Are you pondering local listings and SEO and don’t know where to begin? Fear not; our experts at Click Intelligence have crafted this detailed guide to teach you all you need to know.
Local listings and SEO can make you feel out of your depth unless you have spent a lot of time within the industry. The reason why it’s so confusing – at least in terms of SEO – is that there are no definite answers. Strategies are created by running tests, but at the end of the day, Google releases very few guidelines on what to do.
The only time you do get a clear guideline is when they are trying to shift the internet to optimise itself for the benefit of users. That is why we now know that mobile-first indexing is very important for local SEO.
Another key factor to local SEO efforts is listings or local citations. These listings and SEO local citations help prove to Google that you are located where you say you are and can be instrumental in boosting your ranking and getting real customers to visit your store.
The Power of Local SEO
Local SEO is much easier than global SEO. Your efforts will be more immediate and dramatic. As you operate locally, you also don’t need to worry about missing out. There is no reason for you to compete in the global market, especially if you are the only type of store in your community.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO essentially means focusing your efforts on tasks that will improve how customers find your company. It will also mean ranking and even paying for advertisements and keywords that only apply to your local area. If you are the only art shop in your town, for example, this makes it very easy to rank on the first page of Google.
Local Citations
As mentioned, local SEO and SEO citations are important factors, although they do consist of a few pinnacles – local citation submission is one of them. Aside from actually owning a store in your town, it is the most important factor that Google will look at.
The local citations SEO strategies used to make your local standing stronger essentially involve anywhere your NAP is located. These are often found on NAP listing sites, in local directories and sometimes on national or even global business directory listing sites, although the latter pertains less to local SEO.
Backlinks
Backlinks for local SEO are similar to citations; they are off-site signals that Google uses to analyse the credibility and authority of a website. Sometimes called “external links” or simply “links”, backlinks typically have a referring domain, anchor text, and “DoFollow” or “NoFollow.”
The greater the backlink profile with plenty of quality referring domains indicates to Google that website has greater trust and credibility from an SEO point of view, which Google rewards greatly. Specifically, you can also start building backlinks to citations in the same way as generic link building, which will boost your local standing with Google as well.
SEO Co-Citation
Co citation SEO strategy involves content that has been validated by more than one source, which strengthens it in Google’s judgemental eyes – much like how academic works such as journals and books are referenced through citations, whereby the author credits each of their influences. The higher the number of times a work is cited, the more trustworthy and credible it appears – and the same applies on the internet with link use that was mentioned above.
Google’s search algorithms reward sites linked by numerous related sources; for example, if website A and website B both link to your content, you have a greater chance of rising in Google’s search rankings.
NAP
NAP simply stands for name, address, phone number. It is the three key pieces of information that must be uniform on every local citation to solidify your ranking and boost both online visits and in-store visits. You can check yours to make sure your local citation SEO standards are up to scratch yourself, or you can use an SEO NAP checker.
What Are Local Business Listings?
A listing is the same as a citation. You can have your business listed in directories that cater to your local area or industry on top of sites like Yelp and others among the top 50 citation sites online – which are often a great use of free business links since they don’t usually charge anything to list your services. Also, UK business citations like these go hand in hand with other SEO techniques to boost your online visibility; therefore, they are extremely important as the citations business directories provide add value to a company’s authority and presence.
A business list directory as a tool for both companies and customers has been around since way before the internet was even an idea – but instead of merely being an information centre for people looking for local services, these days, they’re also an invaluable SEO tool.
If you’re unsure how to create a business listing or you simply don’t have time to submit your business to local directories, you can use a local business listing service – also sometimes called local citation building services – to do it on your behalf, which, in many cases, will also manage your listing as part of their expert local listing services. Usually, these are paid, third-party providers that obtain or clean up online mentions of business names, addresses, and phone numbers.
A business listing service may also apply SEO techniques to keep your company visible online, though not all are equal, so it’s down to you to find the right citations building service to accommodate your needs. (A quick internet search for “list my services”, “local SEO directory submission”, or “citation aggregators” should bring up a number of top-tier sites and professionals).
Of course, free business directory listings exist; it’s normally a simple case of going to citation submission sites and inputting your company’s details. However, as tempting as a free business directory listing might be in terms of cost savings, you might find greater results by using professionals who know the landscape and how to create SEO-enriched listings that can better propel your business to the forefront of your local audience’s internet search zones – and this is especially true of niche directory websites.
It’s also important to note that the way local business citations work may differ from location to location; for example, USA local citations will be hugely different from UK local citations, meaning it’s necessary to account for your region when you manage local business listings yourself or use a local citation building service.
Ultimately, US business directory listings might not get you very far in your local area if you’re a UK business, so make sure to consult a local listing aggregator to handle your local listing SEO strategies. Again, a quick internet search can help you with this; using terms like “create local directory citations” or “local business listing services” should bring up a local listings list of sites and services.
What to Watch Out for When Creating Local Listings
Now that the question of “what are directory listings” has been answered and you know what local business directory listings are, it’s crucial to understand how to use and optimise them in order to reap their rewards – from an SEO perspective.
When creating SEO local listings, you do need to be careful. Differences in your store name can reduce the impact of your efforts. As such, when you use local directories for SEO purposes and not just as a local business locator to put your company on the map of your regional area, you want to make sure that:
1. Everything Is Uniform
Addresses, in particular, can be a challenge when it comes to your online business listings, which is why you need to choose the right variation or formatting of your address from the start. When creating or updating the local listings SEO strategies, you will want to make sure that everything is the same – especially when it comes to listing business addresses.
