The more sites that accurately display your information, the more probable it is that clients seeking for companies like yours will find you.
You may have been advised to claim your company listing on the more than 70 local directories on the internet. But you may still be wondering, Why local listings for small business matter? If you already have a website and social media accounts, why is it important to be included on a multitude of additional sites?
The solution is straightforward: customers. The more sites that accurately and regularly publish your company information, the greater the likelihood that more clients will find you. Online directories are the digital analogue of the phone book, with the exception that it is no longer sufficient to be listed in a single phone book. You must be listed in every phone book.
Here are 5 benefits local listings for small business owners;
1. Improve Your Local Search Position
When search engines such as Google trawl the web, they hunt for instances of your company’s name, address, and phone number (NAP). Even minor alterations, such as a shortened street address or a different phone number, indicate to search engines that your company may not be legitimate.
When your NAP information is consistent throughout all citations, whether on or off your website, search engines will see your company listing as credible, raising your ranking in search results and maybe earning you a spot in highlighted results such as Google’s Local Three Pack.
2. Develop Consistent Contact Data
Consistency is not just essential for search engines. It is also essential for consumers. What happens if a consumer discovers an out-of-date phone number for your company and the connection is disconnected? Or they attempt to visit your storefront but the door is shut since it is located at your previous location?
This consumer will see you to be unprofessional and unorganized, and they will take their business elsewhere. You must guarantee that clients always locate your accurate phone number and address, regardless of the website they are using that’s why local listings for small business matters.
3. Protect Your Reputation
It is not sufficient to locate and correct all local listings. You must also “lock” these listings to prevent future modifications. The listing information for online directories is scraped from government papers and other public data sources by aggregators.
This information is often incorrect and out-of-date, but it may be used to override your listing – even after you’ve corrected it! Worse yet, an unscrupulous rival may claim your listing and change your phone number with their own. Locking your company listings is essential for preserving your reputation and maintaining the online identity of your firm.
4. Get More Web Traffic
To Get More Web Traffic on local listings for small business, When your web listings are accurate and consistent, search engines see your company as authentic and trustworthy. And when search engines like as Google and Bing trust your company, more people will notice it in search results, leading to a substantial increase in website views and traffic. This also applies to prominent placements such as Google’s Local Three Pack, Google Maps, and mobile search results.
5. Obtain Extra Phone Calls
Smartphones are used for the majority of online searches nowadays, rather than PCs. When a consumer discovers your company listing via a mobile search, they are equally likely to contact you by phone or visit your website. This is excellent news for company owners, but only if their clients can locate their phone number. Only by updating all of your local listings for small business you can ensure that clients always discover accurate information.
More than seventy maps, apps, and local directories include your company information. Claiming and amending your information on each of these sites would be a time-consuming endeavor. Manta makes it simple! We can utilize the information in your Manta profile to correct your company listing anywhere it appears, and then we’ll lock those listings to protect your firm’s identity. Ensure that consumers can always and everywhere locate the real you.
Bottom Line:
Make sure you have the fundamentals nailed before investing thousands of dollars on sponsored marketing initiatives. All small businesses should take advantage of local listings for small business since they are an excellent way to spread the word about their brands.
Making sales is not the only factor in determining how quickly your company expands. It is about creating a company that people can believe in and a brand they can trust. When a business is scaling, brand recognition is crucial.