Local search and SEO are taking over the internet marketing realm. There are many different business directories out there that your company can be listed in and it's up to you to make sure that your name makes it in as many as you possibly can. If your business isn't listed at all, you have a lot of work to do. However, based on public record and website information, a lot of sites like Google+ have listings for companies and you simply have to go fill in missing information and confirm that it is your listing.
Local listings allow customers to find your business, and right now that is more important than ever. Most people using search engines are doing so on mobile devices, which means they are more likely to be in search of a physical business. Without listings, they can't find you. IF they can't find you, they can't become your customer. It just makes sense. There are some problems that come up with local listings from time to time, but they're all pretty simple to fix.
Business Directories and Google
The business directory and local SEO rules set forth by search engines like Google can make it hard for you to keep up with what's allowed, what's expected, and how to maximize your local SEO without getting in trouble or breaking rules. Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources to help you get educated about business directories, including professional SEO companies, which can help you get listed in all the right places. When you choose to work with a professional SEO company, you don't have to worry about the rules of Google because the pros will take care of everything.
Google constantly changes its search algorithms and makes updates to how businesses can market themselves online. It can be hard to understand the details of all of the updates and changes, but once you make light of things you will be able to move forward. There are some situations, however, where there are problems for the business that is trying to get listed. To help you do better with your local SEO, here are some of the common problems with business directory listings and how to resolve them:
- Inaccurate or Incomplete Information: One of the worst issues is when the local listings are wrong in some way. Local listings often have wrong numbers, incomplete address information, a dead website link, or even be missing a lot of useful information that your customers need. By making a list of business directories and going through each one, you'll be able to correct all this.
- Duplicate Listings: There are some cases where a business might end up getting listed more than once, or in more than one category. This can be confusing for customers, and it can be a bad impression to search engines. You need one listing with all of the correct information, and that's it.
- Address Conflicts: Some local sites will argue that your business needs to have a business address, which is the same as the mailing address. This isn't always the case, but happens sometimes. If that becomes an issue, you can easily consult a local SEO company to see how to get your business listed in the best way for your marketing needs.
- Local Optimization: Some businesses have multiple locations, or are franchises of a corporation. This results in multiple listings for the locality and business, and can get confusing. You need to make sure that you optimize all of your content, including business listings, for the relevant locality to get the most attention from your audience.
These are the most common business listing issues, but you might have others as well. Make sure that you're working with SEO companies when you need them so that you can successfully conquer the local SEO market with your brand.
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