What Are the 5 Best Directories for a Local Business?
Back in the day, the phone book’s yellow pages was the only directory to find out about a business. If you were looking for a plumber, dentist, or a pizza joint, you grabbed that big, bulky phone book that was dropped off on your doorstep once a year and you started thumbing through it.
However, the advent of the internet, Google, and smartphones changed everything. Now people have all of the information they need right at their fingertips and can pull out their mobile device and search for exactly what they are looking for in a matter of seconds.
Therefore, local businesses need to be cognizant of the different ways that people find their information in the digital age and fortunately, many free online tools are available to promote a business. So if you are looking for ways to reach more people (and boost your SEO ranking online), then here are five directories that Atlanta SEO Company suggests to look into to attract new customers, set yourself apart from the competition, and make it easier for people to find you/learn about your business:
If you check out Internet Live Stats, you’ll see that there are more than 4 billion Google searches done per day (about 40,000 every second). What’s awesome is that Google has this feature where you can open up a business listing for free and it shows: the hours that you’re open, phone number, photos, reviews, a map of where you’re located, address, and buttons that link up to your website plus directions of how to get there. The listing runs vertically along the right side of your screen next to the search results on the left. Google has even improved their listings over the years to show questions and answers, other reviews from the web, the most busy/popular times, and critic reviews. It’s likely that your competition already has a Google Business listing, so you should verify your business today.
TripAdvisor
For businesses that cater to tourists in any part of the world (like hotels, restaurants, or attractions) then monitoring TripAdvisor is a must. Calling itself the “World’s Largest Travel Site”, TripAdvisor is the go-to for travelers looking for the best places to eat, coolest beaches, bargain hotels, unique top-rated experiences, and more. An average listing shows price range, amenities, and most of all the reviews from fellow travelers that could put you at the top of the list in value, customer service, and experience. TripAdvisor reviewers get points and badges for their commentary and many times the business is appreciative that someone took the time to leave feedback about their stay. Even if you don’t feel like going in and claiming your business on TripAdvisor, in the very least go in and see what people are saying about you.
Yelp
Along the lines of TripAdvisor, Yelp is also an online word-of-mouth review based website that particularly applies to restaurants and their visiting foodies (although this “crowd-sourced website” also includes home services, things to do, and even dry cleaners). Yelp recently changed its interface so that when you do a basic search in a location that you are close to, you can see little cards of hot new businesses, recent activity, trending events, and basically what you need to be doing in that town in any given moment. It’s likely that most of your favorite restaurants are already listed on Yelp and this review site has a huge search engine presence (usually Yelp reviews are at the top of the list in searching for a business), offering another way to get free advertising.
The social experiment that started out as a way for young twentysomethings to connect has skyrocketed in growth, becoming a worldwide phenomenon and for many people, an essential part of life. Facebook became a way for people to stay in touch with long-lost friends and family members, share photos and stories, and also presented an opportunity for brands to get their name out there. With more than 2 billion active users (more than any other social network), it’s worth it to start a business page and start to gain a following. There are so many people on Facebook and they are checking it so often throughout the day that when you post an event or status update, it goes viral in seconds. Facebook advertising options are available, but simply having a business page and inviting your friends to “like” it can do wonders for your exposure as well.
YellowPages.com
Hey, we’re not discounting the Yellow Pages…they still have a strong presence as a major business directory; it’s just more online rather than people picking up the physical book and flipping through the pages. In the past few years, yellowpages.com (or “yp.com”) has really stepped up its game in offering a comprehensive list of anything you could ever want in auto insurance, attorneys, plumbers, locksmiths, veterinarians, and more in your area. So no matter what type of business you’re in, it’s worth it to claim your free listing in the online version of the Yellow Pages.
As technology is evolving, so should your business and claiming a free listing in any of these directories is a good start. If you want to learn more about how to get a better online presence and boost your SEO rankings, contact us at Atlanta SEO Company.