—
For the third year in a row, online business directory listings are among the top online marketing tools recommended for small business owners who rely on local trade. The rise of hyperlocal business directories has driven the trend, but national business directories with local focus are still among the most important and affordable advertising avenues for most small businesses.
In past years, local businesses were often priced out of the online advertising market or driven off of search engine front pages by huge national chains and corporations. Beginning a few years ago, though, Google and other search engines shifted gears – and changed up their algorithms – to lift local results to the top of the search engine results. The change was made possible by the geolocation services now embedded in most browsers. Geolocation services, similar to location services on mobile devices, allow websites to determine where a user is located. With that information, the website can then deliver results that are most relevant to the user.
One of the newest trends in online marketing is websites that combine local business directories with geolocation services in order to serve up personalized content to the user on every visit. Websites like FindUsLocal.com offer a fully personalized experience to site visitors, with local weather, announcements of nearby events and concerts advertisements for local businesses and even reviews of nearby restaurants and stores.
“Listings on sites like FindUsLocal.com should be a key part of an online marketing strategy for brick-and-mortar businesses,” said a local SEO and small business marketing expert. “Not only do they provide valuable information to potential customers who visit the site, they’re also one of the key pieces of information used by large search engines to determine where a business is located.”
While geolocation services can tell a search engine where the searcher is located, the search engine software must rely on other means to determine where a business is located. Those other means include the name, address and phone listed on the business web page and social media accounts, but online business directory listings provide valuable cross-checks to information listed on business pages.
“That’s why it’s important to claim your business on local business directories,” the expert continued. “It allows you to update your information and make sure that it’s consistent across your entire web presence.” That consistency is vital, he said, because even small differences can ding your business’ credibility with Google and other search engines.
“Many local directories allow you to claim your business and update basic information free,” he said, “while offering paid listings with more flexibility and options to increase business visibility online.”
Release ID: 102046