Un–Hidden Treasures

Cover photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

How to Harness the Power of Online Business Listings to Boost Your Visibility and Connect with Local Customers

Maps have always been essential tools for navigation, guiding explorers, travellers, and plenty of kids on make-believe treasure hunts.

Online business listings serve as a crucial map for customers by providing essential information that helps them make informed decisions about engaging with a business and, more importantly, where to find the business.

Today, online business listings are crucial in guiding customers to small and medium-sized businesses, helping business growth. By improving local SEO, these listings can boost business visibility and strengthen connections with the local community.

Below are five listing sites you should consider using to enhance your local SEO and make it easier for customers to discover your business.

The Cornerstone of Local Visibility

Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, is a highly influential platform for local SEO. It provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to easily manage your online presence across Google Search and Google Maps. With just a few simple steps, you can optimise your listing and take control of your online visibility.

Tips for optimising your Google Business Profile

Have Accurate Business Information - It is not just a suggestion but a necessity. Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online listings to avoid confusion and maintain customer trust.

Opening Times - Remember to keep your business hours current, including special holidays.

Use Visuals - You can upload photos and engaging videos (under 100 MB) to showcase your business, products, and services.

Engage with Reviews - Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and respond to them to build trust and improve local search rankings.

Clear Business Description - Craft a clear and engaging description highlighting your business's unique offerings, avoiding keyword stuffing.

Tap into a Different Audience

Google may be the top dog in online search, but Bing attracts more than 1.2 billion users. By using Bing Places for Business, you can create and manage your business profile, making sure you connect with users who prefer Bing or use browsers with Bing as their default search engine. Bing powers several other search platforms, including DuckDuckGo, Yahoo! and AOL, so businesses can reach a wider audience beyond just Google users. This can improve a business's overall SEO strategy by increasing visibility across multiple search engines and platforms.

Engage Apple Users

Apple Business Connect is a free tool that enables businesses to customise their information across Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri, and other Apple apps. This helps businesses to reach a wide audience of Apple users, including at least 19.7 million UK-based iPhone users. Apple Business Connect is deeply integrated across Apple's ecosystem, providing visibility on Apple Maps, Siri, and Safari, Apple's web browser. A listing on Apple Business Connect ensures that your business information is accessible through various Apple services, improving customer engagement and providing a seamless user experience across different touchpoints within the Apple ecosystem.

Expand Your Reach

Foursquare and Yell.com are two additional platforms that can help improve your local SEO efforts. Yell has been a prominent online directory and listing platform for businesses in the UK since the early days of the Internet. It has a long history, originating from the printed Yellow Pages directory. This longevity and familiarity with the Yell brand among UK consumers are valuable assets for SMEs. Similarly, Foursquare was one of the early listing sites on the web. Foursquare is a location-based service with over 50 million global users, who are likely active travellers and explorers. If your target audience includes international tourists, including a business listing on this platform makes sense, even if only at a seasonal level.

Bonus Sites for Business Listings

Listing your business on the following high-authority sites can further increase your online visibility:

TripAdvisor - Ideal for businesses in the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Trustpilot - A review platform that helps build trust with potential customers.

Hotfrog - A global business directory that enhances online visibility.

Also, it's important to consider the significance of local council business directories. These directories are trusted sources of information for local residents and can boost your local SEO.

Conclusion

To help customers navigate the digital world, small businesses need to use the right tools. Leveraging online business listing services can enhance your local SEO and drive customer engagement. The cornerstone of this ecosystem is a Google Business Profile, while platforms like Bing Places for Business, Apple Business Connect, Foursquare, and Yell offer opportunities to reach a broader audience. By optimising your listings and maintaining accurate information, you can help customers find your business and discover all of its hidden treasures.

TL;DR

- Local SEO is crucial for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to connect with local customers and boost visibility.

- Google Business Profile is essential for managing online visibility on Google Search and Maps.

- Bing Places for Business can help reach users who prefer Bing and other search engines, expanding overall SEO strategy.

- Apple Business Connect allows customisation of business information across Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri, and Safari to engage Apple users seamlessly.

- Foursquare and Yell are additional platforms to consider for enhancing local SEO efforts, especially for reaching global users and UK consumers.

- Bonus high-authority sites, including TripAdvisor, Trustpilot, Hotfrog, and local council business directories, can further boost online visibility.

Cheers,

Nic Calvert