Have you ever Googled something like “pizza places near me”? If you haven’t, it’s a great tool to find local businesses—sometimes even hidden gems—in your area.
If you have, you know how important it is for businesses to keep the information in the results updated. Nobody likes a pizza place—supposedly open until 11 pm on a Friday night—already closed when you arrive at 8 pm, leaving you standing out in the rain, wet and pizza-less. Automatic 1-star review, Greg’s Pizzeria.
We don’t make the rules.
The same goes for a plumber, art shop, hardware store, gas station, or Pilates studio.
If accurate information is gold, then outdated information is fool’s gold. It looks real, but it’s disappointing, frustrating, and worthless to businesses, clients, and search engines alike.
If you’re a small business, letting your online presence wither can seriously hurt your reputation and income. Social media, digital advertising, and websites are all important factors in your online presence, but don’t slack off on local listings.
Local listings primarily come in two forms: the “knowledge graphs” that appear on the right side of the Google search results page with information about your business, and business profiles that appear on directory sites like Yelp or Apple Maps. The most important information in these listings is known as NAP: Name, Address, and Phone number. It might seem minor, but your local listing is one of the most subtle but significant ways to make a splash on the Internet and gain more customers.
Conversely, not maintaining or even having a local listing can be a death sentence. That might sound extreme, but making sure that your information is accurate establishes trust, makes things easier for your clients, and helps build your SEO muscles. Google incentivizes accurate local listings, because it needs to ensure that you’re not fraudulent or inactive.
Plus, it brings people to your website and helps you win over the competition. Nearly 50% of searches on cell phones have local intent, but 53% of businesses display incorrect or inaccurate information online. That means people are likely getting incorrect information—in one way or another—over half the time. Local list management keeps business information consistent and up to date.
With local list management, you can add more information, such as hours of operation, website, photos, and reviews. This can be a task, especially across multiple sites and search engines. It’s an unobtrusive but crucial move to make, and one that takes time, effort, and attention to detail.
Luckily, local list management, including setting up profiles, claiming listings, verifying information, and maintaining consistency is one of the many services Jennasis offers. If you’re looking for a new way to bolster your local business—and improve your website traffic, online presence, and trustworthiness, Jennasis has your back.
Even you, Greg’s Pizzeria!
