Business owners are always looking for ways to get more people in the door. That’s where online business directories come in.
Online directories can get your business on your community’s radar. These directories match consumers with businesses in a niche the consumer seeks. This can be a huge asset to brick-and-mortar businesses, as consumers often look for something close to home. Not only that, but directories can also boost your site’s SEO ranking.
Effortlessly export your Google Docs to WordPress with just 1-click.
Get Started Today
Business directories are websites that list businesses in a particular niche. Though we don’t use phone books nearly as much anymore, they’re a fantastic example of a business directory. If you’re looking for a local pest control company, flip to the “pest control” section and choose through the listings.
Online directories include business websites, contact information, business descriptions, categories, and photos. These factors make them great for local marketing.
While social media has filled a bit of the modern business directory niche, there’s a big difference between it and an online directory. If you run that pest control company, you’ll need to devise a social media marketing plan. On the other hand, online business directories are typically one-and-done.
As a bonus, business directories are usually free or inexpensive compared to other marketing endeavors.
Brand awareness sets the stage for a large audience. Online directories can help bring fresh eyes to your business.
When you list your business in a directory, you’re building citations. Since these listings link back to your site, search engine indexers see your site as having extra credibility. Credibility boosts your ranking—especially if you’re using a popular directory. From there, your audience grows—and isn’t that always the goal?
These benefits make business directories particularly valuable for entrepreneurs. Whether you’re looking to start a business or grow an existing one, having a presence in relevant directories can significantly boost your visibility. It’s a cost-effective way to get your name out there and start building credibility in your local market.
In order to stand out in these directories and gain a competitive edge, having a compelling business name is crucial. A strong, memorable name can enhance your visibility and credibility, making it easier for potential customers to find and trust your brand. Using a business name generator can help you create a distinctive and attention-grabbing name that aligns with your brand identity and improves your presence in these directories.
People may also try your business because of reviews left on business directories. Many positive reviews on a directory will show people your business is worth looking at. After all, how many times have you looked at the reviews before buying something?
Now that you know the power that business directories can have, here are some of the best. You can make a directory entry for each one or start with a few and see how it goes.
For most directories, all you have to do is input your information once and update it when there are any changes. So, don’t worry too much about how much time covering your directory bases will take. Just be sure to note which directories you’ve made a listing with so you can update when you need to.
With some of these directories, the paid part is optional but recommended. For instance, you may want an extra boost for highly populated directories like Yelp. Yelp and Angi have free versions if you want to make your business profile before committing to a paid tier.
(Image Source: The Real Yellow Pages)
5. Angi: Formerly known as Angie’s List, Angi is excellent for home and yard contractors of all stripes. Angi matches customer service requests with local businesses that provide them, which means more business. The paid tier for Angi is a bit pricey, so you may want to start with the free listing to get a feel for it. However, Angi Premium offers up to 10 times the leads and a higher search ranking on their site.
Many paid-tier directories have a directory theme, which has pros and cons. The good part about this is that the people looking at those directories are seriously considering services. The con is that sometimes directory themes are restrictive, especially if you have an innovative business. Partnering with an SEO agency can be highly beneficial to navigate these challenges and optimize your directory listings. They can help refine your profiles, enhance keyword usage, and ensure your business stands out online.
Free business directories are like free advertising, and that’s always good. Below are the best free online directories covering a wide range of businesses.
1. Google Business Profile: This directory entry is the most important because Google is the SEO king. A Google Business Profile will let Google know who you are, which is the first step in achieving a good ranking. Your Google Business Profile can also be part of a “local pack.” A local pack is when Google suggests local businesses based on user queries. These suggestions make your business even more visible to community members.For example, if you are in the contractor business, combining a well-optimized Google Business Profile with broader online marketing for contractors initiatives can create a powerful synergy, ensuring local clients find and trust their services.
For example, if you are in the contractor business, combining a well-optimized Google Business Profile with broader online marketing for contractors initiatives can create a powerful synergy, ensuring local clients find and trust their services.
2. Tripadvisor: Like Yelp, Tripadvisor is another household name. Known for its vacation help, it’s an excellent place for local businesses like hotels and restaurants. If you own a local point of interest, Tripadvisor has a place for you, too. As a bonus, you’ll reach an audience that isn’t local but wants to check out the local scene. This will keep your leads fresh.
3. Better Business Bureau (BBB): Listing your business here will open up your audience and boost your credibility. Known for its legitimacy, a good score on the Better Business Bureau will also do wonders. It may be worth encouraging customers to give you a good BBB rating via post-purchase email marketing.
4. Foursquare: Foursquare’s mission is to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds. This is a perfect mantra for brick-and-mortar businesses looking to improve SEO while still bringing customers in the door. Unlike more basic listings, Foursquare allows businesses to upload photos and include social media links.
5. Bing Places For Business: This is Bing’s answer to Google Business Profiles. Since Bing is the second most-used search engine, you’ll want to claim your Bing page and keep it current. Bing Places for Business streamlines the process of adding multiple locations simultaneously, which is great for businesses with a few locations.
