Directory listings are a great source of backlinks to your website. In case you’re not sure what I am referring to by directory listings, you may have also heard them called NAP listings or online business listings.
When your business is listed in an online directory (like Yelp, Angi, TripAdvisor, or Google My Business), that listing usually includes a link back to your website. These links from other websites to yours are called backlinks. They may also be referred to as inbound links or external links, although when an SEO is referring to external links, they are usually referring to links on your website that lead to another website. Basically the direction of a link determines if it is a backlink (to your site) or an external link (from your site).
You may also have heard it referred to as linkbuilding, which is the process of gaining backlinks. It’s an important part of a comprehensive SEO strategy.
Why Backlinks from Directory Listings Matter:
- SEO Boost: Search engines like Google see backlinks as votes of confidence from the websites they are coming from. When high-quality directories link to your site, it signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant, helping to improve your rankings in search results. Even if it is a nofollow, instead of a dofollow link, Google has said it sees these links as hints anyway. In addition, a natural backlink profile includes a mix of dofollow and nofollow links. I once had a client trying to understand why directory listings are important to Google’s search rankings and asked if it was like when she searches for a business to see if they are credible and if they don’t show up across the internet, she sees them as less credible. That’s exactly the way Google sees it. A credible, trustworthy business would have an online presence consisting of social media profiles and be in online directory listings.
- Traffic Increase: Besides helping with SEO, these directory listings can drive direct traffic to your website. People who find your business through a directory might click the link to visit your site, leading to more potential customers.
- Local SEO: For local businesses, directory listings are especially important. Many directories show up in local search results and are designed to help people find local services, and having your business listed with a link can improve your visibility in local search results. Also, as with #1, showing up in online business directories adds credibility to your business.
The more backlinks that your business has, combined with the quality of the backlinks helps to determine your businesses ranking in Google search results. How many your actual business needs to rank well in local search results is partially dependent on your top competitors’ backlinks profiles. However, it’s important to remember that Content is still King, and the #1 ranking factor is high-quality, valuable content.
Call or text Delphinium today at 304-207-0795 to get started with SEO and linkbuilding. If we don’t answer, please leave a message or text and we will return your call.