Researching local keyword modifiers in local SEO
January 18, 2016
Why to set up tracking first
January 22, 2016
When it comes to citations, you’re likely going to collect a few automatically after publishing your business on Google Maps. But, for now, I want to focus on generating listings in the top directory sources for local businesses. There are 12 Directories that I recommend getting set up with right away. Some of these are more industry specific, so pick the relevant ones. And these are: Yellow Pages, Yelp, Superpages, Citysearch, Yahoo Local, Manta, BBB.org , Angie’s List, MerchantCircle, HomeAdvisor and the other one that isn’t really a directory but it’s still important is Facebook.
Your business page on Facebook is actually another great place to add your name, address and phone number that’ll provide some additional local searches. On all of these sites, you can create a free listing. There’s no need to pay for a premium slot, as a paid placement won’t provide you with any direct SEO benefits. When you visit each site you’ll look for a link to create a listing. And if you look precisely you can find a link to enter your business. And you won’t need to buy a premium listing.
Feel free to stick with just the free options. You’ll fill out a similar form to this on any of these listings and they’ll ask you for information about your business, your name and categories. It’s a great idea to build as complete of a profile as possible with each directory. I would add the maximum amount of photos they’ll allow you to have, select only the most relevant categories. Many will offer you five or even more categories, but it’s important to stick with two or three that define your business the best. There are more than the 12 directories I’ve listed.
As you have time, continue to submit your accurate information to sources that seem relevant to you. You might have a local business directory in your town and that’s going to be an important place to get listed as well. There are other two areas to look at, as well, and these are data aggregators. These aggregators provide business data to all sorts of sites. Two major ones are Infogroup and Acxiom.
Continue exploring other directories that are related. Often times a Google search with your industry term plus the word directory or the word listing will return top results in that area. I would avoid listing on link farms or anything that feels a little spammy.
You’ll want to capture the high quality directories to add authenticity to your business information but beyond that, the real value will come from back links.
