Local Directory Listings: A Guide to Boosting Your Business Online

Local business listings (or local business directories) are websites with information about businesses and organizations providing services or products in a particular city. In local business listings, you can often find the address, contact details, opening hours, company activities description, client reviews, and other information.

Marketers and specialists providing SEO services for local businesses use local directory sites to:

• Improve visibility in search engines. Many local directories have a loyal audience and high trust with search engines. Your business can appear in users’ search results when looking for your services or products.
• Get links to your site. Registering your business in local listings allows you to publish links to your website. The more quality links that lead to your site from other sources, the better your SEO rankings.
• Attract an audience and increase user trust. Local listings are targeted at specific regions or cities. By appearing in such listings, you draw attention to yourself in the local environment, which can increase your client base. If the listing contains reviews and ratings left by clients, it can build trust among potential clients and increase website traffic.

Why Are Local Business Directories Important?

In addition to the points mentioned in the previous section, local businesses can benefit from local business listings at different stages of their development. Let’s look at some common examples.

An alternative to a full-fledged website

If you don’t have a website or haven’t yet boosted your local SEO, you can use a local business listing as a temporary alternative. Many directories, such as Google My Business, Bing Places, or Foursquare, contain all the necessary information about your business: address, links to the price list or menu (if you are a catering establishment), product cards, etc.

Comparison of companies

Local business directories usually provide users with a comparison of several companies simultaneously. This allows clients to conveniently compare different aspects of services or products, such as prices, reviews, ratings, opening hours, additional benefits, etc. If you stand out positively compared to your competitors in local directories, it greatly increases the chance that a lead will choose your company.

SEO

Local SEO and business listings are made for each other. Registering your business in local directories has a positive effect on the search engine optimization of your website. Most local directories allow you to add links to your website. Each link helps to increase the weight of your website in the eyes of search engines, increasing its chances of appearing in search results.

You can also increase your local relevance ranking through directories. Search engines evaluate how relevant your website is to a particular region, and registering in business directories increases your local relevance, which helps improve your search positions.

Directories influence local ranking factors, particularly for local search queries such as “restaurants in Kyiv” or “car repair shops in London.” Search engines often use local directories to gather information. If your business is registered in these listings, you have a better chance of appearing in search results for such queries.

Customer trust and credibility

As the popular wisdom goes, people buy from vendors they trust. Online business directories that contain ratings, customer reviews, and other forms of authentic feedback are a surefire recipe for building trust. Potential clients not only learn about your company and its roster of products or services. Local citations and positive reviews on local business listing websites make you stand out among competitors, while your responses to both negative and positive feedback demonstrate to the consumers that you care about them and your business reputation.

Lead generation and conversions

Regional and city directory submission is the pivotal element of local marketing strategies for any business. Being included in online business listings automatically increases a company’s local online presence and attracts motivated people who usually look for the nearest service provider or product manufacturer. And you can claim your business’s online foothold in the area by offering consumers a convenient and accessible nearby destination to refer to. Such leads are most likely to convert.

Mobile/local map searches

According to statistics, 82% of mobile users seek whatever they need locally, and 93% of consumers rely on 3-Pack results in their searches. Naturally, featuring in the local list of businesses is a powerful boost to your local search visibility. Besides, it does a lot to improve Google Map ranking of your company, drive local traffic to the site and local foot traffic to your organization’s brick-and-mortar storefronts.

These benefits apply to any local business directory regardless of the type.

Types of Local Business Listings

All local business listings fall into four distinct categories.

Organic

They are generated by search engines or directories when a person tries to discover a product or service in their vicinity. To appear in them, a company should pay attention to local SEO strategies that boil down to optimizing their name, address, phone number (NAP), and trimming other essential company information (website’s URL, working hours, customer reviews, etc.)

Paid

You may have noticed the words “sponsored” or “ad” above some search results. It means that the organization paid to feature in them. Other perks you can get for your money here are advanced capabilities (multimedia profiles, social media links, direct customer engagement tools, and more), priority placement, analytics, and advertisement tools.

