Take control of information listed about your business online by claiming your listings. It will help your business show up when people search online for your business, product, or service and your business will get an instant credibility boost with potential customers just from being listed. Directories that also allow you to link to your website are great for off-page SEO.
General Business Listings
1. Google My Business: Perhaps the most important place to get listed. Lets you add multiple locations and shows up well in Google searches. It also adds your business to Google maps and Google +. You can hide your address if your business is operated out of your home, but you cannot add a P.O. box. You will need to verify your listing by either having a postcard mailed to your address or accepting a phone call.
2. Bing: Like Google, it does not allow P.O. boxes. Bing doesn’t get nearly the amount of search volume that Google does, but it is definitely worth it to add your info to Bing.
3. Facebook: Businesses can hide their address and even use a P.O. Box address. Facebook business listings tend to show up well in search results. If you have multiple locations, you may want a separate page for each location, but it’s also possible to add two or more locations to one Facebook page where each location has it’s own tab.
- LinkedIn: Shows up well in search results and allows companies to add a P.O. box address. It also allows businesses to post updates about their company and customize their page. Hiding addresses is not allowed.
5. Angie’s List: Companies can sign up for a basic listing on Angie’s List for free and members often go straight to it before Googling for information on nearby businesses.
- Yelp:Businesses can create a Yelp page for free by claiming it and can direct consumers to their own website through the Yelp page. Companies can personalize their page by adding photographs, hours of operation, phone number, address and even show a map from Google Maps. Business owners cannot ask customers to write a review for them on Yelp, but they can put a sticker in a location that lets customers know they are on Yelp.
- Foursquare: Great for businesses with a physical location that customers can check into and business owners can add a link to Foursquare on their Facebook as well as Twitter page. Owners can claim or add multiple listings and even create events.
- Superpages and Yellowpages: Both show up very well in search results and allow you to add your website and other information.
- Manta: Lets business owners add social media links.
- HotFrog: Shows up well in search results, updates on businesses show up in real time and customers can see a map of where your business is located on a map from Google Maps.
- BBB: Businesses should claim their listing if already listed or submit a listing for consideration if not found.
- Cylex: Considered by some SEO’s to be one of the best directories for SEO purposes. It’s free for a basic listing.
Contact Delphinium Marketing at 304-207-0795 for help getting listed on all the most important directory sites.
But don’t stop with just these general business listings, there are a ton of industry specific directories for almost every industry imaginable.