The easiest and most effective way to dip your toe into the waters of online marketing is by using the basic marketing tactic — online listings!
The phrase “online directory listings” may give you flashbacks to receiving a Yellow Pages or White Pages phone book on your doorstep (which you still keep in your kitchen drawer — just in case) and, while it does provide you with the same information, the digital version is a great way for online consumers to find your local business and take action.
Online listings make local businesses more visible on the Internet — if all the information is correct — by feeding the information to major search engines, like Google, Yahoo and Bing.
Every online listing gives your local business the opportunity to:
- Be found by customers
- Increase your search optimization by giving you a credibility on search engines
With 59% of consumers using Google every month to locate a local business, it is crucial that all your directory listings have consistent and accurate information on online directories so you can increase your search ranking. An increased search ranking will lead to more clicks from customers.
Online listings help your local business stand out from the crowd and compete with eCommerce businesses and big box stores by boosting your SEO and increasing your visibility.
Online listings help you compete
Local businesses compete with other companies of all shapes and sizes and they have to do it all with a tight budget. By claiming and optimizing your online listings you not only control the content (such as address, phone and hours), but you also guarantee that each of your listings are consistent (giving you more power with search engine algorithms vs. your competitors).
But search engines aren’t always the only place people search for businesses.
Remember that phone book you have?
When you can’t find a business online, you might turn to that phone book. Others will look there first, simply out of habit. People already have a go-to place they look for businesses, such as their local Chamber of Commerce, specific directories or popular ones, such as Yelp.
All of these different directories and online listings provide a plethora of places your business can be found by consumers.
Be found on search engines
Over time, every online directory listing your business has will culminate in powerful search engine optimization (SEO) juice.
Consistently writing each online listing is like hearing raving reviews about the latest movie from friends: the more positive reviews you hear, the more you want to see that movie.
Search engine algorithms act the same way with business listings: the more they see consistent business information, the more value they put into it, and the higher it ranks on the results page.
Online listings are simple
The best part about online listings is how simple it is to get started with them. If you haven’t listed your business anywhere online, start with our top online directories to get started with and spend a few minutes inputting information.
If you already have local listings, get a free SEO report for your business so you can know which listings need to be updated or not.
Taking this first step in online marketing will help your local business start being found by local consumers online, slowly starting to grow your business with this new strategy.
Start converting 2-3x as many new web searchers all through simple online listings! Get listed and seen on even more online directories with the help of LocalVox, which can list and then continue to update your local businesses online listings with the click of a button.
What directories do you find more valuable for local business? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Why Your Local Business Needs Online Listings appeared first on LocalVox.
from LocalVox » Local Marketing Blog http://localvox.com/blog/why-your-local-business-needs-online-listings/
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