What is an online local business listing?
A local business listing is an online profile of your business with its name, address, phone number, and more. Local listings help interested customers find your business easily through an online search. Think of local business listings as online directories to help your business be found.
The core components of local listings
Regardless of the website, local listings are made up of the same core data: NAP. This stands for the name, address, and phone number of your business. In addition to NAP, your business listings can also include:
- Website URL
- Hours of operation
- Your business category (The category your business falls into should complete the statement, “This business is a…”. For example, if you were a local coffee shop, your category would be: coffee shop. If you own a garage where you repair cars, your category would be: auto repair shop.)
- Pictures or videos of your business
- A short description of your business
- Accepted methods of payment
These core components will help customers easily connect with your business once they find you through an online search.
Q: Are local citations and business citations the same thing as business listings?
Yes, local citations, business citations, and business listings are all different ways of referring to the same thing. All three phrases are used to describe a business’s online NAP data.
Why are local business listings important?
Local business listings are essential in helping your business be found online. When a customer is looking for a new business, Google is often their first stop. Having multiple listings that are consistent across different sites helps Google know that your business information is trustworthy. If your business cannot be discovered through a simple Google search, chances are you are not being discovered at all. Keeping your local listings updated at all times is the answer to this problem.
What local businesses are up against
Ranking on Google is becoming increasingly difficult. In the past fifteen years, we’ve seen a huge shift from customers searching on desktop, to searching on mobile. This smaller screen size displays fewer results per page than a traditional search on a computer would. On desktop, customers usually see ten results on the first page, but on mobile, customers usually don’t get past the first three. With the increasing prominence of mobile searches, it is more important than ever to earn that top spot.
There is also another obstacle for businesses to overcome. It’s estimated that in the near future, 50% of Google searches will be done through voice search. While mobile search gives users three results, voice search only gives one.
For businesses to have an edge in this new search environment, they need to make sure that they’re doing everything they can to be found by customers. The more consistent your listings, the better chance you have of customers discovering you on mobile, desktop, and voice search (think smart speakers, phones, and cars equipped with Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, or Google’s AI assistant). Most of the voice search engines come from Yelp. The world's largest business directory. Jump on Yelp if you haven't already.
Benefits of local business listings
Local business listings are a reliable source of information for your customers. They serve as an online business directory, helping consumers find the business that will fit their needs. But local business listings have other benefits as well.
- Gives your customers better customer experience
When your business is listed across the web, it is easier for your customers to find your information. This guarantees great customer experience from the get-go.
- Improves your reputation
Most business listing sites offer reviews as well. Collecting online reviews builds trust with your customers and offers invaluable insights into the customer experience.
- Boosts SEO
When you have consistent NAP data across the web, this boosts your business’s search engine ranking. The more accurate and detailed your listings are, the higher you will rank in relevant searches. If you’re interested in learning more, we will go into further detail in the section "The local search ecosystem".
How do I know if I need this?
It's simple. You do a business scan. This free tool gives you a report so that you can see what your presence looks like online. If you have never seen this, prepare yourself. It's eye opening.