Google Business Profile (GBP)

Originally known as Google My Business, this service features business listings as one of its key components. It helps local entrepreneurs connect with local consumers by submitting their NAP, website URL, and social media links. Thanks to photos, companies can showcase their products and services, and the ability to track calls, bookings, and reviews provides valuable insights into customer behavior. Moreover, you can respond to the feedback on GBP, thus establishing rapport with your audience.

Niche directories

They contain information on companies operating in a specific industry or sphere of interest (for example, eco-friendly businesses, tech startups, and legal service providers). Such a narrow focus allows them to target specific audiences and consequently generate qualified leads that are attracted by curated content relevant to specific consumer groups.

Which of these types is better?

How to Choose Online Directories

Choosing online listings can be a bit of a challenge, so we have prepared a list of steps to help you choose the best directories for your company:

1. Find popular online listings with a high ranking and an active audience. A search on Google or social media can help you find such resources.
2. Choose directories that specialize in your region or city. This will help you attract more local clients.
3. Assess whether the directory audience matches your target client group.
4. Check what features the directory offers. It is important that you can add full information about your business, reviews, photos, contact details, etc.
5. Consider advertising your business in the directory. This can provide additional traffic to your online or offline store.
6. Choose directories that provide traffic statistics for your profile so that you can evaluate the effectiveness of your advertising campaign.

However, don’t expect instant results, as improving visibility and attracting clients through listings is a gradual process that requires time and effort. Following these steps, you can choose the best online listings that will help improve your business’s reputation, increase traffic, and attract new clients.

How to Work with Business Listings

Let’s take the example of Google My Business to see how to work with directories and listings to make it effective and bring results. Google My Business was chosen as an example because it has similar functionality to most business directories.

Registration

• Fill in the information about the company: name, contact details, field of activity, address, opening hours, etc.
• Select business categories for your Google local business listing. They determine the ranking and the available list of fields in the listing. For example, a listing for a catering establishment includes a field for the menu, while a listing for a store includes a field for the assortment of goods.
• Be sure to verify your company by mail, phone, or email.
• Fill out your profile. Using the maximum number of fields and including relevant information to your business is crucial to making your profile 100% efficient.

Profile content

Your profile cover photo is the first thing potential clients will see, so choose an attractive and informative photo for the cover. It can be a photo of your iconic product, interior, or friendly staff.

The second thing users pay attention to is the company description. Describe what makes your company unique and why clients should choose you. Indicate your expertise, a wide range of products or services, and the features that make your business the best in its niche. Use keywords and phrases that best describe your business and services to increase the likelihood of your business appearing in search results. Consider what queries users might submit and include them in your business description. Don’t forget to add a call to action to your company’s description.

Upload various photos and videos to give clients a complete picture of your business. Include photos of different products or services, photos of your team, client testimonials, photos from events, or even short video reviews. One of the most effective ways to attract new clients is to use photos and videos of satisfied clients. This will help build trust and give potential clients an idea of what they can expect.

The photos and videos you upload should be high quality and show your business in the best possible light. Use clear, well-lit images that showcase products, services, atmosphere, etc. Don’t forget to update your photos and videos, especially if you have made changes, added new products or services, or hosted interesting events. Fresh content attracts attention and demonstrates the activity of your business.

FAQs

One of the key aspects of successful work with the FAQ section is efficiency. Try to answer client questions as quickly as possible. Quick responses show that you care about your clients and help increase client satisfaction.

Encourage visitors to leave questions in the section, stimulating dialogue and creating a positive impression of your company among potential clients. You can also add questions and write answers to them yourself.

Reviews

Aim to get a variety of reviews from different clients. Ask your clients to leave reviews about different aspects of your business, such as individual products, services, or client service. Many reviews will help present your company in the best possible light. You can offer clients discounts, bonuses, or other rewards to motivate them to give feedback.

Don’t leave reviews unanswered. Be prepared to respond to positive and negative reviews. Thank clients for positive feedback and respond to problems or negative comments with understanding and professionalism. Being attentive to feedback will help build trust with potential clients and prove that you value each of them.

Publications

Ensure that you update your publications section regularly. Post fresh content such as news, promotions, special offers, and seasonal events. Regular updates will keep your audience engaged and your profile current.

Create catchy titles and meaningful descriptions for your posts. Headlines should be captivating and concise. Use high-quality and attractive photos and videos in your posts, as visual content greatly increases audience engagement and helps attract more clients. Remember to encourage your clients to take the action you want, such as visiting your website, calling, leaving a review, or taking advantage of a special offer.

