Local Business Listings – What Are They and Why Accuracy Matters
How often do you grab your smartphone to search for a business in your area? How many times over the past week have you checked for a business’ phone number, address, website, hours or even directions to a nearby business? Or wanted to know where the closest florist or Starbucks was located? Or the best Cuban restaurant in your area? Chances are – you’ve done it multiple times.
And if you’ve conducted multiple searches for local businesses in the past week and relied on information from listings like Google Business Listing or Yelp then odds are consumers around you are doing the same when looking up information for your business or related to your business.
When people need something, odds are the first action they take is hopping on their smartphone, laptop, or tablet and head to Google where they conduct a search. Or, as these devices become more popular, people simply ask Alexa or their Google Home device for the information. In fact, 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine.
So how do you start to compete? How do you make sure your business gets found? The first step, and it’s probably not what you’re thinking – make sure your business information is correct across search engines, directory sites and social sites.
Have you ever traveled all the way to a business only to find they were closed when their Google listing said they were open? How frustrating was that? I’m going to guess extremely frustrating. Ever wonder how many people looking to utilize your business have received incorrect information about your business online?
Now I’m sure you’re thinking – not my business. My business information is correct online. But is it really? If this is what you’re thinking, I challenge you to contact me to run a free audit of your business online. If you’re correct we'll do a celebration dance together. But more often than not, we will discover that your information isn’t as consistent and accurate as you think.
Would you have allowed your business information to be listed incorrectly in the phone book?
People are constantly searching for businesses in their local area and utilizing information from listings like Google Business, Yelp and SuperPages. Consider these the new version of yesterdays local phone books. Let’s talk about how accurate listings and citation information benefit your business.
What are Local Business Citations?
Citations are any mention of your business on the Internet by a third-party and include local listings, directory sites, review sites and your listing on Google. These usually include name, address, and phone number. They may also include a link to your website.
What are Local Listings and Directories?
There are more than 200 local listing sites online. A local business listing is an online entry that contains your business name, address, phone number and other details about your business such as your website, a brief description or hours of operation.
Listing sites include Google, Bing, Yelp, YP.com, Manta, CitySearch, Superpages, Foursquare, Whitepages, MapQuest, TripAdvisor, HomeAdvisor, local Chamber of Commerce, Apple Maps, Facebook, Better Business Bureau, and Hot Frog. Most directory sites are general sites that span multiple industries but there are also industry specific directories like HealthGrades, Vitals.com for healthcare or OpenTable for the food industry.
The consistency of your information across the web, including directories and listings sites, can either help grow your business or serve as a barrier to customer discovery.