One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a small local business owner is ignoring SEO. With 85% of people using the internet to find local businesses, your online presence is more important than ever before. Even if you’re not ready to hire an SEO expert just yet, there are a few dead-simple things you can still do to boost your business’ local SEO.
If you can fill out an online form, you can execute this local SEO tactic!
The tactic? Listing your business on free local directories! This simple tactic can help boost your local SEO faster than ever. Best of all? It’s easy enough to be done by practically anyone, and it can be done in a single day. Not only is getting your business listed on online directories incredibly important in terms of lead generation, it’s also one of the easiest ways to boost your business’ SEO and build trust in your business. It’s a win/win/win, and it’s so easy to do.
Online directories to list your business on
Before getting started, run a free search on Moz Local to see where your business is already listed. Ideally, your business should be listed on each of the following directory sites, as these tend to be the most popular and typically rank higher on SEO.
- Google Places
– Bing Places
– Yahoo! Local
– Yelp
– Superpages
– Whitepages
– MerchantCircle
– Dexknows
– Yellowbook
– YP
Obviously, the more directories you list your business to, the better. Hubspot has a great list of 50 Online Local Business Directories for you to work your way through. It’s important to note that some online directories aren’t free. Whether or not you should pay for a listing on such sites really depends on your industry. Moz has a helpful post on this topic.
Don’t just claim your business listing – built a presence!
The more information you provide potential customers with, the better. Giving your business a “face” on sites like Yelp can help foster trust, giving you an edge over other local businesses. When fleshing out your listings, do the following:
1. Add photos of your business, your employees and your finished products wherever possible.
2. Include a company description that focuses on the type of customer service you provide and the quality of your products / services.
3. Make sure all information is listed: phone number, address, website, menu of services, etc.
4. Ensure you’re listed under the proper categories.
For a more detailed help, check out this guide to building the perfect Yelp profile. Also, before you delve into the world of online review sites, be sure to check out our free whitepaper, The Value of an Online Review.