Updating listings regularly

It is an essential step in your local business listing optimization efforts. Whenever you change your headquarters, branches’ location, contact information, working hours, or other vital parameters, don’t forget to update business listings. The same is true about broadening the list of services, opening new storefronts, launching new products, and generally introducing something fresh to the audience. Keeping your clientele informed about all the latest developments and ensuring your business listing optimization results in delivering accurate information to them enhances your conversion indices and fosters customer trust.

Key Local Listing Platforms to Focus Your Efforts On

Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool from Google designed for entrepreneurs and business owners worldwide. Google’s local business directory allows you to register your business and provide users with information on various Google services, such as Google Search, Google Maps, and Google+. The useful features of Google My Business include:

• Ability to add product cards and publications.
• Information about your business, as entered in Google My Business, is displayed in Google Search results and Google Maps.
• Users can leave reviews and rate your business on Google My Business. Positive reviews help you attract new clients and build trust in your brand.
• You can add photos of your business to showcase its image and your products or services.
• Google My Business provides analytical data about traffic, website visits, calls, and other user actions after viewing your profile. This helps you measure the effectiveness of your profile and advertising campaigns.

Yelp

Yelp is a popular web service and mobile application that provides information about businesses in different regions of the world. This business directory has an impressive audience of users who actively use it to find local businesses and read reviews about them. Useful features that Yelp offers to businesses include:

• Yelp users can leave ratings and reviews of businesses they have visited. Positive reviews help attract new clients, and if a business actively responds to reviews, it increases its credibility.
• Business owners can add photos that show the atmosphere of the establishment, products, or services offered.
• Yelp allows businesses to be advertised through sponsored ads or special offers.
• Businesses can add interactive content, such as video reviews or virtual tours, which increases the appeal of their profiles to users.

Bing Places

Bing Places for Business will list your company for free, leveraging the Bing search engine, similar to Google My Business. It allows businesses to register and manage their business profiles in Bing and Microsoft Maps search results. Useful features and benefits of Bing Places for Business:

• Business information added to Bing Places is displayed in Bing and Microsoft Maps search results. This helps to attract a local audience and potential clients.
• Users can leave ratings and reviews about your business on Bing Places. Positive reviews increase brand credibility and attract new clients.
• You can add photos and even videos of your business, which helps users get to know your company and products better.
• If you use the Microsoft Advertising platform, you can integrate your profile with Bing Places for additional advertising opportunities and increasing the effectiveness of your campaigns.
• Bing Places provides analytics on traffic and activity on your profile, which allows you to evaluate your performance on the platform.

Foursquare

This is one of the most popular platforms offering free listings for your business at the Community user tier. If you want to utilize advanced tools, enjoy paid ads, and access instant management, there are fee-paying pricing plans. Developer tools are available at the “Pay As You Go” Foursquare account. The major perks of this platform include:

• Real-time location-based data. It helps companies gain insights into their audience, perform customer segmentation, and measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
• Highly accurate point-of-interest (POI) information. Foursquare’s ML-driven tools pool data from multiple sources, generating comprehensive listings that are updated 24/7.
• Global reach. Listings contain information about 100 million POIs across more than 200 countries.
• Granular details. Each POI has 50+ attributes (business hours, social media and website links, photos, etc.), providing a 360-degree view of each organization listed there.

YellowPages

YellowPages is a well-known local business directory that provides information about businesses, services, and solutions. This resource helps users find the right businesses and helps them improve their online presence and attract new clients.

Key features and benefits of YellowPages.ca for business:

• YellowPages allows businesses to create detailed local listing profiles with information about services, opening hours, contact information, addresses, and other details.
• Listing on YellowPages helps businesses increase local visibility and provide easier access to clients in a specific region.
• Users can leave reviews and ratings about your business, which improves your reputation and influences the decisions of potential clients.
• YellowPages allows you to add addresses and maps for clients to find your location easily.
• Businesses can choose relevant categories and tags, simplifying the search process for users.
• YellowPages offers paid advertising opportunities that help you attract more attention from potential clients.
• Listing your company in a popular directory improves its position in local SERP and increases traffic to your website.

