Take Control of Your Local Business Information

Consumers blame you when your local business information is wrong online. Here’s how to fix it.

In my last post, I explained why it’s important that your local business listings are accurate and up-to-date. The following steps will help you take control of your local information.

1. Claim the Top 20 Local Listings

You’ll find that most local directories have already created a listing for your business—whether you wanted one or not. “Claiming” your listing is how you gain access to it.

Start with Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Yelp. (These are the most important ones to claim.)

Be sure to add your additional information, such as store hours, products and services offered, your logo, payment methods accepted, and so forth.

This “enhanced” data helps consumers make a buying decision. It also tells the search engines that your business is legitimate.

When you’re done, claim your listings on these additional 14 directories:

2. Submit Your Business Listings to the Remainder

For the hundreds of other directories, you can submit your business information to the four data providers that the major search engines and directories get their listings from:

1. Infogroup
2. Acxiom
3. Localeze
4. Factual

(There may be a cost associated with submitting your listings to each provider.)

3. Set up Your Facebook Business Page

Why does a social media page help your local visibility? Because Google treats social media pages for local businesses just like any other business listing.

This means your Facebook business Page may show up in the search results before your website does, as in the example below.

Just like the other directories, be sure to add your logo, cover photo, and all pertinent business information to your Facebook Page.

Need an Advantage over the Competition?

All other things being equal, business with more listings across a wide variety of local search directories will rank higher in a local search than those who don’t. Take the time to get properly listed. It’s too important to ignore.

Our Premium Business Listing service gets you all this in a fraction of the time it takes to do it yourself. Call 800-255-5509 or contact us online.

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