5 Online Directories - You Need to Claim These Business Listings Now
Years ago, the primary concern of small business owners was ensuring that their address and phone number was accurate for the phone book. However, today, it is all about local business listings. Unfortunately, there are so many of them that it can literally cause your head to spin to try to keep up with them all. It is virtually impossible to keep up with all of the business listings. However, it is possible to be smart in developing a strategy that will claim and maintain the most important listings for your business. (Hint: WebDetail can manage over 75 of the most important directories for you!) But first, you must determine which ones are most worth your time and effort. Here are the five online directories that you need to get started with:
#1: Google My Business
Google, the search engine giant, is obviously where you need to start. It has a small business listing service called Google My Business (Helpful Hint: GMB is an acronym that you will see around the internet), and this is where you need to claim and add your business first. (Note: you will want to set up a Gmail account first ... don't worry, they are free). Once claimed and added, your business information (address, contact information and business services will begin popping up on Google Maps, Google+ and even search engine results. Essentially, Google My Business can be compared to a storefront on Main Street - the results are very similar. Google My Business
#2: Bing Place for Business
It's not just the big search engine giant that you need to work with, as you also need to work with the second-most popular search engine: Bing. Of course, this doesn't mean you shouldn't also throw in the other major search engine (Yahoo), but Microsoft's search engine is a big player and deserves your main focus right now. On Bing Places, you will be able to claim your listing, add your business details and watch the magic happen. Visit bingplaces.com and simply follow the step-by-step directions provided to you.
#3: MapQuest
Surprisingly, the most popular geo-mapping service online offers a business listing service that you can benefit from. By listing on MapQuest, your customers will be able to find you when they're in the local vicinity and while driving down the road. A basic MapQuest business listing includes NAP (name, address and phone number), your website, longitude and latitude, as well as a few business categories. In order to get your company listed on MapQuest, you need to shoot their support team an e-mail by visiting this link: help.mapquest.com.
#4: YP.com
While everything was once about flipping through the Yellow Pages in a traditional phone book, things are much more digital than that today. However, this doesn't mean that people don't still utilize the Yellow Pages. In fact, many people still consider it as a go-to resource when they need to find information for a particular business. The only difference than several years ago is that people head online rather than to a thick book of paper. Link: YP.com
#5: Yelp
Yelp is one of those online directories that can get a bad reputation with small business owners due to how reviews are posted on the site - some reviews will show, and some will not - even if they are legit. However, Yelp is quickly becoming a top resource for mobile search. That said, Yelp has the potential to help your business to soar to new heights in terms of traffic, so it is important that you use it to your advantage. This means you need to claim your listing and get your business added to the directory by visiting biz.yelp.com. But, once you do this, make sure to spend some quality time on the site monitoring your page so that you can address any concerns or problems with your customers. Link: biz.yelp.com
Trying to keep up with just these five online directories can be time-consuming, then when you try to throw in all the other ones on top of them - well, that can be overwhelming. Luckily, you can hand over the reins to us here at WebDetail. We can claim the listings for you, keep them updated and even monitor your reviews and feedback. We actually maintain over 75 online directories and business listings for you! For more information on how we can help, call or email us today!
Helpful hint: you can see how (or if) your business is currently listed wihtin the major directories.