6. Facebook: You may already have a business Facebook page to cover your social media plan, but if you don’t, we highly recommend it. While not strictly a business directory, Facebook is synonymous with “social media.” Having a page opens up your potential audience and even comes with built-in advertising options.
If your business is missing from these directories, that’s okay! Note down which directory entries you still need to make and address them when possible.
The exact method for adding to an online directory will vary by site, but the basic idea is the same.
At the very least, you should add your business’s name, address, and business phone number so people can contact you. Follow the prompts and submit this information as the site instructs.
Some business listings also allow you to add services you provide, logo images, and even photos of your business. If the directory allows these things, it’s a huge bonus because you’ll be more likely to get calls from people who enjoy what your business offers. In the next section, we’ll cover why taking advantage of this extra information is good.
Remember to incorporate your new online listing in your content marketing plan. Letting everyone know you’re on a site like BBB will boost your audience’s confidence. This trust will make them more likely to do business with you.
The most critical information you can have on your business directory listings is your business’s website, name, address, and business phone number. If one or more of these things change after you submit your business listing, remember to update it.
Be sure to double-check the site link you submit, too. If you want to track the number of site visitors you get from the directory entry, you can add a tracker to the end of your business link.
Now comes the part where you can get creative. If the business directory allows you to list a description, services list, photos, or anything else, you’ll want to take advantage of it. With your business description and services, be as specific as possible while sounding natural. Doing some extra keyword research ahead of time can be helpful, just to be sure you’re nailing it. An AI development company can assist in automating and optimizing keyword research for better results.
You may be unable to add images to your business listing. If you can, they can be a game changer. When choosing your images, try to appeal to the community that you’re part of. Localizing content is tailoring your content to different regions in a global market. Even though listings are small, you can still take tips from content localization.
In addition to basic information like your email address, you’ll want to add your business’s operating hours. This way, potential customers know when to reach you.
Finally, business directory plugins, like those through WordPress, will keep you updated on new pages for which you can create listings.
As you probably know, SEO is complex, so there’s much to consider. Here are some other SEO tactics to set your business up for success:
With over 240 million digital video viewers in the United States alone, video marketing is the top dog. You’re seriously missing out if you haven’t devised a video marketing plan.
Informational videos about your business and product tours can help your audience better understand who you are. Modern advances have made putting together videos a breeze with tools like AI and text-to-video, allowing you to embrace this trend without the stress.
These advancements have made creating quality videos easier, making video marketing an essential strategy for local businesses. With user-friendly tools and platforms, you can produce engaging content that highlights your services and emotionally connects with your audience. This approach fosters brand loyalty and improves visibility in local search results, positioning your business as a trusted resource in your community.
Remember to research local-specific keywords. Think about the community around you, its values, and who your direct competition is. Relevant content will show potential audiences that you’re part of that community, just as they are.
A backlink is a link back to your website (or a page on your website). Building backlinks gives your website authority. Search engines see your page associated with another authoritative site, which reflects positively on you and boosts your business’s ranking.
Collaboration is an ideal way to build backlinks. Partnering with other local businesses is an exceptional strategy to create long-term relationships and strengthen online reputations.
Fast websites rank higher on Google, so you’ll want to ensure your load speed is up to snuff. This is an easy fix that can get you some serious SEO points.
You’ll also want to consider your UX. Everyone likes websites that are easy to navigate, and Google likes it when people don’t close out of your page right away. Consider your buttons, color contrasts, and website features like a contact form.
Make sure your contact forms (and lead generation forms) have clear labeling and are easy to use. Convenient forms will not only capture audience email addresses better but can also boost your SEO ranking.
Also, to enhance your online visibility further, consider investing in dedicated hosting for your business website. This will ensure it handles traffic efficiently and ranks higher on search engine results. It will also complement your strategic use of business directories for local SEO.
Having a tight social media plan is another no-brainer, but look at it from a local lens. Do your social media pages reflect your place in the community?
If your content feels generic compared to the local areas you’re trying to reach, try incorporating local flavor. User-generated content and behind-the-scenes features at your business show your authenticity. Collaborating with local businesses seals your credibility and can reach a whole new audience.
SEO can be a lot of nitty-gritty stuff that may not always be on your radar, but that doesn’t make it unimportant. This is where Yoast comes in.
Yoast SEO is a powerful WordPress plugin built for search engine optimization. This plugin helps you optimize your site, from blog posts to meta descriptions and everything in between.
One standout feature is Yoast’s blog post readability score. This score can give you a feel for how digestible your copy is. In addition, Yoast offers advice to optimize your readability, giving you a top-tier quality copy. Good copy intrigues audience members, driving more traffic and increasing business.
While phone books are a thing of the past, online directories have become an even bigger opportunity for local businesses. Digital directories can open the door for a new local audience. Paired with other SEO tactics, you can see a real boost in your business (and your ranking!).
For more on managing your WordPress business site, including streamlining your publishing workflows and all the latest on WP plugins, Wordable.io is your perfect digital publishing partner.