Are Your Online Directory Listings Correct?

Remember those paper phone books that would come out once a year with business listings and paid advertisements? Some of you may still have some of those phone books, but you may not use them nearly as frequently as you once did. With the advance of the Internet and mobile technology, most of us get our information from the web, including contact information for local businesses.

When you run a search for a local organization via a search engine like Google, you will get a listing of businesses, contact information, and descriptions that matched or were similar to your search parameters. In reviewing the results that show up on your screen, would you make a decision about a business based on the information that showed up? If you're like most people, you would.

So what does this have to do with you?

In the example above, we saw how a simple search provides results that are then reviewed and used to make a decision. If your clients are going through that same process to search for organizations like yours, don't you want them to find you in their search results and make the decision to call YOU?

Of course you do.

A major component of search engine marketing, or more specifically, search engine optimization, is online business directory listings. That's why it is so important that your online directory listings are accurate. Accurate information increases your ranking in search results, thus increasing your ability to be seen and contacted by clients. And, with the rise of smartphone and tablet use, people are now searching for local business listings on-the-go, leading to more web traffic and increased conversions for businesses.

As trite as online listings may seem (considering how phone books have gone the way of the dinosaur), they play a large role in making sure your organization is visible online. If your listings are not accurate, it's important to contact each of the directories and make the appropriate changes. You will not see results overnight, but over time as the correct information is indexed by search engines, you will see a steady improvement in your search engine rankings, website traffic, and - most importantly - your client numbers.

If you have questions about this topic or any others, please contact Embellish Marketing. We're here to help you be successful! 

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