—
According to a local business directory expert, business owners who don’t work to claim and update their listings on local search directories risk a lower search engine ranking because out of date listings can cause them to fall in the rankings.
“Many business owners make the mistake of letting local search directory listings stand exactly as they are, but that can be a huge mistake,” says the owner of FindUsLocal, a local business directory that uses GEO technology to match visitors with relevant results from their area. “If your business is listed one way on one directory and another on a second directory, it will cause your rankings to drop.”
He’s talking about what is known as NAP, which stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. If the information for a business isn’t the same on all local directories, the search engine spiders won’t pick it up and catalog it.
“What’s worse,” he says, “is that if your address is listed wrong on a business directory, potential customers may drive to the wrong address and not be able to find you. And that’s just bad business.”
He recommends that business owners google their business name and search for every local directory the business appears in. Once they find them, owners should go through each one and ensure the name, address, and phone number are all the same.
“Business owners need to make sure the details are the same on every directory,” he says. “Because if your business is listed as ABC Foods on one directory, and ABC Foods, Inc. on another, it will hurt your ranking.”
About FindUsLocal: FindUsLocal uses geolocation technology in visitor’s browsers to construct a home page focused on their city, town or community. Right there on the front page, they’ll find local weather, sports results for their favorite teams, and announcements of the top musical acts and events coming to their city. Smart business owners list their businesses on the site to be seen by those who are specifically looking for businesses in their local area.
Release ID: 171967