Studies reveal that 85% of people use the internet to find businesses near them. Are they finding yours in their search?
One way to make sure you get their attention is to have an active presence in a local business directory. From Google My Business to Bing Places and myriad sites in between you have no shortage of platforms to advertise upon.
Yet, you’re likely competing against several other companies in your niche. How can you make sure you appear at the top?
Today, we’re discussing a few ways to boost your online presence and improve your rank so your customers can easily find you.
Ready to learn more? Let’s get started!
Make Sure Your Local Business Directory Data is Correct
Did you move office locations two years ago?
If your profile on a local business directory still has your old address listed, you’re literally leading customers away from you.
The same goes for your Point of Contact (POC) information, phone and fax numbers, and email addresses. Search engines like Google will look all across the internet to find your business information. From online reviews to your own website, all of this data should be consistent and accurate.
If there are inconsistencies, you could be bumped lower down on the list. Perform a quick quality check and update any information that’s missing or incorrect today.
Build Up Your Links
If you want to appear at the top of a local business directory, one way to do so is to get as many high-quality links as possible that point back to your website. From guest posts to paid advertisement spots, mention your company as much as you can.
Ideally, you want to focus on sites with high domain authorities and seek out do-follow links. Yet, remember that no-follow links aren’t a totally moot point. They still help you build brand awareness and boost exposure.
The key is to focus on creating content that readers want to read about and post it outside of your own site as often as possible to point traffic back to you.
Create Solid Website Content
Google loves companies that produce interesting and informative content.
You can’t just create one stellar blog post and call it a day for a few months, however. Establish a blogging and content creation schedule and stick to it. You don’t have to post every single day, but a few times a week is preferred.
As you build up your site content, you’ll create an organic audience of interested and engaged readers who’ll share it with others.
Encourage Reviews
The more positive reviews linked to your business, the higher your chance of appearing at the top of a local business directory. Your organization’s terms of service might prevent you from outright asking for reviews, but you can still give hints that encourage your audience to share feedback.
Google recently added an option that allows web visitors to filter their local business search by companies that have received a certain star rating. If you want to be seen in this setting, you need to have as many four-star reviews as possible.
Dominate Your Local Business Directory Today
Your local community is a valuable and vital part of your business operation. Get their attention and make it easy for them to find you! You do this by having an active presence in your online business directory.
To learn more about business listing consistency and how they can affect your SEO rankings, check out our other blogs on the subject via the links provided.
For more information on how to stand out in the digital landscape and build your local presence, contact us today!