Tripadvisor

The resource offers a free local listing for businesses focused on providing services for tourists (hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more). Here, travelers and hospitality companies find a touchpoint where they can manage their profiles on the platform, leverage free tools, and review basic analytics. Meanwhile, customers can view photos and obtain comprehensive information on places they plan to visit at a specific location.

Tripadvisor’s perks that are the main assets of the platform are:

• Broad exposure. Four hundred million users across the world get the information in 24 languages on 8+ million businesses, see user-generated photos, exchange opinions on the community forum, and read through 1 billion reviews to make informed decisions about where to go and what services to enjoy at their destination.
• Booking opportunities. Enterprises list their activities and tours directly on the site, and tourists can book them through the Experiences functionality.
• Promotional features. Various widgets, stickers, brochures, downloadable logos, and other embeddable tools (as well as admin capabilities and analytics) enable companies to establish their unique voice and effectively reach out to potential clientele.
• Reputation management. A Management Center tab is a door kept open for businesses to send automated review requests, access information on review collection, and respond to customer feedback, thereby addressing clients’ concerns and fostering their trust.
• Advanced marketing opportunities. By entering a paid subscription plan, organizations can post special offers and enjoy enhanced listing capabilities (like pinning top reviews or posting featured photos), allowing them to increase visibility and eventually obtain more bookings.

Apple Business Connect

Launched by Apple, this free platform enables organizations to create, customize, and manage their online footprint across a wide range of Apple-based services (Wallet, Messages, Maps, Siri, and more). To enjoy these opportunities, a company registers with an Apple ID, creates its place card on an intuitive portal, uploads information and media to form a detailed profile, showcases its products and services, and monitors its performance.

Key features and benefits of Apple Business Connect encompass:

• Controlling online presence. All public-facing company data is managed by businesses, ensuring its accuracy and timeliness.
• Customer engagement. People can view your offers, events, or products and convert by booking a service or ordering directly from the platform.
• Data-driven insights. Built-in tools enable companies to track their performance, monitor analytics related to user interactions with the listing, and fine-tune marketing strategies accordingly.
• Increased visibility. Apple’s ecosystem, comprising Macs, iPhones, and iPads, boosts discoverability dramatically thanks to millions of devices owned by consumers of multiple products and services.

Being present in all these business directories won’t get you far unless the company information in them is accurate and up-to-date.

Why Accurate Local Business Listings Matter for SEO

By placing correct and relevant information about your organization, you prime local business listings for SEO-focused efforts. It allows you to:

• Improve local search visibility. With accurate information in business listings, out of sight, out of mind is not about your company. It helps your business appear and stay on maps and in search results, increasing your chances of being discovered by people looking for the product you offer or the service you provide.
• Build trust with search engines. These machines are honed to furnish the most reliable and relevant results. When their local algorithms determine that a company’s NAP data is consistent across all available sources, it serves as a signal of trustworthiness and reliability, prompting the engine to rank the firm higher in search results, thereby outranking its competitors.
• Attract local customers. While it is important for any company dealing locally, for service area businesses, it is mission-critical. Accurate listings invite more calls and clicks from people living or working nearby, thus boosting sales and local engagement, to say nothing of foot traffic to your physical storefront (if you have any).

Conclusion

Local business listing sites (or local business directories) are platforms with information about businesses and organizations that provide services or products in a particular city.

Local business directories can be important and useful for businesses and can lead to:

• Improving visibility in search engines;
• Increasing traffic to your site;
• Attracting an audience;
• Increasing user trust.

To choose the right directory for your business, you need to:

• Research popular directories and identify those that have a high rating and an active audience;
• Choose directories that specialize in your region or city;
• Check whether the directory audience matches your target audience;
• Check what features the directory offers;
• Evaluate the available advertising and promotion in the directory;
• Make sure the directory offers the option to track results.

Remember that a comprehensive approach is essential for effective promotion of local business. Engaging professionals who specialize in marketing and search engine optimization can significantly improve your chances of success. This will help you develop a promotion strategy, increase your brand’s weight, and attract more potential clients.The Livepage team has extensive and successful experience promoting local businesses,  confirmed by FixAppliances, US Appliance Repair Business case study, and reviews.