There are so many local directories that your business could be listed on.
You never know how someone might find your business in this day and age.
While Google is, by far, the most common place where people search for local businesses, they could also find your business listings on many different local directories, apps and sites.
This is a double-edged sword for many businesses.
On one hand, when your business is listed on a plethora of review sites and directories, it means that there are a plethora of avenues for people to find your business online.
This potentially means more customers and more sales, which is the end goal of any marketing effort.
But, on the other hand, when your business is listed on multiple review sites and directories, it means that you have listings on multiple review sites and directories to manage, and that can quickly become overwhelming.
If someone finds your business on a directory that you haven’t updated in a while, it’s possible that they’ll get an old phone number or an old address.
If people can’t get ahold of you, it may lead them to believe that either you have gone out of business or don’t care enough to keep your business information up to date — neither of which is a good thing for your business’ online reputation.
Another reason why it’s important to ensure consistency in your business information is that, if you don’t, it could hurt how your website ranks organically in the SERP (search engine results pages).
Google rewards businesses that diligently take care of their online presence, and that means managing your listings.
Today, I’m going to break down a few steps you can take to make managing all of those local listings easier.
How to manage your business listings across the web
Step #1. Figure out where you’re listed
Sometimes, your business is listed on directories and review sites because you signed up for them. Other times, your business information gets pulled in by an algorithm. Either way, the first step to managing your business’s listings is finding out where they are.
There are lots of tools out there that you can use to determine where your business is listed.
Yext even offers a free scan of business listings online across more than 50 services, including Google, Yellow Pages, Bing and many, many more.
Step #2. Pick your most important listings
Once you run a listings scan for your business, there’s a good chance that you’ll find that your business is listed on dozens of sites across the web.
The idea that you’d be able to manage all of them is nice, but not practical for most small business owners.
There is a fast way to, at least, ensure that your business information is accurate across all listings, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
There are only so many listings that you’ll really be able to manage, so it’s important to figure out what your top priorities are, as well as how much time you’re willing to spend on managing your listings.
A good place to start is by choosing 10 or 15 listings that are your highest priorities. You can always manage more listings in the future if you find you have the time, or fewer if you’re feeling pressed for time.
When you’re selecting your top listings to manage, be sure to consider both popular sites and sites specific to your industry.
For example, if your business has anything to do with weddings — like if you’re a photographer, caterer, event planner, etc. — you’ll want to make sure that you’re listed on The Knot.
And, if you’re a home contractor, you’ll want to make sure you’re listed on HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List.
Step #3. Claim your listings
Now that you have a good list of your high-priority listings, it’s time to claim those listings.
Claiming your listings gives you greater control over the information people find on them, and it allows you to optimize listings for increased conversions and better representation of your brand.
When you claim your listings, it allows you to update your contact information, which will ensure that people can always get ahold of you when they need to.
It will also allow you to upload photos and a more personalized business description, which you can optimize with your most valued SEO keywords.
Claiming listings and optimizing them will also help your listing to stand out! When people find accurate business info, images and branding on your listing, it helps to make the right first impression.
Step #4. Update your contact information
There’s a lot of business information that you’ll want to keep secure and protected, but any information that can be used to get ahold of you or visit your business, like your phone number, address and business hours, needs to be shouted from the mountaintops.
And, that means updating that information on all of your listings across the web.
Ensuring that your business is listed correctly establishes trust in your brand, makes it easier for people to contact you when they need you and is even helpful for your organic rankings on search engines.
However, if the idea of updating dozens of listings one at a time seems daunting, that’s because it is. Luckily, though, there’s an easier way.
Listings from Marketing 360® helps you get listed and manage your listings across more than 50 of the most popular local directories, sites and apps without the arduous task of updating them one at a time.
It’s a program that will save you time — which means that it will save you money — and it will give you peace of mind knowing that your information is listed exactly the same way across the web.
Managing your listings across the web takes some time, but it’s an important piece of the online reputation management puzzle. A great place to start managing your listing is by claiming your Top Rated Local® profile! Get started today!
Originally published 2/3/20
