If you own a business with a physical location, it is vital that people searching in your area can find you. It’s not just about SEO anymore you must be listed in Google Business (formerly Google My Business and Google Maps/Local), Yelp, and other local directories.
Considering that a large chunk of Google searches are done on mobile phones, it is even more important than ever. When a potential customer is searching for a service provider, the chances are pretty high that they will click a listing on Google Maps. Will they find you?
What is Google My Business?
In an effort to give local businesses a chance to compete with the huge companies with even larger budgets, Google created a service called Google Places. It allowed businesses, even ones without a website, to have an online presence that could compete with the big businesses.
When a company provides a few basic pieces of information like name, address, and telephone number, they could create a free listing. The more details you added, the more likely you were to show up when people searched your area.
Fast-forward to today. Google renamed the service “Google Business,” but the basic concept stayed the same.
What is a Local Business Directory Listing?
Realizing that people wanted a voice to tell their story, positive or negative, with local businesses websites began popping up allowing them to do just that. A few of the larger ones are Yelp, Bing, Merchant Circle, City Search, and Superpages.
Each of these sites allows businesses to submit their information to be listed in the directory. While you may not be a heavy user of these sites, many people do use them.
If you don’t exist in the directory anyone searching won’t find you, even more if they have the wrong information then that potential customer will not be able to contact you. You might be surprised how often this happens.
Is your business listed with the correct information? Request a local business visibility audit today!
Local Directory Optimization
The optimization process begins with Google, the hottest one of them all. Making sure your listing is filled out completely with the correct information will confirm that you are a trustworthy, legitimate business.
From there, we make sure your business information is listed correctly in over 50 of the most popular directories and that the information matches what Google has. By doing this, we confirm to the big G that they have the correct information and that you are still in business.
Next we seek out other directories that are specific to your geographical area or your industry. By getting your business listed, we are proving more and more that your business is the ideal choice for searchers.
Who is This Service Right For?
We mentioned above how important this service is for businesses with a physical location, but it is also vital for service providers like plumbers, electricians, and other contractors. Even if you don’t fit into either of these categories, it may still be a good idea to get your business listed.
Why?
Each directory your business is listed in shows proves your legitimacy and also provides a backlink to your website. Meaning it can also help your search engine optimization efforts.
The listing service is not ideal for businesses that only sell products on their website and don’t have a local presence.
How Much Does it Cost?
Just like any service, optimizing a Google My business page depends on your business and what you need. That’s why we have to provide a custom quote for each business.
The next step is to fill out the Exploration Form to see if you qualify, once you have submitted the form we will contact you in less than one business day to setup an appointment.