What Are Business Directories Used For?

What Does a Business Directory do for Local SEO?

A business directory is a website. If you are searching Google for ‘what are business directories used for,’ then you are probably a business owner of some sort. Perhaps you are looking for ways to increase your web page’s visibility in search results. Getting familiar with directory sites is a good way to meet these goals.

From an SEO strategy, listing your business’s data on directories is one way to accomplish your search results goals. Why?

Listing your business on several directories allows you the opportunity to communicate with search engines. You are telling search engines important information about your company, such as:

• Products or services
• Hours of operation
• Contact information 
• Promotions 
• Reviews

You might be wondering why you’d need to list your business's information on a directory when it is already on your website, right? There are other works at play here. And we’ll get to that, but let’s first describe some of the characteristics of Business Directories before we get into managing them. 

Are Some Directories Better Than Others?

The answer to this question is simple. Yes. That is because some can carry more influence than others. 

Here is a breakdown of the major directory sites by type:

1. Social Media
2. Search Engine
3. Review Site
4. Internet Yellow Pages
5. Niche Directories

The rate of influence chances due to different technology innovations coupled with consumer behaviors, but nonetheless, listings can influence your online credibility. 

For instance, let’s look at Google My Business (GMB). A GMB is a business listing on Google that displays in the local map pack. Businesses with optimized profiles are most likely shown in the top three positions of a Google search.

Regardless of which directory is used, every business listing includes your business information such as name, address, and phone number. This is also known as your NAP. It’s important for this data to be accurate across all directories. Data aggregators use this to sync your business listings across the web.

Listings, verifying, and managing your GMB is important for local search results. Studies show that when someone searches for a service, product, or business information from their mobile, they are close to purchasing decisions. These are your future customers and clients.

According to experts and Google statistics, this is part of the customer journey.

Why Should You Manage and Verify Your Online Business Listing?

You should have a method of listings management in place to maintain your online data to ensure accuracy. If search bots can’t confirm that your business listings are relevant to a search query due to finding inaccuracies across different sites, then it will lower your search engine rankings. This is super important if you are trying to rank in local search.

An example of some inaccuracies found in a business listing is with a phone number. It is common for a local SMB to have more than one phone number for their organization. For example, a company may have a phone number for new customers, while also having a different phone number for current customers or clients.

Therefore, it matters which phone number you choose to list in a directory. All of your business data should be the same across the web, starting with your listings.

Are Business Citations Important, Why?

We already talked about the purpose of maintaining accurate data, but let's dive into the “Why”. Do you know which online directory you should list on to get the best ROI? Every domain has an authority assigned to it, and there are different variants that impact a domain's authority score.

Registers such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and Bing have the top domain authority. For the most part, their audience demographics are large. They have users from both genders, with and without children, all income brackets, vast age groups, education, and lifestyles. 

Therefore, at the very least, organizations should be listed correctly on these platforms. The opportunity for free marketing on widely used platforms is priceless! So why anyone would neglect to manage their listings here is unexplained. 

How Business Listings Affect Local Search?

Local SEO for Local Business:

A local business directory and a niche directory also carry valuable power. Think of Zillow, Doordash, or the Chamber of Commerce. Can you see the value for a real estate agency to want their business information to be listed on Zillow? Now, imagine how many leads they’d be missing out on if their information was not up-to-date. 

The same is true for Doordash. Did you know that Doordash reaches 80% of American consumers? Restaurants not utilizing this innovative wave of visibility is missing out on potential customers. 

The Chamber of Commerce offers a networking opportunity for small businesses to connect with other local vendors. It is a website that helps small businesses grow by allowing members to promote themselves on their online directory. Ensuring the accuracy of your product or service is influential on your reputation.