Business listings are a huge benefit for your exposure as well as your ability to rake in important SEO ranking factors. A lot of people fail to recognize the importance of listings, missing out on all of the benefits they provide.
We're going to take a look at some things you should think about when it comes to online business listings. Hopefully, some of the insights below will push you to make some small adjustments that yield big results for your business.
Let's get started.
Things To Know About Online Business Listings
The first thing to consider is where you want to list your business information. Naturally, the more places you're present online the better.
That said, there's no need to spend time on every listing site that exists online. You just need to place yourself where individuals from your target market might be.
In general, there are four essential listing sites. Google My Business is the place to start. Google My Business allows you to rank in the snack pack on Google, and it offers Google essential information that could aid you in the rankings.
Because most of us are trying to achieve better rankings in Google, specifically, it makes sense that we'd spend the most time optimizing those listings. After that, you can place yourself on Yelp, Bing Places, and NextDoor, among others.
Some users might use these sites interchangeably, so be sure to place yourself on each one.
SEO Factors to Incorporate
Once you're present on these sites, it's time to take a few short steps to optimize your listings.
Ensure that all of the appropriate links and information pieces are there. Links to your website, your hours, your phone number, address, and a set of well-chosen images are a great place to start.
Make sure you choose flattering images as well. We've all seen a relevant listing, only to skip it because the pictures didn't give us a good impression.
Next, you'll have the chance to write a brief description of your business. This description might allow 50-100 characters or less, so you have to be concise. Make sure to give a good idea of your products and service in a sentence or two.
While you're at it, though, incorporate a target keyword that you'd like to rank for. Maybe that keyword is "restaurants in Albuquerque." Incorporate that phrase naturally into the description on the business listing page.
Doing so will situate you as a contender in searches for that keyword phrase.
Once you've got all of that information placed on the site, make sure to check back now and then to update and revise that information. Keep things fresh and Google will know that you're an active business rather than a stagnant one.
Need Help With Digital Marketing?
Whether you're dealing with online business listings or you're trying to refine your user experience, there's a lot to learn. Digital marketing can be hard and it's not always intuitive.
We're here to help. Explore our site for more information and resources on how to refine your digital marketing campaign, draw traffic, and maybe do it with help from professionals.