by samWhat are business listings?
Business listings are mostly important for SEO, because they provide back links to your website. These can increase your ranking on search engines. In addition, more people will see your business, which (if you’ve done the thing right) can lead to more sales. They’re also great for local SEO, since they include your physical location in the citation. Since Google’s started localising people’s searches even if they haven’t specifically requested it, this is a great way to show up for your customers.
DO – Claim your profiles
Don’t be the prawn that gets their profile claimed by someone else, it’s often a pain to remove. If you haven’t claimed your Google My Business page at least, you really really should. This will also connect you to Google Maps, making you even easier to find.
DO – Link, link, link!
There are literally hundreds of business directories out there, both paid and free, so you can link up on any budget. You’ll probably want the big ones at least – that’s Google My Business, Yahoo, and others like them. When it comes to business listings it’s normally a case of “the more the merrier!” – you’ll want as many back links as possible for SEO after all, but remember, quality over quantity is absolutely key!!!
DO – Choose them wisely
Remember, not all business listings are created equal. You should take care to assess each directory before you sign up for it. Check it out on Alexa.com to see how much traffic it gets, especially if it’s a paid listing.
Also, make sure it’s reputable. The point of these listings is to get your business more exposure; do you really want it appearing next to dodgy links on a poorly built, spammy website? You’ll be associated with that too. A link back from a well known, reputable site is always better than one from madeinathirteenyearoldsbedroom.com.
DON’T – Fluff the citations
Your citation (or NAP) is the online reference for your business – the name, address and phone number. You must keep these absolutely consistent – even adding a gap in a phone number or shortening street to st. in some of them is no good. Google doesn’t like inconsistent citations because one of them is more likely to be wrong, and Google isn’t interested in providing wrong information. Consistent citations always get a boost.
DON’T – Forget categories
Categories help search engines find you. Most directories will allow you to select categories under which your business will appear. Search engines don’t like businesses that are uncategorised or miscategorised. Make it easier for everyone.
Thanks for reading our ‘Business Listings: Do’s and Don’ts’ article. Be sure to visit the rest of our Digital Marketing Blog for all the latest happenings in Digital Marketing.
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