business. They want to know if the local business has a history of providing quality products or services and if other customers have had positive experiences with the business.
Customers often read reviews to compare a local business with its competitors. They want to know if the local business offers better value or a better customer experience compared to other local businesses in the same industry.
Customers read reviews to gain insights about the business, such as its location, operating hours, and customer service. This information helps customers make informed decisions about whether or not to visit the business.
Overall, customers look up local business reviews to make better purchasing decisions and to avoid local businesses with a poor reputation or history of providing unsatisfactory products or services.
The way local business directories work is that businesses can create a business listing on the platform, usually for free, which provides their information to potential customers.
