Why Do Business Listings Matter?

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“Why do business listings matter?” is a frequent question we hear when talking to companies about their digital foundation. Here’s what they are and why they matter.

Listings are an online summary of the essential information about your business. They serve as a powerful tool to help customers find you online.

Here’s what you need to know about business listings

NAP+W

No, we didn’t fall asleep on the keyboard! NAP+W is an acronym for key information found in a business listing.

Name
Address
Phone number
Website

These four pieces of information are the starter-pack for business listings. They provide the basic information potential customers need to have in order to research, contact and locate your business. Want to score some major bonus points? Include information like hours of operation in business listings—it’s what consumers are most interested in!

Will my business listings work?

The effectiveness of business listings depends on the accuracy of your information. Listings are available through a variety of sources, including search engines, online directories, maps, and social sites. When it comes to your online presence, more listings is definitely better. Being listed on as many sources as possible will create multiple avenues for consumers to find your business. But (and this is a big but), your presence on business listings only pays off if the listings are accurate. Accuracy means the information is correct and consistent across all potential sources. Seems easy enough, right?

Why are business listings important?

Accurate and up to date business listings will undoubtedly pay off for your business. Here’s why.

Just as the brightly lit bat signal guides everyone’s favorite caped crusader (that’s right Batman, we said it!), accurate and searchable business listings will help guide consumers right to your business’s doorstep.

As well, if business listings are inaccurate or missing altogether, most consumers will feel less confident about the brand, likely leading them to choose a competitor’s product or service. The presence of accurate listings ensures customers are able to find brick and mortar locations. This means money in the business owner’s pocket and, just as important, it means the business can be reviewed.

“In my humble opinion…”

A robust review pipeline is an essential piece of the online reputation and brand loyalty for a business. Reviews allow customers to communicate their experiences with others. But when consumers can’t find a business listed online, their opinion can be negative. Accurate listings create the opportunity for transparency between businesses and consumers in the form of reviews, and the availability of this information also visibility.

All aboard the search engine.

Consistent, accurate listings and the generation of reviews will directly benefit a business’s visibility by boosting its ranking in local search engine results. Search engine optimization is a complex tool, so why not take advantage of it by simply ensuring your business is listed accurately! Increased visibility means more customers, and what business owner doesn’t want that?

Now What?

This introduction provides the basic definition and the associated benefits of business listings. Now you need to create listings on the essential sites. Improve your listings score by ranking each site by how many sites reference them, their traffic, demographics and much more.

Have more questions on business listings? Contact us.

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