People look at directories to get information on a few different topics. They may be looking for a dry cleaner in their area. For this reason, it’s important that your business is correctly listed under the services or products you provide. This is also when they’ll be looking at reviews to find the business that’s best for them.

Once they’ve decided to go with your business, they will look for your address, phone number, and hours of operation. It’s imperative that your information is correct, or else you’ll risk losing business. It’s also important that this information is consistent across your online listings, or search engines will penalize your rankings.

In the past, many local directories were more a source of links for businesses to boost their search rankings rather than a source of information for potential customers. Businesses paid a fee to get listed, and in return, the directory created a number of links. The big search engines paid attention to this, and they penalized those directories. This has allowed high-quality directories to flourish. It’s an excellent way to improve your business’s search rankings.

Large directory sites are good places to get businesses listed. Consumers research businesses using Yelp, Yellow Pages, Foursquare, and Mapquest. Yelp is the most popular site in this category, and it’s also a major source of reviews. These sites all exercise some editorial control by doing tasks like making sure that the businesses they list are in the correct category. That is one of the factors Google looks for in determining whether a directory is useful or whether it’s spam.

Business Listings

Business listings from major websites like Google and Facebook are also important. Google My Business is the web giant’s latest name for their business listing service. Consumers use Google My Business frequently. It’s important because Google includes lots of information from their service on search results pages. Claiming a listing for your business on Facebook has similar benefits.

Two other types of directories are worth considering: local directories and industry-specific directories. There are most likely some online directories for your area that have the editorial oversight that the big search engines require. These directories can then be a great source for links and reviews. And industry-specific directories can have similar benefits, like Urbanspoon does for restaurants.

BSG knows which directories are right for your business, and which ones are a waste of money and will harm your search results rankings. Our experts have ample experience with the entire SEO process. We know how to build links naturally, with relevant content and social media accounts. Contact BSG today to get started.