The value of listing your business in directories isn’t about visibility in the directories themselves (although that’s certainly helpful); it’s more about building citations with your business information.
Here are some of the benefits of listing your business online. It’s a lot of work, but it’s endlessly valuable.
- Rank Higher in Local Packs
You’ve seen local packs before — they’re the groups of local businesses that appear when you make a location-based search, such as “pizza near me.” Here’s an example of a local pack for that search in my area:
By listing your business in local directories, you’re reinforcing your company’s NAP (name, address, phone number) information again and again. This constant and consistent record of citations (really, make sure your information is consistent!) can improve your chances of ranking higher in Google’s local packs. You’ll, therefore, increase visibility and exposure in your area, which can result in more website visits and foot traffic and eventually more sales.
- Get White-Hat Backlinks to Your Website
We can’t forget the big benefit: Backlinks. Most local directories let you link to your website, helping you bring in traffic from interested users. Some might be no-follow links, but it’s still worth the mention.
Most directories are authoritative websites with have a high domain authority or domain rating. So, by listing your business on these directories, you can indirectly increase your website’s domain authority by getting a “vote,” so to speak, from an authoritative site.
In turn, getting backlinks or “votes” from directories can improve your search engine rankings and increase your website’s visibility and traffic.
- Boost Company Legitimacy
Creating business listings can also improve your legitimacy. Local directories are trusted sources of information, and being listed on these directories can boost your company’s credibility and reputation.
Imagine if people looked up my business and the first SERPs were filled with random URLs that happened to share my business name. It definitely wouldn’t help me look established. But if the SERPs are all filled with listings from other directories, users will feel like my company is real and worth their investment.
No matter what, being listed in local directories will improve your online reputation and increase your brand visibility.
Making sure that you have a presence where your potential customers might find you is critical to any local marketing plan. It’s critical to build citations not only for the added visibility but for the SEO benefits, too.