Take Control of Your Business Listings

Why Business Listings are Important

When a customer is searching for a new business, Google is frequently their first stop. If your business cannot be found easily through a simple Google search, there’s a good chance that it will never be discovered. This is why keeping your local listings updated at all times is essential.

A number of businesses have gone offline because of listings with incorrect details. If your business is just starting out, it’s a good time to take control over your listings so they remain relevant for the long haul. 

The Elements of Your Business Listings

Besides name, address, and phone number, your business listings should include website URL, hours of operation, your business category, pictures/videos, methods of payment, and a short description of your business. This information helps customers easily connect with your business once their online search brings them to your listing.

Benefits of Business Listings

If you business is new and you don’t have a website yet, you can still get in front of your customers with listings in directories like Google and Yelp. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important, but you need more to drive traffic to your site. Without reliable business listings, your driving your customers to your competitors.

Benefits of accurate business listings:

• Business Listings Boost SEO: Consistent, accurate, reliable data will raise your search engine rankings in relevant searches. To learn more read The Local Search Ecosystem.

• Enhance Your Reputation: Most business listing sites offer reviews. Online reviews provide you with valuable insights into the customer experience and build trust with your audience.
• Improve Customer Experience: When it’s easy for consumers to find your information, your building a better customer experience right from the start.

Managing Your Business Listings

It’s important to learn how to take control of your business listings so that you can leverage the data to your advantage.

Audit Your Business Listings

Your first step in managing your local business listings is a listings audit. This helps you to determine whether your listings are consistent across the web and whether or not duplicate listings exist. 

Claim Your Business Listings

Do an online scan of your business to see what is currently listed, and where. Claim any new listings that you discover. Once you have ownership of your listings, you can control your data and keep it up to date. Check Google support to learn how to claim your listings.

Track Your Business Listings

Your job isn’t finished once your correct your listings because new listings are added every day. It’s vital to track your information consistently. If you business changes information such as address, phone number, or operating hours, it’s important to update this information quickly across all listings. 

Can You Manage Your Own Listings

Technically, yes you can manage your own listings, It’s free and you will have complete control, but it takes a considerable amount of time – time that you could be using to build and operate your business. As your business grows, your listings will grow, and you’re going to need a long-term solution to keep up with them. 

It’s ideal to use professional marketing experts for this task. FineView Marketing can help you manage your business listings, identify any inconsistencies on an ongoing basis, and ensure that they are kept accurate and up to date. 

Takeaway

Business listings can be a headache if you don’t have the resources to keep them current. Without consistent updates your business will not be well represented, resulting in lost customers and decreased sales.