Having your business listed with online business directories like Yelp, FourSquare, YellowPages, etc, is another great way to improve your local search engine results. Depending on your business type or industry these directories can be your biggest source of online traffic.
RVWS recommends that you register and claim your business name on many of these popular directories as well as directories available in your industry. Visit the website of every organization or association you belong to and make sure your business is listed and the information is up-to-date. Some of the popular directories to start with are Google Places, Bing Business, Yelp, and Foursquare.
Yelp isn’t just for restaurants. In fact, restaurants aren’t even the biggest category on the site anymore.
Why take the time?
- These directories send ‘hidden’ signals to search engines that tell them your business is legitimate (which helps you rank higher in the Google+ results).
- Because if you don’t claim your business name, someone else could, and they might not be accurate, or even kind, when filling out the profile.
What to remember?
- Set-up profiles on popular and your industry specific directories.
- Use consistent NAP (NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE). Be consistent across the web so that search engines know where you are. Include consistent links to your website and all social media profiles.
- Pay close attention to the business categories you are listing under. Again be consistent across all the directories.
If you need more help getting your business profile registered on these popular directories, contact RVWS at (616) 617-7395. We can also conduct a 2 minute review over the phone to see if your business listings are correct, consistent, and visible across the web.