Again, a local business directory listing service can help you fine-tune this integral approach if you’re not so sure, ironing out any possible mistakes to tailor and thus perfect your listings.
2. There Are No Variations
Variations are easy to catch when you create the listing, but this isn’t always the case. That is why you will want to go through and search all old addresses, phone numbers, and variations of your business name to see if existing listings are already published. Rather than create a new listing (which is not good for local SEO), you can claim and update it.
Where to Start Local Listings
If you’re a new business looking into how to get listings, it is time to start from scratch. There are tons of business listing directories that display a list of local business owners and companies in any given industry and location – but it’s up to you to find and use the best and most reputable business directory list to yield the SEO-boosting results you want.
You can search for a business listing website list on Google or the search engine of your choice; however, they’re not all made equal. Some are also paid, while others are free to use – if you want the latter, it’s easy to find open free business listing sites through a simple internet search.
In any case, out of them all – free or not – the top places you need to make sure your company shows up if you want maximum exposure and better SEO are:
1. Google My Business
Google My Business is a free tool that works similarly to conventional directory listing services. It allows you to create a full business profile that will show up when users search for your business or business type. When done properly alongside other SEO strategies, you can be the first result in a local query like “electrician near me.” Users can then click on your profile and see pertinent information and even photos and reviews.
2. Facebook
Facebook Business is also useful and can be linked up to other social media pages and business citation sites.
3. Yelp
Yelp is a very powerful local listings tool and is essentially a business directory that gives customers a voice. It’s especially useful if you cater to leisure activities like eating or dancing.
4. Yellow Pages
Yellow pages is a very famous business directory listing service and is still in circulation today – albeit mostly online. Traditionally, it used to be in a physical book form and was a well-known local business listings directory – but as times have changed, its digital version is now widely used instead.
5. Local Pages
A LocalPages free business listing works similarly to Yellow Pages; it’s a popular company listing tool frequented by many and can be used to boost your business’s exposure and SEO.
6. My Local Services
This site is yet another UK business directory, review site and business advice forum that’s grown in popularity and success. A My Local Services free business listing also works in a similar way to Yellow Pages and Local Pages and is thus a key website to have your company listed on.
7. Local Directories
On top of those key directories, you will also want to search for a local business directory website that applies the most to your business type. Preferably, you want to use more than one if you can and get your company several directory business listings; this will help bring more legitimacy to your business, which, of course, Google loves.
8. By Location
Having your company on your official local business list is one of the most crucial factors in bringing trust and legitimacy to your brand from Google’s standpoint. As such, you’ll need to get on your town’s local business directory if it has one or see if you can get added to local business directories online.
Conducting a local business search for “Top Restaurants in [Local Community]”, for example, can also be very helpful for your local SEO efforts.
9. By Industry
Industry directories can also be very helpful, especially if you work in the trades. Therefore, make sure to have your company in the local industry business listing directory.
Audit Your Local Listings
Before you get carried away with creating new local listings on local business sites and the business citations local SEO tactics demand, it is always best to see if there are any current business listings for your company or at your business’s address that you will need to change – so there aren’t conflicting information on the internet, on Google local directory listing pages, or on any other official business directory listings.
For instance, if the business owner that used to exist at your store has moved, then you will need to update this information and any business citations that are out of date first before you start attaching the address to your name. In any case, you can use a local listings checker to scour for business listings online that might already be established. Then, if you find local listings under your company or its address using a local listing checker, you can get them changed.
Keep Track of Your Listings
Keep track of all your SEO listings and any local business listings you have so that auditing them later on (to make sure they are still accurate and up to date) is easy. Remember to check local business lists on local directory listing sites regularly in tandem with your auditing, ensuring there are no errors or conflicts with each local business listing.
How To Boost Local Listings Further
Company directories themselves and local directory listings are not the only places that you can use to add a local listing. These are more traditional SEO tactics, but they work wonders in boosting your ranking and helping you attract more customers both online and offline.
- Get featured on local news, magazines, or blog posts
- Respond to reviews and strategise on how to get more positive reviews
- Optimise your site for voice search, so you are the first company users go to when driving
- Create local content on your site’s blog
- Invest in local keywords
- Create location pages on your website
Get Professional SEO Assistance
As mentioned, if you need help with officialities, there are citation building services that offer citation building packages, as well as business listing websites and generic directory listing service providers offering directory submission package deals on their business listing services – using these professionals can remove some of the headaches out of the process, which can be incredibly valuable if you’re a complete beginner to all things business and SEO.
Also, there are slightly more niche listings companies that you can approach and use to strengthen your local SEO and business listings further, which is handy if your enterprise is something a little more unusual.
Of course, if you’re really stuck and out of your depth, you can always consult an SEO agency that specialises in local SEO. These are pros who can take care of all these tasks for you, allowing you to make full use of all the features that Google and beyond offer in order to boost your company’s online visibility, drive traffic to your door and, therefore, increase sales. We at Click Intelligence LTD are one of these agencies, so don’t just search “SEO near me” and hope for the best; get in touch with us if you’re in need of some help in the ever-changing, complex landscape of SEO for business.