What you’ll learn about Local Business Listings:
- Why you should invest time into your online presence.
- How you can get your name to show up in more searches.
- The importance of consistency in your online presence.
- How to use different resources for listing yourself online.
Listings. Directories. Citation. Data aggregators.
What are they? More importantly, how are they beneficial to you and your business?
To put it simply, listings, directories, and citations are where people can find your information quickly. Your NAPW, (Name, Address, Phone Number, and Website) are some of your most important assets. These listings or directories give people access to you. And when you do a little tweaking, they give people access to you with ease.
Data aggregators are a bit different. They collect and disperse data to make sure accuracy exists across platforms. You can think of them as something similar to a credit check.
When it comes to online algorithms, there is one thing that reigns superior: consistency.
Your NAPW should be consistent over every platform you can access. That means Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. should have a consistent NAPW for your business as well as consistent logos and branding.
You might think to yourself, “I have nothing to do with Twitter. Why would I want to be on Twitter?” “I don’t use Instagram. There’s no reason I should be on Instagram.”
Here’s the secret. Your consistency over these platforms allows you to be seen.
Your presence and consistency over these sites say to Google, “This is a real business.” Google’s goal is to show people real, legitimate businesses. Therefore, the more cohesiveness you have across social platforms, the more authentic your business seems to Google’s algorithm.
More hits = more potential clients.
Assure that all of your information is accurate and secure wherever your business’s name is popping up. These things all contribute to the success of your offsite SEO.
To take things a step further, you will want to hone in on the specifics. Take a look at directories made specifically for attorneys and other law assistance. Websites like these are sometimes free, while other times, they require payment or membership fees. There are many to choose from.
Rankings.io has already compiled a list of some of the biggest lawyer directory websites.
As of today, it benefits you to be on every directory you can get yourself on. That could change tomorrow, but as of today, the more, the better, as long as the site is legitimate and represents your business well.
The process of getting your listing on a site varies. Some sites ask for straightforward submissions. Others, others may require a nomination, while some want you to pay to put your listing up. You don’t have to put your listing on pay-only websites, but you certainly can if that’s something you wish to do.
In contrast to picking the websites you appear on, there will be times you might not get to choose the websites where your information shows up. Think about the randomly-generated Yelp or Google pages where people start leaving reviews. They have no pictures or only user-generated content. Don’t allow yourself to be one of these pages. Take the effort now to add accurate information under your name.
Before you go out and start finding the sites you want to be seen on, do some prep work.
There are several “Go-Tos” you should already have ready to copy and paste.
These include:
- A short description
- A medium description
- A long description
- Cohesive images or logos
All of these things should already be Search Engine Optimized and ready to share.
Don’t feel discouraged when it takes six to nine months to see results from these efforts. SEO is a long-term game, not a short-term solution.
With Stoddard Agency and our use of Digital Marketing solutions, you’ll gain the social exposure your law firm needs, improve client engagement, and increase web traffic—all at the same time while barely lifting a finger. Call us for your successful local online exposure at (206) 880-0913
