Local listings in SEO for businesses, often referred to as local citations, are any online listing that includes the name of a company, its address, number of phones, and other important information for brick-and-mortar companies.
Listings are accessible in local directories of businesses and social media platforms, apps, and websites and can be used to assist users in finding nearby businesses.
They also play an important part in local SEO performance and help physical businesses improve their positions when people type searches that are specific to their location. In recent times local listings can be enhanced using structured data, allowing businesses to increase their visibility.
Local businesses can create and manage their online listings using local directories and tools for citation. That means providing your business's information and contact details to various directories and aggregators.
The primary components of a local listing in SEO include the address, name of the company, telephone number, address, and URL for the website (NAP). The majority of listings contain at least the information listed above; however, they will likely contain additional details, including:
We suggest that you fill in all of these forms at the highest level of ability to give valuable information to prospective customers. Additionally, this information can help Google understand your company, assisting the algorithm in determining the best way to rank your website on the results page.
Increase the visibility of your website. The more directories for the business you include your business in, the more often your company's name will show up in results for searches. Consider each local listings profile as a separate website for your business. You need to ensure it's current, contains lots of photos of your products or services, and includes contact information, including email address and telephone number. A majority of mobile search queries are local-focused, so the moment your business appears on a local search page like Yelp, Angie's List, YellowPages, and Google My Business. You're significantly improving your mobile web presence.
Enhance your SEO on your website. SEO is a method to make sure your website appears at the top of search results for keywords you want to target. If you're a pizza shop in your area, you may be optimizing your site for keywords like "best pizza," "pizza restaurant," or "authentic Italian pizza." Local directories for businesses also optimize their websites for these terms. Because online business directories have good domain authority, they are more likely to rank higher in search results with similar keywords. Listing your business on these trusted sites implies that your business will appear more often than your website.
Brand visibility is increased. Making or updating your company's listing on an online directory website will increase your brand's visibility. Make sure you include the complete information you can. For example, some directories online permit users to upload their business logos. Be sure to make a logo that looks good online to upload it to your website and these third-party directories. The more websites you can add your business details to and the more likely people will be able to see your logo and associate with your brand and the services you provide.
Enhance your business's reputation. Directories for a business like Google My Business, Bing Places, and Yelp each allow customers to leave reviews on their experiences with your service or product. While many business owners hate reviews, they provide the chance to enhance your reputation as a business. Even negative reviews can be transformed into a positive experience for learning if taken care of. When communicating effectively with your customers or clients, you can anticipate most reviews to turn out favourable. The reviews will then be posted on social media, and you could even post them on your site.
Take control of the search results. When looking at the search results page, you can think of it as a Monopoly board. When playing Monopoly, it aims to collect as many properties as possible to increase the chance of other gamers finding your real property. Similar principles apply to a search result page, and the more frequently your site appears on the page, the more likely people will visit your site. One of the best ways to ensure your website shows up frequently on search result pages is to make local profiles for your business for high-ranking directory websites.
Google My Business: The local business directory that could provide your business with the highest exposure can be Google My Business. Directing your business's information towards Google My Business guarantees that when someone searches for your service or product on Google from a nearby location to your establishment, it will appear over the first results.
Yellow Pages: Yellow Pages is the directory that still has the most registered businesses, and it's one of the older directories that have survived the web age. Therefore, add your business to Yellow Pages if you wish to get free local exposure.
Yelp: Yelp is an extremely loyal community of users who appreciate and trust the reviews of every company. With 143 million visits per year, it's more than just a dependable source in the directories for business. It is a positive place to be, including that it can build confidence with the general public. However, it's equally true that you could make a mistake if you've got negative reviews. Even this, it's wise to be risk-averse and register your business on Yelp.
Bing Places: Bing Places is a lot older than Google My Business. But, it has a lower market share, and you can't expect huge results by listing your business on this listing. You should register since it's completely cost-free and boasts a more popular audience than any other business directory we haven't included in this list.
Apple Maps: The apple directory is crucial when we consider iOS users. For instance, those who use an iPhone are most likely to discover businesses near their phone. It is currently the second most frequently used map-based system, and it is essential to be part of this directory.
Facebook: Facebook gives you the chance to add your business's information to its directory. That can help you gain exposure for Facebook and Google users since it's highly relevant to Google's search engine. Even if you do not want to keep your page on Facebook up-to-date, you must make sure that it is updated so that no other person can steal your information.
Foursquare: It's the application used by WhatsApp to find a company within the maps. So, when a user is near your business and has shared the exact location, your company is displayed on a map. That is free, popular advertising that you can make use of.
AngelList: Angel List started as an online survey for local businesses, and it is now used as a directory of local businesses to list their business. The directory gives a no-cost listing for businesses across 700 categories and 10 million reviews and ratings.
These are just a few choices. Look up high-quality local directories and platforms for registering your company. You can find high-quality, clean websites, while other sites will earn poor reviews.
With this knowledge at hand, if you haven't yet delved into the world of local listings now, it's your opportunity to start. If you're searching for an all-inclusive solution for your needs, check out our regional SEO service (link to the page for service)
